User profile for user: Smallzoo99
Smallzoo99 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Install OSX on macbook with broken screen

I have a MacBook pro 2015 which has a broken screen which would be fine as I can attach an external monitor. ( except of course it was hit and miss as to when to close the macbook screen down to change it over to the monitor ! )


Anyway that would be fine but in my haste trying to delete data off the SSD I deleted the OS !!..dumb I know


Anyway when I booted up it cam up witht ? so I thought ok lets get int recovery mode


However when trying to get into recovery mode with CMD+R or CMD+R+Option I cannot get it to show on the external screen so I cant see anything


In my wisdom I thought I would follow Apple's recommendations and created a bootable usb with a compatible montrery OSX and that boots up great

If I use the disk utility I can see the 120Gb SSD fine but if I try the Install OSX option on the USB it doesnt see the SSD ..Arrggghhh


Any help please would be most appreciated


Here are some pics of what I see when I boot with the USB and use the disk util facility


https://postimg.cc/gallery/Xq1VVgt


p.s. I do have a 2015 macbook air aswell if there is a way for copy an old OSX from one macbook to another


cheers

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.7

Posted on Mar 3, 2025 5:47 AM

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
68,426 points

Posted on Mar 3, 2025 8:03 AM

Please post the picture here by using the "Image Insertion" tool located on the forum editing toolbar whose icon looks like a mountain portrait. I am not clicking on links to sites I don't recognize, plus those links disappear after a while so when people find this thread later on they won't have the picture to reference.


I usually power on the laptop & quickly close the lid to use the external keyboard for the special startup keys. Theoretically you should be able to use the Option key to keep it simple, then at the Apple boot picker menu just press the Command + R or Command + Option + R keys.


As for the other issue with the installer having no destination options, you need to use Disk Utility to erase the whole physical SSD.....or if you are booted into macOS 10.10, then you may need to use Disk Utility to Partition & Format the SSD. If booting to the macOS 10.13+ installer, then you will need to click "View" and select "Show All Devices" before the physical SSD appears on the left pane of Disk Utility.


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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
68,426 points

Mar 3, 2025 8:03 AM in response to Smallzoo99

Please post the picture here by using the "Image Insertion" tool located on the forum editing toolbar whose icon looks like a mountain portrait. I am not clicking on links to sites I don't recognize, plus those links disappear after a while so when people find this thread later on they won't have the picture to reference.


I usually power on the laptop & quickly close the lid to use the external keyboard for the special startup keys. Theoretically you should be able to use the Option key to keep it simple, then at the Apple boot picker menu just press the Command + R or Command + Option + R keys.


As for the other issue with the installer having no destination options, you need to use Disk Utility to erase the whole physical SSD.....or if you are booted into macOS 10.10, then you may need to use Disk Utility to Partition & Format the SSD. If booting to the macOS 10.13+ installer, then you will need to click "View" and select "Show All Devices" before the physical SSD appears on the left pane of Disk Utility.


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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
68,426 points

Mar 3, 2025 10:10 AM in response to Smallzoo99

Ignore the "Disk Images" as they are part of the installer. The last picture is only showing the 32GB macOS installer volume which of course is not a real option.


The Disk Utility picture where you have the "Apple SSD SM0128G Media"......you need to erase it as GUID partition and MacOS Extended (Journaled). Then it should appear as a destination for the macOS installation. I have to admit that picture is very odd since it is not showing any file system for the "Untitled" volume, but I'm also not sure how older versions of macOS treat an erased APFS volume used by your previous macOS install.


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Install OSX on macbook with broken screen

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