You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

If I reinstall my OS without formatting, will all the programs and data still be on the drive and usable?

If I reinstall my OS without formatting, will all the programs and data still be on the drive and usable?


Posted on Aug 3, 2020 1:57 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 3, 2020 2:00 PM

That is the way it is designed to work.


But it would be prudent to have a Trusted backup before you begin, as a hedge against things going sideways, such as the drive failing in the middle of the process.

2 replies

If I reinstall my OS without formatting, will all the programs and data still be on the drive and usable?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.