Recovery mode not working on MacBook Air 2015 despite key combinations and bootable USB

Question

Level 1

4 points

Recovery mode not working on MacBook Air 2015 despite key combinations and bootable USB

I want to reset my MacBook Air 2015. When I start up the machine and press the key combinations Command + R, Option + Command + R, or Shift + Option + Command + R, it doesn't enter recovery mode but instead goes straight to the login screen.

I’ve created a bootable USB and held down the Option key while starting up, but the result is the same. Resetting the NVRAM also didn’t work.

The built-in keyboard is not damaged — I even tried using an external keyboard, but it made no difference.

The machine was originally running macOS Mojave, then I upgraded to Big Sur, and later to Monterey, but the issue persists.

On my other MacBook Air 2018, recovery mode works normally.

What should I do? Thank you very much.

[Edited by Moderator]

Original Title: Command + R, Option + Command + R, Shift + Option + Command + R, or Option are all not working

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.7

Posted on Oct 7, 2025 6:34 AM

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Answer 1

Willorn

Level 1

14 points

Oct 9, 2025 1:56 AM in response to Khaaa

Shut down your Mac completely
Press and hold: Option + Command + R
Press power button while holding those keys
Keep holding until you see a spinning globe
This should boot to Internet Recovery Mode

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Answer 2

HWTech

Level 9

68,096 points

Oct 7, 2025 9:14 AM in response to Khaaa

Khaaa wrote:

I want to reset my MacBook Air 2015.

Why? The same reason may be why you are encountering issues to reinstall macOS.

I’ve created a bootable USB and held down the Option key while starting up, but the result is the same. Resetting the NVRAM also didn’t work.

What happens when you hold down the Option key?

Did you create the bootable macOS USB installer using the instructions in the following Apple article?

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

The built-in keyboard is not damaged — I even tried using an external keyboard, but it made no difference.

Was it wired USB keyboard? If not, then the keyboard may not have gone ready soon enough for the special startup keys.

The machine was originally running macOS Mojave, then I upgraded to Big Sur, and later to Monterey, but the issue persists.

Did you perform these OS upgrades to resolve some sort of issue? If so, what was the original issue?

FYI, macOS upgrades rarely solve problems, but can introduce even more issues. Minor OS update patches are fine to install/apply since they may actually fix some issues.

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