Problems with installing macOS? Let me help you troubleshoot.
Problems with installing macOS? Let me help you troubleshoot.
Hi, your MacBook Air 2015 is stuck in recovery mode and you're trying to upgrade to a newer OS. After installing a new NVMe SSD, the system isn't recognizing it. You've heard from an IFixit forum that updating to macOS Mojave or later might fix the issue, but you can't get a fresh install. You've also attempted to boot from a flash drive and create a bootable installer, but it only shows the flashing folder without progress. Since your 2015 model doesn't support installing macOS Ventura from recovery, you're limited to recovery-only updates. Consider checking if your hardware meets the minimum requirements for macOS Mojave or later, and look into alternative recovery methods or contacting Apple Support for further guidance.
I previously used Apple’s support page for macOS installers: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683. I downloaded High Sierra on a Mac, created a bootable installer, and successfully reinstalled it on another Mac without issues. For most cases, I found that choosing the oldest compatible OS version and allowing it to auto-update or updating manually to the latest supported version works best, even if it takes longer. In my situation, I had to stick with High Sierra because my 2010 iMac couldn’t run Metal (present in Mojave), so that was the only option available.
It was put in using an adapter since it’s a standard NVMe storage, though I’m confident the adapter functions well based on positive Amazon reviews. I even replaced it with another one after suspecting the first one was faulty.
It isn't showing up yet. I'm using a different adapter from another brand that's arriving today. I'll test it later and let you know if it works, thanks for your help.