Fast Reinstall of macOS with Bootable USB Drive on Apple Silicon M1 Mac - MacBook Pro & Air

Booting to a macOS Big Sur USB Install Disk is enabled now by Default on Apple Silicon Macs!!! You can now reinstall macOS in half the time it takes by using a USB installer instead of downloading in regular macOS recovery! I wrote an article covering all the changes to macOS Recovery here.

Order of that you should follow for reinstalling macOS on Apple Silicon.

1. macOS Recovery
2. System Recovery – (Will boot automatically if macOS Recovery is unavailable)
3. macOS Big Sur USB Installer Drive – (External boot for macOS Installers is enabled by default on Apple Silicon)
4. Apple Configurator 2 REVIVE option – This option will reinstall macOS Recovery (retains user data on the SSD hard drive)
5. Apple Configurator 2 RESTORE option – This option will Reinstall macOS Recovery, ERASE your SSD hard drive and reinstall macOS
Apple has just posted a new articles on macOS recovery, booting to DFU mode and how to restore macOS Firmware.

This video is is for the following Apple Silicon Macs
Apple Silicon M1 Mac Mini
Apple Silicon M1 MacBook Air
Apple Silicon M1 MacBook Pro 13"

Links

Twitter

Mac Transition to Apple Silicon Everything you need to know!

New Article How to reinstall macOS on your Apple Silicon Mac

How to boot your Apple Silicon Mac into DFU mode + Restore macOS with Apple Configurator 2.

macOS ISPW Firmware Database - Download Full macOS ISPW Files!

MacOS Big Sur Index of need to know changes! (UPDATED)

macOS System Status (Issues) – OS, Xprotect & App Version Database

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[TheTetris]

If someone is wondering for how to start the Bootmenu on a new M1 Silicon Macmini or other non Laptop Mac OS X, it is the same whay, just hold the power button.

[iambenmitchell]

5:47 you should actually press the view button and change it to show all then select the actual root disk and erase that. This will do a clean install. Otherwise you'll be left with things like EFI etc.

[TheAdrienO]

I watched the deep dive version of this video, thank you so f*cking much! You saved my brand new macbook’s life. This key combination is really tricky and several failures occurred before it finally went through.
Your videos are a much better help than anything posted by Apple themselves.

[FirstIndianCamper]

I created a Macos Big Sur drive after watching your other video. I used Samsung T5 SSD. Now when I use it on my brand new M1 Pro its still downloading the package content through internet and taking about 2 hours and then failing. Where am I going wrong?

Thanks in advance

[dell]

My new M1 Mini went down after trying to upgrade to 12.6.2, the machine would net let me login. Apple had me erase each and every partition on the M! disk by starting at the last partition and working my way up to the base disk. He explained that this was the only way to make sure everything was gone.I then installed a fresh copy of 12.6.2, I then set up the computer like it was brand new.

[JohnSmith-rmob]

Mr. Macintosh:
For us Intel Mac people too afraid to install Big Sur (due to all the bugs) how about a video on how to install Big Sur into a APFS container alongside Catalina on the internal drive. This would essentially create a dual boot Catalina/BigSur Mac with the advantage that we would not disrupt our production mac (Catalina) and yet be able to try out Big Sur.

[alright]

I'm still confused about these apple silicon macs. If you boot and it gives you the error that says restore, will it still let you boot into a big sur installer usb reinstall the os, or do you have to use a second mac at that point? Also, do these macs still have a firmware, like how intel macs had efi, do these have some type of that that doesn't rely on an operating system to perform the basic functions of the computer?

[hazemdarwish]

Thank you very much, keep doing these great tutorials

[wesofficial__]

Dude these videos have been super helpful, earned a few thumbs ups and a new subscriber!

[karlavillanueva]

Would this basically be like "downloading" your computer onto the USB then resetting the computer and using the USB to put everything back?

[musicwelker]

Hey mr Macintosh, I forgot my id apple, if i do that, can I put the new one? Or u thing the MacBook ask the last again?? Thanks!

[portiamanohar]

Since my M1 is kind of in the restore mode, i went on to make a Bootable USB BigSur image from my intel macbook pro and it seems like it doesn't even recognise the usb during the recovery option boot menu. can i download the BigSur M1 image and create the USB or from the IPSW file?

[jtjt]

I didnt think it was possible to boot external usb os made on intel mac, on a apple silicon, I thought it would have to be made on another apple silicon.

[dexterreal]

Hey mate, I've been doing that but it stops in some point :( could you complete it??

[Subhrasil]

Sorry I just fixed my issue when I saw your reply. I had to open terminal and run "resetpassword" and deregister my mac from my apple id, simply removing it from "find my mac" didnt work. But really thank you for your reply :) so quick! I do not know what is MDM - DEP you are talking about, this is my first mac ever, so.. :)

[Tech-geeky]

For some reason, every-time i see these two Macs, it catches me off-guard and makes me think you need the Intel one for a reason, not just for visual differences.

[oeunsothearo]

My macbook was lost APFS format, i can not fine in recovery mode. So how can I get APFS back by using Terminal? Thanks

[joelarrey]

Hello please can’t see the flash drive after holding the Option key
Need some help please

[Elijahxrod]

my iMac is stuck with a folder with a question mark on the screen and it won't load recovery mode with any key commands. I think I messed up the step when erasing the data, is there a way to save it?

[GildardoAngelFranco]

Thank you very much! You solve my question about to how can I boot from usb drive on new M1 MacBook Air?