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macbook pro won’t install OS, keep going back to globe icon

i am using the macbook pro 2018 15”.


i was trying to reset everything in my macbook. so i went ahead and deleted the disk from the macOS recovery setting and it worked smoothly. i went to reinstalling the OS but i got impatient so i just turned it off hoping i could just reinstall later. but after going ahead and try reinstalling all i’m met with was a folder with question mark on the screen and url that says support.apple.com/mac/startup. so i did, and it says to try cmd+r after pressing the power button. note that i have to long press on the power button to get it turned off because there is nothing in the screen that i can use to turn my mac off.


i was met with more than 10 failed attempt to install the OS with various codes, such as -2005f, -2003f, -1008f. i have tried all sorts of commands from cmd+r, cmd+shift+r, cmd+oprion+shift+r, and tried diagnosing by pressing d for long, and i always end up looking at the same globe icon that gives me the option to select wifi and nothing else, no matter what i press. it always goes back to the globe. and if i dont press anything after turning on the mac, then the folder icon with question mark shows up. i never see the macOS recovery page anymore.


please help me. i don’t know what else to do. if there is any offline method that i can do to install my OS, please let me know. i don’t have the best internet, my maximum is 20 mbps on very good day. i can’t even attach the image for the error message to show you guys. i really don’t know what else to do…


thank you for everyone who’s coming to help.

Posted on May 30, 2021 5:40 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 30, 2021 7:22 AM

peachdress wrote:

i am using the macbook pro 2018 15”.

i was trying to reset everything in my macbook. so i went ahead and deleted the disk from the macOS recovery setting and it worked smoothly. i went to reinstalling the OS but i got impatient so i just turned it off hoping i could just reinstall later. but after going ahead and try reinstalling all i’m met with was a folder with question mark on the screen

i was met with more than 10 failed attempt to install the OS with various codes, such as -2005f, -2003f, -1008f.



< -2005f, -2003f, -1008f. > error


In Internet Recovery, these low negative thousands error messages indicate that your provided Wi-Fi Network is inadequate in some fashion, and cannot be used (for this purpose) in its current state.


Common problems include:

Hidden Network-name

required use of a proxy server to get Internet access

required use of a login page to get Internet access

Use of a login server or certificate to get Internet access

Use of PPPoE in the Mac to get Internet access (typically only applies to DSL)

Use of Fixed IP address rather than good old DHCP

Variance of the time by more than five minutes

Failure of Router to provide workable DNS server addresses, or providing 0.0.0.0 [may produce -2002f]


If you have an Ethernet port, you may in some cases be able to move your Mac close to the Router and connect to the Router using Ethernet.


The higher the number, the more obscure the problem.


Also, make certain the Date&Time and Time Zone are correct within 5 minutes.


ref: Grant Bennet-Alder

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250370425?answerId=250705456022#250705456022



Power Cycle your router

Disable any VPN or Proxy server

Uninstall any third party Cleaners,Optimizers,Anti-virus

Do a safe boot  https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262----





How to reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904


Restore your Mac from a backup

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203981

Similar questions

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 30, 2021 7:22 AM in response to peachdress

peachdress wrote:

i am using the macbook pro 2018 15”.

i was trying to reset everything in my macbook. so i went ahead and deleted the disk from the macOS recovery setting and it worked smoothly. i went to reinstalling the OS but i got impatient so i just turned it off hoping i could just reinstall later. but after going ahead and try reinstalling all i’m met with was a folder with question mark on the screen

i was met with more than 10 failed attempt to install the OS with various codes, such as -2005f, -2003f, -1008f.



< -2005f, -2003f, -1008f. > error


In Internet Recovery, these low negative thousands error messages indicate that your provided Wi-Fi Network is inadequate in some fashion, and cannot be used (for this purpose) in its current state.


Common problems include:

Hidden Network-name

required use of a proxy server to get Internet access

required use of a login page to get Internet access

Use of a login server or certificate to get Internet access

Use of PPPoE in the Mac to get Internet access (typically only applies to DSL)

Use of Fixed IP address rather than good old DHCP

Variance of the time by more than five minutes

Failure of Router to provide workable DNS server addresses, or providing 0.0.0.0 [may produce -2002f]


If you have an Ethernet port, you may in some cases be able to move your Mac close to the Router and connect to the Router using Ethernet.


The higher the number, the more obscure the problem.


Also, make certain the Date&Time and Time Zone are correct within 5 minutes.


ref: Grant Bennet-Alder

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250370425?answerId=250705456022#250705456022



Power Cycle your router

Disable any VPN or Proxy server

Uninstall any third party Cleaners,Optimizers,Anti-virus

Do a safe boot  https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262----





How to reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904


Restore your Mac from a backup

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203981

May 30, 2021 5:54 AM in response to peachdress

Do you have access to another Mac?

If yes, create a bootable installer using this procedure How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support. That's the best way.

You can also use a PC and an app called Transmac for it. You'll have to download the macOS installer in Windows too.


One of the main problems is your slow internet connection. Since Big Sur install is about a 12GB download and the Internet Recovery does take a bit longer to download things, it seemed to you it wasn't doing anything.

Plus, during this download, if your connection suffers any interference/interruption, download gets cut and it doesn't resume, so you'll have to start over. Not a pleasant process, actually.


Remember, always have a bootable installer in hand when formatting your Mac. It's faster and way more reliable.

Jun 2, 2021 4:53 AM in response to peachdress

Not sure Big Sur will be any different, worth the shot, tho.


First try this sequence:

Unplug any peripheral from the Mac

Reset SMC like 2 or 3 times in a row How to reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support

Reset NVRAM 2 or 3 times in a row Reset NVRAM or PRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

Now try to run the installer again.


It shouldn't be necessary to reset these modules a few times in a row, but in my experience it sometimes changed the situation.

Jun 1, 2021 2:49 AM in response to Rafael Scheid

hi rafael,


i just made a bootable installer and it showed me the catalina installer as shown in the image (picked catalina because big sur gave me issues with my imac). but when i clicked on it, it only brought me back to the installation via the internet, then met with yet again a -1008f error code. any idea why this might happen? or am i running out of option?

Jun 1, 2021 8:29 AM in response to Rafael Scheid

hi rafael,


yes i did exactly that, i used an external usb flash drive as the installer. i downloaded it again for the second time and used it for the installer using apple’s bootable installer guide. page goes to show me the catalina installer again just like before, and it still took me back to the internet recovery after flashing a globe icon with the following text:


do you think installing big sur would be helping instead of catalina?

Jun 1, 2021 3:47 AM in response to peachdress

Have you created the installer on a Mac or a PC?

If on a PC, it’s common to see some problems and people have to create it again, maybe 2 or 3 times til it worked properly (don’t know why, it just happens).

If on a Mac, maybe something went wrong, try making a new installer to check.

Another option is, if you have access to another Mac and also have an external drive you can format, use this Mac to install macOS right to that drive. Once done, use that drive to boot your Mac and then let’s work from there.

You’ll then be able to use Disk Utility and check the internal hard drives, also check the rest of the hardware, etc.

Jun 8, 2021 1:27 AM in response to Rafael Scheid

hi rafael,


ended up being too scared of doing anything further since i pressed power off way too many times already and brought it to the apple service to fix… they did use both the methods you gave and it was able to be reinstalled. if anything like this happen again (hopefully never) i’d know what to do with the guides you linked. thanks for the help regardless!

macbook pro won’t install OS, keep going back to globe icon

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