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MacBook Pro mid 2018 is stuck in internet recovery mode

I have no bootable drive because my MacBook died while trying to reinstall macOS. everything I try leads to a globe with a warning symbol and support.apple.com/mac/startup with -1008F underneath. I have tried making a bootable usb but it's not working either. it shows up but every time I try to install it and internet recovery does its thing the same error pops up. I dont know what to do. can someone please help?

MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Sep 29, 2023 5:25 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 29, 2023 6:47 PM

Here is an Apple article regarding the -1008f error:

If your Mac starts up to error -1008F - Apple Support


Unfortunately if you did not previously adjust the laptop's security settings to allow booting external drives, then there is no way to do so now until you can access Internet Recovery Mode.


For a 2018+ Mac, you may need to perform a firmware "Revive" procedure which resets both the T2 security chip & firmware. This may work to get Internet Recovery Mode working. However, this process requires access to another Mac running macOS 12.4+.

Revive or restore an Intel-based Mac using Apple Configurator - Apple Support


Edit: Most of these large negative error codes are due to a networking issue. It is usually good to try connecting the computer directly to the router using an Ethernet cable (and for your laptop a USB-C Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter) for a faster more reliable connection which bypasses hard to troubleshoot WiFi issues. You can also try power cycling your router and waiting at least 5 minutes for the router to finish booting before trying again.


Also, should try Internet Recovery Mode from a different location which uses a different ISP since the ISP may be blocking something necessary for Internet Recovery Mode.


You can also take the laptop to an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for assistance.


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2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 29, 2023 6:47 PM in response to jakob666

Here is an Apple article regarding the -1008f error:

If your Mac starts up to error -1008F - Apple Support


Unfortunately if you did not previously adjust the laptop's security settings to allow booting external drives, then there is no way to do so now until you can access Internet Recovery Mode.


For a 2018+ Mac, you may need to perform a firmware "Revive" procedure which resets both the T2 security chip & firmware. This may work to get Internet Recovery Mode working. However, this process requires access to another Mac running macOS 12.4+.

Revive or restore an Intel-based Mac using Apple Configurator - Apple Support


Edit: Most of these large negative error codes are due to a networking issue. It is usually good to try connecting the computer directly to the router using an Ethernet cable (and for your laptop a USB-C Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter) for a faster more reliable connection which bypasses hard to troubleshoot WiFi issues. You can also try power cycling your router and waiting at least 5 minutes for the router to finish booting before trying again.


Also, should try Internet Recovery Mode from a different location which uses a different ISP since the ISP may be blocking something necessary for Internet Recovery Mode.


You can also take the laptop to an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for assistance.


MacBook Pro mid 2018 is stuck in internet recovery mode

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