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1. Reinstall Macos Catalina Without Losing Data Protection
2. Reinstall Macos Catalina Without Losing Data Center
3. How Do I Reinstall Macos Without Losing Data
4. How To Downgrade Macos Catalina Without Losing Data

This page covers the full process of how to update and install the latest macOS Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, etc. on Mac without losing any data. If you need a detailed guide, follow through this page to get the desired macOS installed on your computer now:

Based on if you want to keep the original data on the startup disk, you can either choose to clean reinstall macOS or to reinstall macOS without data loss. The correct way to reinstall macOS Catalina is to use your Mac’s Recovery Mode: Restart your Mac and then hold down ⌘ + R to activate Recovery Mode. In the first window, select Reinstall macOS Continue. Agree to the Terms & Conditions. Select the hard drive you’d like to reinstall mac OS Catalina to and click Install.

Applies To: macOS Big Sur, macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave, macOS High Sierra, macOS Sierra, or earlier Mac operating systems

The need to update or reinstall your macOS always follow the release of a new operating system, the slow performance of your Mac, or a system crash. When it comes to reinstalling macOS, users biggest concern is losing data on their computer.

The good news is that, if you follow the instructions strictly to update your Mac Operating System, the chance to lose data on your Mac is quite slim, since a reinstallation just needs to create a new copy of the OS, your existing files stored on your Mac won't be lost. Thus, as long as you don't choose to erase your startup disk during the reinstallation, you won't lose files. However, you know what 'Slim' means - it's not 100% safe and is still at the risk of losing some data.

Then how to reinstall macOS without any data loss? To provide a double guarantee to the precious data on your Mac, you can make a copy of the files on your Mac before you perform the reinstallation, or equip your Mac with a data recovery tool that can rescue your data after the reinstallation.

Preparations you Need to Make Before You Reinstall macOS

To reinstall macOS on your computer smoothly. Follow the tips below to prepare your Mac ready for the new macOS update now:

• Leave at least 2GB memory and 8.8 GB storage space on your Mac
• Leave at least 45% battery on your Mac
• Connect Mac to the internet or WiFi
• Update your Mac Apps to the latest versions
• Backup all your personal data and even create backups for your present Mac data through Time Machine

Remember to back up your Mac to an external hard drive for preventing system update failure or unexpected troubles from happening. Then follow the detailed guide below to reinstall Mac OS via macOS Recovery mode, which enables you to reinstall macOS, restore your files from Time Machine, repair or erase a disk, and more.

How to Update & Reinstall macOS Without Losing Data

*Print this page or open this page on another device so you can refer to it later.

Step 1. Start up your Mac from macOS Recovery

• Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold 'Command + R', 'Option + Command + R', or 'Shift + Option + Command + R'.
• Release the keys when the Apple logo, a spinning globe, or a pop-up for a firmware password appears.

Step 2. Select 'Reinstall macOS' from the Utilities Window and click 'Continue'.

Step 3. Follow the onscreen instructions to select the hard drive you want to install the OS on and start the installation.

Step 4. Don't put your Mac to sleep mode or close its lid during the installation. It's normal to see your Mac restart several times or the screen is white while you reinstall the Mac OS. Just wait patiently for the process to finish.

If data loss occurred after you reinstalled macOS, you can follow the next part to recover your missing files.

Recover Lost Data After macOS Reinstallation

Reinstall Macos Catalina Without Losing Data Protection

If you have backed up your Mac before the reinstallation, you can retrieve your data from Time Machine, an external hard drive, or somewhere else, depending on the way you used to make the backup. If you haven't created any backups for your Mac, then you'll need the professional Mac data recovery software tool - EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, to perform data recovery. With the help of this tool, you can easily recover the data lost due to macOS reinstallation:

Step 1. Select a location and start scanning

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, hover on the location where you lost data, then click 'Scan'.

Step 2. Preview and select the files

Wait until the scanning completes. You can use Filter or search bar to find lost files.

Reinstall Macos Catalina Without Losing Data Center

Step 3. Recover lost data

How Do I Reinstall Macos Without Losing Data

Then choose a location to save the recovered data, and click 'OK'. You should store the data in another place instead of the original one.

How To Downgrade Macos Catalina Without Losing Data

There are lots of data recovery tools available. But EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, one of the best Mac data recovery tools, is our pick. It fully supports all macOS systems including the newest Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, EI Capitan, Yosemite etc. It allows you to restore all lost data with simple clicks. Office files, music, videos, emails or other archives can all be restored on your own.