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APFS Recovery WORKING "fix" on any computer

jackluke

By jackluke,
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jackluke
jackluke
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Posted (edited)

Premise: the following explanation is only to exploit the little APFS Recovery (less than 600 MB) embedded inside the APFS File System, so avoiding an external USB Installer, you can't reinstall macOS from here but use just the Utilities (Terminal, DiskUtility) in case of emergency, however as known from a Recovery Terminal can do a lot of things, especially troubleshooting an unbootable macOS.

 

To those who have installed Mojave on APFS file system with a GUID/GPT Scheme (I suppose it will work even on MBR scheme), I have managed to "fix" the "APFS Recovery Volume" to make it bootable from any computer (capable of HighSierra and Mojave) with USB input devices (trackpad, keyboard, USB mouse and so on) responsive, working wifi and everything else, just follow next steps, totally safe and harmless for any Mojave installation, after booting normally from your Mojave APFS Volume, launch Terminal and type:

diskutil apfs list
{locate your "APFS Recovery Volume" on diskXs3 [for an internal "APFS Container" is typically mounted on disk1s3]}

On APFS scheme the "APFS Recovery Volume" is tipically on the 3rd (hidden) partition.

diskutil mount diskXs3
open /Volumes/Recovery

landing on Finder, double click on the "random-numbers-letters" folder (it's the gpt UUID folder where Recovery stores itself), once inside rename these files:

prelinkedkernel into prelinkedkernelbackup
immutablekernel into immutablekernelbackup
PlatformSupport.plist into PlatformSupportbackup

Don't close this opened Finder window yet, once you renamed those 3 files, now you have to open a new Finder window, then from this new Finder window go into your Mojave path: /System/Library/PrelinkedKernels/

while inside this path copy the file prelinkedkernel into the previous Finder window exactly where you renamed those 3 files

 

lastly rename this fresh copied file from prelinkedkernel to immutablekernel

Now you have a working APFS Recovery Volume.
 

 

Note for those who use Clover bootloader in the config.plist you have to don't "Hide" the APFS Preboot and Recovery hidden partition, otherwise you can't use the APFS Recovery.

 

 

 

Edited by jackluke
oSxFr33k
oSxFr33k
Posted
Posted (edited)

I have two identical laptops one I did the mod and the other have not.  I don't see any difference, and the difference is reinstall of Mojave from recovery correct?   I can start the installer from recovery on both laptops but have not gone any further than that.  So the one laptop I have not changed with this guide will fail to continue to reinstall or fail at some point of the install?

Edited by oSxFr33k
  • 2 weeks later...
jackluke
jackluke
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Posted (edited)
On 10/15/2018 at 4:50 PM, oSxFr33k said:

I have two identical laptops one I did the mod and the other have not.  I don't see any difference, and the difference is reinstall of Mojave from recovery correct?   I can start the installer from recovery on both laptops but have not gone any further than that.  So the one laptop I have not changed with this guide will fail to continue to reinstall or fail at some point of the install?

 

I have specified on the Premise that the APFS Recovery is only for use the macOS Utilities in case of emergency, you can't re-install from that of course, because the re-installation from any macOS Recovery needs to download the full Installer through Internet from servers, and on a non-mac hardware is not advisable to re-install from there.

 

When you install Mojave in APFS, you will have almost always these partitions numbers (the diskXsY may change according to your internal disk partitioning):

 

EFI disk0s1
APFS Container disk0s2
APFS Container Scheme disk1
APFS Volume disk1s1 (used for HighSierra or Mojave)
APFS Preboot disk1s2 (used for FileVault 2 encryption)
APFS Recovery disk1s3 (used for Recovery and CMD+R)
APFS VM disk1s4 (used for sleep image)

 

Edited by jackluke
  • 11 months later...
soumaxetuirk
soumaxetuirk
Posted
Posted

I always had a working partition which was really helpful.But after changing HFS to APFS, I marked a issue.You can't repair (fast-aid) your OSX partition any more as it needs to unmount the complete APFS container instead of your OS X partition only. you can't unmount the APFS container as the recovery partition stays inside the same container. 

 

So no more disk repair or reinstall OS( I tried for both and they are not working anymore) . I am planning to move the recovery partition to outside APFS container without causing problem to findmymac feature. 

 

Please if you have already tested working fast-aid and os reinstallation successfully then let me know

  • 2 weeks later...
dadi01
dadi01
Posted
Posted (edited)
On 10/15/2018 at 3:50 PM, oSxFr33k said:

I have two identical laptops one I did the mod and the other have not.  I don't see any difference, audacity temp mail origin the difference is reinstall of Mojave from recovery correct?   I can start the installer from recovery on both laptops but have not gone any further than that.  So the one laptop I have not changed with this guide will fail to continue to reinstall or fail at some point of the install?

reinstallation successfully

Edited by dadi01
Slice
Slice
Posted
Posted

I had a partition HFS+ with Sierra.Then I installed Mojave here and it converted the partition into APFS.

After some time I had to go to the Mojave Recovery Partition and reinstall the Mojave. No issue.

This requires at least two kexts in the Clover folder: FakeSMC and a kext for LAN to have internet access during recover.

  • 3 weeks later...
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