OpenCore Bootloader Restoration Kit

🚨 Emergency Boot Rescue

Did you accidentally update macOS and lose access to your system?

This repository provides a "Rescue Kit" to help you boot back into macOS when your OpenCore installation has been overwritten, bypassed, or corrupted during a system update.

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⚡ Choose Your Recovery Method

Select the method that best fits your situation:

Method	Requirements	Difficulty	Best For
1. Rescue USB	Another PC/Mac + USB Drive	⭐ Easy	Most reliable method.
2. Local Recovery	OpenCore-Patcher app on disk	⭐⭐ Medium	No USB or Internet needed.
3. Internet Recovery (Official)	Internet connection in Recovery	⭐⭐⭐ Hard	Downloads generic OpenCore.
4. Internet Rescue Kit (Repo)	Internet connection in Recovery	⭐⭐ Medium	Downloads this specific rescue kit.

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1. Rescue USB Method (Recommended)

Requirements: Another computer (Windows/Mac/Linux) and a USB drive.

Automated Creation

We provide automated scripts for all major operating systems to easily create the rescue USB.

🍎 macOS

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run:

   ./create_usb.sh

3. Follow the on-screen prompts.

🪟 Windows

1. Right-click create_usb.ps1 and select "Run with PowerShell".
2. Follow the prompts to select your USB drive.
   • Note: Requires Administrator privileges.

🐧 Linux

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run with sudo:

   sudo ./create_usb_linux.sh

3. Follow the prompts.

Manual Method

If you prefer to do it manually:

1. Prepare USB: Format a USB drive as FAT32 (Scheme: GUID Partition Map / GPT).
2. Copy Files: Copy the EFI folder from the BOOTEFIX64 folder in this repository to the root of the USB drive.
3. Boot:
   • Insert USB into the broken Mac.
   • Hold Option (Alt) while powering on.
   • Select "EFI Boot" (OpenCore logo).
   • Select your macOS disk to boot.
4. Fix: Once in macOS, run OpenCore Patcher and "Install to Disk" to fix the internal drive.

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2. Local Recovery (No USB, No Internet)

Requirements: You must have the OpenCore Legacy Patcher app installed in your Applications folder on the broken Mac.

1. Boot into macOS Recovery (Hold Cmd+R or Power button).
2. Open Terminal (Utilities > Terminal).
3. Identify your disks:

   diskutil list

   Note your EFI partition (e.g., disk0s1) and macOS Data volume identifier (e.g., disk1s1 - look for "APFS Data").
4. Unlock Data Volume (If Encrypted): If you don't see your volume in /Volumes or it is encrypted (FileVault), unlock it:

   # Replace disk1s1 with your Data volume identifier
   diskutil apfs unlockVolume disk1s1

   Enter your macOS user password when prompted.
5. Mount EFI:

   diskutil mount disk0s1

6. Copy EFI from your Applications folder:

   # Navigate to the Patcher's resources
   cd "/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Applications/OpenCore-Patcher.app/Contents/Resources"
   
   # Copy the EFI folder to your EFI partition
   cp -R EFI /Volumes/EFI/

7. Clear NVRAM & Reboot: It is critical to clear NVRAM so the firmware forgets the old broken boot entries.

   nvram -c

   Then, fully shutdown and power on again (cold boot) to ensure the new settings take effect.

   shutdown -h now

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3. Internet Recovery (No USB, With Internet)

Requirements: Working Wi-Fi or Ethernet in Recovery Mode.

1. Boot into macOS Recovery and connect to Wi-Fi (top right corner).
2. Open Terminal.
3. Mount EFI:

   diskutil mount disk0s1

4. Download OpenCore:

   cd /Volumes/EFI
   # Download OpenCore (Example for v1.6.0 - check for latest version URL)
   curl -L -O https://github.com/acidanthera/OpenCorePkg/releases/download/1.6.0/OpenCore-1.6.0-RELEASE.zip
   unzip OpenCore-*.zip

5. Install:
   • Warning: This installs a generic config. Only use this if you know how to configure it or just need the .efi files.

   cp -R X64/EFI /Volumes/EFI/

   (See the Detailed Guide for properly configuring BOOTx64.efi)
6. Clear NVRAM & Reboot:

   nvram -c
   shutdown -h now

   Perform a cold boot (shutdown then power on).

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4. Internet Recovery (Using this Rescue Kit)

Requirements: Working Wi-Fi or Ethernet in Recovery Mode.

1. Boot into macOS Recovery and connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Open Terminal.
3. Mount EFI:

   diskutil mount disk0s1

4. Download this Rescue Kit:

   cd /tmp
   curl -L -o opencore-restore.zip https://codeload.github.com/supermarsx/opencore-restore/zip/refs/heads/main
   unzip opencore-restore.zip

5. Run the Automated Restore Script: We have included a script to automate the process (detects EFI, backs up old files, installs new ones, and clears NVRAM).

   cd opencore-restore-main
   chmod +x restore.sh
   ./restore.sh

   Follow the on-screen prompts.

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📚 Detailed Manual Guide

For complex scenarios, troubleshooting, and detailed explanations of every command, please read our full Restoration Guide.

⚠️ Disclaimer & No Warranty

YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.

This software and guide are provided "AS IS", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and noninfringement. In no event shall the authors or copyright holders be liable for any claim, damages or other liability, whether in an action of contract, tort or otherwise, arising from, out of or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.

• Risk of Data Loss: Modifying EFI partitions and bootloaders carries a risk of rendering your system unbootable or causing data loss.
• Backup Required: Always backup your data before performing system modifications.
• Not Official: This is a community-maintained rescue kit and is not affiliated with Apple Inc. or the OpenCore project.