Reinstalling macOS from the recovery menu does not erase your data. … To gain access to the disk depends on what model Mac you have. An older Macbook or Macbook Pro likely has a hard drive that is removable, allowing you to connect it externally using an enclosure or cable.

Does installing new Mac OS delete everything?

Reinstalling Mac OSX by booting into the Rescue drive partition (hold Cmd-R at boot) and selecting “Reinstall Mac OS” does not delete anything. It overwrites all system files in-place, but retains all your files and most preferences.

Can I reinstall macOS without losing data?

Step 4: Reinstall Mac OS X without Losing Data

When you get the macOS utility window on the screen, you can just click on the “Reinstall macOS” option to proceed. … In the end, you can just choose to restore data from the Time Machine backup.