Stuck in a Loop? How to Fix Error -6002U

It is extremely frustrating when your Mac shuts down all of a sudden and you’re stuck in a boot loop. A Mac boot loop can be caused by a lot of factors, and it is difficult to determine the trigger since the macOS cannot successfully run. It is difficult to diagnose the problem when you encounter a Mac boot loop error.

Fortunately, macOS is equipped with a built-in troubleshooting tool for cases like this. The macOS Recovery tool is designed to help Mac users restore from a previous backup, repair a corrupted disk, or reinstall a clean version of the operating system. This feature allows users to recover from problematic software issues and other Mac error codes.

However, Internet Recovery Mode is not flawless. One of the common Mac boot loop errors users encounter when booting into Internet Recovery Mode is the error -6002u. According to reports, this error happens when the user clicks the Internet Recovery button. This makes it inconvenient for users to resolve other errors that are plaguing the system.

What Is Error -6002U?

-6002u is a Mac error code related to the Internet Recovery Mode. Error -6002U is a kernel panic which leads to your Mac restarting for no obvious reason. It is the Mac version of the blue screen errors or BSOD errors on Windows computers.

When this occurs, users will see the globe logo and the apple.com support message below, along with the -6002U error code. When this error appears, the device will be forced to restart, and in most cases, get stuck in a Mac boot loop.

The Mac error code -6002u is not a common macOS error and there are very few online resources that Mac users can turn to resolve this. For this reason, Mac users who encounter this error are at a loss on how to deal with it without losing data or reinstalling the whole macOS.

There is no clear reason behind this error, which makes it all the more difficult to fix. It could be caused by a corrupted system file related to Internet Recovery, or it could be due to an unstable internet connection. Some of the users, however, noted that the error occurred when doing Internet Recovery using older Macs.

So, the first thing you need to consider is whether your Mac is compatible with Internet Recovery.

Can Your Mac Boot into Internet Recovery Mode?

The Internet Recovery Mode is available only to Mac versions released after 2012. If you’re using a Mac released before 2012, you will need to use the old Recovery Mode or the original macOS installer that came with your Mac.

However, Apple later released a firmware update that allowed computers installed with OS X Snow Leopard and earlier macOS versions to use the Internet Recovery feature.

These are the devices that can use Internet Recovery after installing the firmware update:

• 13-inch MacBook Pro released early 2011
• 15-inch MacBook Pro released early 2011
• 17-inch MacBook Pro released early 2011
• 5-inch iMac released Mid 2011
• 27-inch iMac released Mid 2011
• 13-inch MacBook released Mid 2010
• 13-inch MacBook Pro released Mid 2010
• Mac mini released Mid 2010
• 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro released Mid 2010
• 5-inch and 27-inch iMac released Mid 2010
• 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air released late 2010

If your device was released after 2012 or if it is included in the list above and it has been installed with the necessary firmware, then you should be able to launch Internet Recovery Mode without an error. If you encounter the error -6002U during the process, then there must be something wrong somewhere.

How to Fix the Error -6002U

Resolving this kernel panic error -6002U can be tricky because most people don’t know where to start. If you’re not careful, you might make the problem worse or cause you to completely lose everything on your Mac.

Here are some steps you can take when you’re stuck in a Mac boot loop due to the error -6002U:

Step 1: Get Out of the Boot Loop.

The first thing you need to do is to stop the boot loop and force shutdown your Mac. To do this, hold the Power button for a few seconds until the computer is turned off. Remove all computer peripherals, such as a mouse, camera, external keyboard, speakers, USB devices, and others. Disconnect your LAN cables if you are using a wired connection.

Step 2: Boot into Safe Mode.

The next thing you need to do is to boot into Safe Mode. This should allow you to perform some troubleshooting steps that could hopefully resolve the error -6002U. To restart in Safe Mode, press the Power button to turn on your Mac, then press the Shift key after you hear the startup sound. You’ll know you’ve successfully booted into Safe Mode when you see the “Safe Mode” label after restarting.

If you were able to boot into Safe Mode without a problem, then the error -6002U could be caused by a third-party app or extension you installed. Uninstall any app, extension, add-on, or any piece of software you installed right before the error occurred. Delete all installation files and other junk associated with these problematic apps using a Mac cleaning software called Mac repair app. It will also delete cache files that might be causing problems for your Mac.

Step 3: Reset the PRAM and SMC.

The PRAM stands for Parameter RAM, which uses a small amount of memory to store certain settings for quick access while the SMC or system management controller manage certain aspects of your Mac, including power, battery, display, and others. Resetting these two factors can help resolve the error -6002U.

To reset the PRAM, follow these steps:

1. Shut down your computer completely, then turn it back on.
2. Immediately press down the Command + Option + P + R keys altogether before the gray screen appears.
3. Keep holding down the keys until you hear the startup chime three times.
4. After that, release the keys and proceed with the startup.

To reset the SMC, do the following:

1. Turn off your Mac.
2. Keep the MagSafe adapter plugged in if you’re using a Mac with a built-in battery. But if your device has a removable battery, unplug the adapter.
3. Press the Shift + Option + Control (on the left side of the keyboard) + Power. Hold these keys for at least five seconds, then let go.
4. Turn your Mac back on by pressing the power button.

Step 4: Boot from the Installation Disk.

If you still have the installation disk that came with your Mac, you can just insert it on your Mac and boot directly from there. If the installation disk is no longer available, you can create a bootable USB drive using the same version of the macOS that is currently installed on your Mac. Then follow the steps below:

1. Insert your installation disk or connect your bootable USB drive to your Mac.
2. Shut down your computer.
3. Hold down the C key and press the Power button to turn your Mac on.
4. Go to Disk Utility under the Utility menu.
5. Perform a disk repair of your hard drive using Disk Utility. If there are no issues detected, perform a permission repair just in case.

Restart your Mac in normal mode and see if the problem has been resolved.

Step 5: Restore from a Time Machine Backup.

If the above steps don’t work and you’re out of options, the only way to resolve the error is to restore from your Time Machine backup. This requires that you have a copy of your entire operating system, as well as all the files, documents, and settings on Time Machine.

To do this:

1. Insert your installation disk or connect your USB bootable drive.
2. Shut down your Mac.
3. Hold down the C key while starting up.
4. Choose your language, then click Continue.
5. Click Agree when you see the license agreement.
6. Choose the volume that you wish to install to.
7. Click on Options > Erase & Restore.
8. Set up your macOS as a new one.
9. Reconnect your Time Machine and restore using a working backup.

Summary

The error -6002U can be quite a headache because the error just pops up out of the blue. There are no known symptoms or indications that there is something wrong with the computer, making it harder to diagnose the problem. So if you are stuck in a boot loop due to error -6002U and you don’t know what to do, simply follow the guide above to get this error sorted out.