You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Macintosh HD - Data and Macintosh HD2 both appear on my desktop, read/write

I've got TWO read/write partitions on my desktop. Different applications in them. The current versions appear to be on the HD drive, NOT the Data drive. The Data drive contains an additional "Boot" folder at the top level. I'm starting to have CPU usage problems with Safari... things are breaking down... this is not the mac experience I expect. The problem started before Monterey, but it's certainly not any better after the migration, so...


I want to wipe the disk and do a clean install of the system, but I don't know how to begin when these two disks are SO far out of whack with what's expected. How I could trust a backup? What is Time Machine even backing up right now?


How do I resolve this problem so I can restore my user profile with confidence? Or do I just have to get my documents off it, burn the whole thing down, and rebuild everything from scratch?

Mac Pro

Posted on Nov 10, 2021 4:45 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 12, 2021 4:26 AM

1) HD2, the one with the MacOS icon, is my CURRENT startup volume?

That's what it looks like from the screenshot.

2) I move everything of value into HD2, then I can remove the other volume in Disk Utility?

No, you move missing items from HD - Data into your home folder locations (/Users/yourshortname) of the startup volume.

The system files are the only thing on HD2 and you cannot write to it. Your data is stored on the Data volume that is attached to the System Volume (HD2 - Data). Everything on HD - Data should have been transferred into the HD2 - Data volume. But, you might want to check to make sure it did all get transferred and move anything that didn't (or you want). If you just copied the entire thing you would get a giant mess of duplicate files.

3) Will I have to be in Recovery Mode to do the removal, or can I do it from within my standard (HD2) login?

No, you can do so in a normal admin-capable login.

Similar questions

10 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 12, 2021 4:26 AM in response to Jay Lender

1) HD2, the one with the MacOS icon, is my CURRENT startup volume?

That's what it looks like from the screenshot.

2) I move everything of value into HD2, then I can remove the other volume in Disk Utility?

No, you move missing items from HD - Data into your home folder locations (/Users/yourshortname) of the startup volume.

The system files are the only thing on HD2 and you cannot write to it. Your data is stored on the Data volume that is attached to the System Volume (HD2 - Data). Everything on HD - Data should have been transferred into the HD2 - Data volume. But, you might want to check to make sure it did all get transferred and move anything that didn't (or you want). If you just copied the entire thing you would get a giant mess of duplicate files.

3) Will I have to be in Recovery Mode to do the removal, or can I do it from within my standard (HD2) login?

No, you can do so in a normal admin-capable login.

Nov 12, 2021 5:45 AM in response to Jay Lender

Jay Lender wrote:

Thank you. This is incredibly helpful. For what it's worth, I don't know how to pick a volume to start up with. I boot my computer, and what happens happens.
So, just to be clear...


1) HD2, the one with the MacOS icon, is my CURRENT startup volume?

2) I move everything of value into HD2, then I can remove the other volume in Disk Utility?

3) Will I have to be in Recovery Mode to do the removal, or can I do it from within my standard (HD2) login?


All Volumes share space within the Container with no penalty. You simple delete a Volume and it returns the stoarage space back to the Conatiner

references"

Add, delete, or erase APFS volumes in Disk Utility on Mac



You can see what is mounted and what is not—


if you have Two Macintosh HD - Data


from Disk Utility.app you can see the mount point


One will be mounted at /System/Volumes/Data this is the one you want to keep,


*The other will be mounted at /Volumes and you can simply use the “ -“ to delete it.


Nov 11, 2021 2:46 AM in response to Jay Lender

Can you expand the two volume groups (click on the carrot next to each). I think you may cave two installs, but it has been a while since I looked at Catalina.

However, I do know you should not see both the System volume and the Data volume in Finder. They are confined into one.


What we may find is you have two installs, and we’ll have to make sure where all of your data resides before removing the old stuff.

Nov 11, 2021 9:21 AM in response to Jay Lender

So, you have to startup volumes, each with their own Data volume.

Figure out which one you want to use and startup with that.

The other Data volume will mount in the Finder. Compare its contents with what is in your home folder on the startup volume.

Move anything that was not copied.


Once complete, you can select the other volumes and Remove them.

Nov 11, 2021 10:31 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thank you. This is incredibly helpful. For what it's worth, I don't know how to pick a volume to start up with. I boot my computer, and what happens happens.

So, just to be clear...



1) HD2, the one with the MacOS icon, is my CURRENT startup volume?


2) I move everything of value into HD2, then I can remove the other volume in Disk Utility?


3) Will I have to be in Recovery Mode to do the removal, or can I do it from within my standard (HD2) login?

Macintosh HD - Data and Macintosh HD2 both appear on my desktop, read/write

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.