Error with Time Machine

[MacInWin]

OK, your system is seriously mucked up. You should never be able to boot from Data. Data is for Users data only, not any system files. If you have a good backup (I'd check it very, very carefully) I think it's time to do what Bob recommended. Wipe out the drive and start all over. Your name changing, boot changing, whatever has spread everything all over the place. But before you do that make sure the backup is good. If it isn't you will lose everything. If you do what Bob suggests, on the first boot of the newly installed system you will be offered an opportunity to restore data from a backup. Take that offer and then point to the TM backup. Once the migration is complete, you should be able to log into the same account that you are using now, and all of your stuff should be there.

But check that backup first, before you do anything, to make sure all of your files are there. Then check again. Can't be too careful, you are about to wipe the drive clean, deleting everything, so before you let go of that rung of the ladder, make sure you have a good grip on the next rung (that backup).

 

[cawsf90]

OK, your system is seriously mucked up. You should never be able to boot from Data. Data is for Users data only, not any system files. If you have a good backup (I'd check it very, very carefully) I think it's time to do what Bob recommended. Wipe out the drive and start all over. Your name changing, boot changing, whatever has spread everything all over the place. But before you do that make sure the backup is good. If it isn't you will lose everything. If you do what Bob suggests, on the first boot of the newly installed system you will be offered an opportunity to restore data from a backup. Take that offer and then point to the TM backup. Once the migration is complete, you should be able to log into the same account that you are using now, and all of your stuff should be there.

But check that backup first, before you do anything, to make sure all of your files are there. Then check again. Can't be too careful, you are about to wipe the drive clean, deleting everything, so before you let go of that rung of the ladder, make sure you have a good grip on the next rung (that backup).

I am going to try to reduce my system. Do I need to save a copy of the newest version of Catalina on a USB drive to install onto the computer, or will it automatically be there? I have never done this before and I don't want to have an expensive paperweight once I'm done. Thank you for all of the help that you and Bob have been through this process.

 

[MacInWin]

Read post #10, then the link in that post and the links in that article at Apple to see how to create the installer and reinstall the OS. Once it is done, it will boot and offer to migrate your data. Take that option and select the files/folders/applications from the TM drive you want to restore. When that is done, you will be able to log into the newly installed system just like now and all of your files should be there.

 

[cawsf90]

Read post #10, then the link in that post and the links in that article at Apple to see how to create the installer and reinstall the OS. Once it is done, it will boot and offer to migrate your data. Take that option and select the files/folders/applications from the TM drive you want to restore. When that is done, you will be able to log into the newly installed system just like now and all of your files should be there.

Thank you. Here's hoping for some good news to tell you later.

 

[cawsf90]

I went through what Apple said to do to create the installer. Mine looks different than what Apple shows. I'm posting a screenshot so you can see if it is correct. I don't want to try using an installer that is not correct.

Read post #10, then the link in that post and the links in that article at Apple to see how to create the installer and reinstall the OS. Once it is done, it will boot and offer to migrate your data. Take that option and select the files/folders/applications from the TM drive you want to restore. When that is done, you will be able to log into the newly installed system just like now and all of your files should be there.

I went through what Apple said to do to create the installer. Mine looks different than what Apple shows. I'm posting a screenshot so you can see if it is correct. You will notice on the screenshot the example of what Apple says it should look like. I know their example is High Sierra and not Catalina, but other than that and the name of my computer I would think it should be the same. My "Terminal" does not say the exact same. One example is that it does not say it is done. I don't want to try using an installer that is not correct. I erased the USB drive and tried it again and it is the same as the first time. Does this look correct? Thank you.

 

[MacInWin]

It looks ok. Try booting it (insert the drive into the USB, boot holdng down Option until the screen shows options, select the USB and let it boot). If successful, you'll get to a screen that offers Disk Utility, Installation, and other things in a box. You can then either go ahead and do the install, if you are ready for it, or just click on the  in the upper left corner and reboot the system, this time without the Option key and get back to the system as it is now. When you are ready to do the install, boot with Option again, then use Disk Utility to prepare the drive and Install to install the OS. As I said, when it offers to migrate your data, take that option and pick what you want migrated.

 

[cawsf90]

Since you have a current Time Machine backup, you should create a bootable USB and erase/wipe/format the drive. Then bring everything back from Time Machine. See this,

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

You need to start clean on both the ac, and the Time Machine backup. So first restore your Mac, and all your data from Time machine, then erase/format/wipe Time Machine and start new again.

Thank you for your advice. I'm working on doing this, but I still don't understand everything. When you say that I must first restore my Mac, is that before or after I have installed the new macOS that I saved on my bootable USB? You said to "erase/format/wipe Time Machine and start new again", is that after I have used the bootable installer? Do I recover from my last Time Machine and once the computer is up and running I erase/format/wipe Time Machine so that my EHD, that is my Time Machine, is empty and then do a new Time Machine Backup?

I guess a question I have is this... What is the point to doing all of this if I'm going to be restoring my information from a Time Machine backup when the computer was messed up when I created that backup.

I have created a bootable USB with Catalina Install on it, so I believe that I am ready to move forward once I understand this next process. Sorry that I seem to be asking a lot of questions. This is all brand new to me and I do not want an expensive paperweight. Thank you for your help.

 

[cawsf90]

It looks ok. Try booting it (insert the drive into the USB, boot holdng down Option until the screen shows options, select the USB and let it boot). If successful, you'll get to a screen that offers Disk Utility, Installation, and other things in a box. You can then either go ahead and do the install, if you are ready for it, or just click on the  in the upper left corner and reboot the system, this time without the Option key and get back to the system as it is now. When you are ready to do the install, boot with Option again, then use Disk Utility to prepare the drive and Install to install the OS. As I said, when it offers to migrate your data, take that option and pick what you want migrated.

I posted this to Bob, but I don't know if it would show up on yours as well. This is why I am posting it to you so you can see my questions as well. Thank you once again. Below is in response to what Bob said to do.

Thank you for your advice. I'm working on doing this, but I still don't understand everything. When you say that I must first restore my Mac, is that before or after I have installed the new macOS that I saved on my bootable USB? You said to "erase/format/wipe Time Machine and start new again", is that after I have used the bootable installer? Do I recover from my last Time Machine and once the computer is up and running I erase/format/wipe Time Machine so that my EHD, that is my Time Machine, is empty and then do a new Time Machine Backup?

I guess a question I have is this... What is the point to doing all of this if I'm going to be restoring my information from a Time Machine backup when the computer was messed up when I created that backup.

I have created a bootable USB with Catalina Install on it, so I believe that I am ready to move forward once I understand this next process. Sorry that I seem to be asking a lot of questions. This is all brand new to me and I do not want an expensive paperweight. Thank you for your help.

 

[MacInWin]

The problem is that your machine is so messed up with multiple Volumes with similar names that the only way to get control is to go back to a completely new installation. Basically, you need to wipe the internal drive completely and reinstall macOS from scratch. But to do that, you have to boot from something other than any Volume currently on the internal drive. You can NOT erase the drive from which the system is booted. So that is why you made the bootable installer USB Thumb drive. To use it, follow the instructions in this Apple document: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

Which says, in part:

Use the bootable installer
After creating the bootable installer, follow these steps to use it:

1. Plug the bootable installer into a compatible Mac.
2. Use Startup Manager or Startup Disk preferences to select the bootable installer as the startup disk, then start up from it. Your Mac will start up to macOS Recovery.
   Learn about selecting a startup disk, including what to do if your Mac doesn't start up from it.
3. Choose your language, if prompted.
4. A bootable installer doesn't download macOS from the Internet, but it does require the Internet to get information specific to your Mac model, such as firmware updates. If you need to connect to a Wi-Fi network, use the Wi-Fi menu
   
   in the menu bar.
5. Select Install macOS (or Install OS X) from the Utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.

You already have a bootable installer, so you don't need to redo the steps in that document to create one, just pick it up at the area where I have quoted it above.

When the bootable installer boots, you get this:



Use Disk Utility to reformat the internal drive, wiping out everything on it and establishing one Container. Then run the "Reinstall macOS" function and install macOS clean. When that process finishes, it will boot, giving you the "Welcome" screen as if the machine were brand new. After a little bit of setup (Language, etc), it will offer to migrate your data from a backup or another machine. You want to do that migration, so follow the steps. You will be offered the opportunity to select what to recover. You can select to recover your stuff (documents, photos, music, etc) and applications you have added (Office, Adobe, etc). At this point none of that seems to be damaged, just the operating system, so it should be safe to install it. Finally, once done migrating, it will reboot and bring you to the login screen where you should be able to login to the same account that you do now, and you should find all your pictures, documents, music, applications, etc. there. Test it, play around with it, make sure it's all there the way you want. Once you know the Mac is back to being right and all your data is on it again, you can start making backups again. IF you want to re-use the drive you presently have for TM, it would be a good idea to reformat it, erasing everything on it, and start fresh with a clean full backup of your system now that it's all sorted out. But before you do that, be sure you actually have everything from it you want because once you format the backup, it is all gone.

I can't make it much simpler than that. If this is still confusing to you, you may have to take the system to someone who has greater technical skills than you who can do this for you.

 

[ferrarr]

Thanks to Jake for providing excellent, thorough steps to get the Mac working again. The only thing I would add is that when booting from the USB to erase the internal drive, in Disk Utility > View, make sure Show All Devices, is enabled/selected. Then select the top device that holds all the containers/partitions for Macintosh HD.

 

[cawsf90]

Thank you very much to both Bob and Jake. The computer seems to be up and running just fine without multiple HD's. Here's hoping I don't mess something up later. Blessings.