Confusing partitions layout, is this normal?

[MacFrag]

Have not used a mac in a while and Catalina is brand new to me.

There is this new APFS but the layout I have now is not making any sense to me.

Can somebody please confirm that this layout I have is good/okay?

diskutil list
/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *500.3 GB   disk0
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                 Apple_APFS Container disk1         499.9 GB   disk0s2

/dev/disk1 (synthesized):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      APFS Container Scheme -                      +499.9 GB   disk1
                                 Physical Store disk0s2
   1:                APFS Volume Macintosh SSD - Data    33.4 GB    disk1s1
   2:                APFS Volume Macintosh               10.8 GB    disk1s2
   3:                APFS Volume Preboot                 170.3 MB   disk1s3
   4:                APFS Volume Recovery                1.1 GB     disk1s4
   5:                APFS Volume VM                      1.1 GB     disk1s5
   6:                APFS Volume Macintosh SSD           10.9 GB    disk1s6

 

[Weaselboy]

Here is mine on Catalina. APFS on Catalina divides the data and OS onto separate volumes, so that part it normal.

Only thing odd on yours I see is the disk1s2 Macintosh volume. I don't know what that is all about. Do you see that volume in Finder?

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *251.0 GB   disk0
   1:                        EFI EFI                     314.6 MB   disk0s1
   2:                 Apple_APFS Container disk1         250.7 GB   disk0s2

/dev/disk1 (synthesized):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      APFS Container Scheme -                      +250.7 GB   disk1
                                 Physical Store disk0s2
   1:                APFS Volume Macintosh HD - Data     53.3 GB    disk1s1
   2:                APFS Volume Preboot                 80.5 MB    disk1s2
   3:                APFS Volume Recovery                528.1 MB   disk1s3
   4:                APFS Volume VM                      2.1 GB     disk1s4
   5:                APFS Volume Macintosh HD            10.9 GB    disk1s5

 

[Analog Kid]

That looks about right to me. Do you have a fusion drive? You have one more partition than I do, and it’s one or the other of “Macintosh” or “Macintosh SSD”. The data, preboot, recovery and VM partitions are all accounted for on my drive, and one other. The use of most is self evident from their names. For security reasons, Catalina partitions data and the core OS, I believe which is why data has its own partition. Not sure what the VM partition is (volume manager, virtual machine?).

 

[MacFrag]

I installed CCC but got some weird stuff after booting about the helper app after I tried to boot from the external hard drive to test the CCC backup.

It could be a left over from CCC what I de-installed now?

I made a first time machine backup. I can make a clean install and then put the time machine back if needed.

 

[Weaselboy]

Do you have a fusion drive?

He does not have a Fusion drive since only one physical disk is shown. That extra Macintosh volume OP has there is the part that looks off to me.

It could be a left over from CCC what I de-installed now?

I don't see how just installing, then removing CCC would cause this.

Can you tell us exactly how you got to this point step by step.

 

[MacFrag]

I don't see how just installing, then removing CCC would cause this.

Can you tell us exactly how you got to this point step by step.

I will try if I can remember it correctly:

I installed Catalina via internet recovery.

First wiped partitions, then partitioned again, one partition if I remember correctly, a classic Mac OS Extended Journaled.

Internet recovery Setup converted that to APFS.

Then I installed CCC. Backup the SSD to an external partition. CCC converted that partition to APFS. After that CCC advises in the documentation to boot from your backup partition. Selected in System Prefs -> Startup Disk the external drive partition and booted from that. After login it asked for the encryption pass for Macintosh SSD. This confused me so I went back in to System Prefs -> Startup Disk confronted me with two Macintosh SSD. Selected the first one and rebooted. During boot I got a message that there was an error of a kernel helper app and it would not boot and would boot loop. Then I pressed Option key and selected the other Macintosh SSD got the same error but after pressing a key it booted back in to the login screen. I was greeted with a bug/crash report thing I need to send to Apple what I did. Back to the System Prefs -> Startup Disk and selected the other "Macintosh SSD" and rebooted. Got the error again at boot pressed a key, after login again send to Apple bug report, did that and then de-installed CCC.

All this time I saw two "Macintosh SSD" mounted on my Desktop. This confused me so I renamed one "Macintosh SSD" to "Macintosh" in Disk Utility and rebooted and this is where I am at now. All works it seems but now I see this weird partition layout and that made me to make TM backup and thinking about starting over.

I did my best to recall the steps I did. Hopefully it all makes any sense. I am from the Netherlands so hopefully you could understand it all

 

[Weaselboy]

All this time I saw two "Macintosh SSD" mounted on my Desktop. This confused me so I renamed one "Macintosh SSD" to "Macintosh" in Disk Utility and rebooted and this is where I am at now. All works it seems but now I see this weird partition layout and that made me to make TM backup and thinking about starting over.

Can you see that Macintosh volume in Finder and is there any data on it?

When you were in Internet recovery, did you show all devices and format (erase the drive) from the top where it say APPLE SSD in my screenshot? Or did you just for mat Macintosh HD?

If you only erase Macintosh HD, I think that gave you a left over volume that you are seeing.

Oh yeah... your English is pretty darn good!

 

[MacFrag]

I think I missed that completely with "Show all Devices".

Since I had a TM backup I deleted "Macintosh" disk1s2 just to see what would happen and rebooted.

After reboot the partition table is now as followed:

diskutil list
/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *500.3 GB   disk0
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                 Apple_APFS Container disk1         499.9 GB   disk0s2

/dev/disk1 (synthesized):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      APFS Container Scheme -                      +499.9 GB   disk1
                                 Physical Store disk0s2
   1:                APFS Volume Macintosh SSD - Data    33.9 GB    disk1s1
   2:                APFS Volume Preboot                 87.5 MB    disk1s3
   3:                APFS Volume Recovery                528.1 MB   disk1s4
   4:                APFS Volume VM                      1.1 GB     disk1s5
   5:                APFS Volume Macintosh SSD           10.9 GB    disk1s6

On my Desktop it only shows one "Macintosh SSD" instead of two now.

The graphical Disk Utility is showing something similar to the picture you posted now.

This is a refurbished mbp, perhaps I missed it by not showing all devices in the internet recovery. Because this mbp was new I did not wanted to use the installation it came with, hence the internet recovery.

I think all is good now?

 

[Weaselboy]

I think all is good now?

Maybe... only issue I am wondering about is if the 10.8 GB used by that volume is now being made available to the other volumes. Go to this screen in Disk Util. What numbers do you see by the colored labels like where mine shows 10.95GB?

If you add those all up, does it come to 500GB? For example, mine adds up to my 250GB disk capacity.

 

[MacFrag]

This is how it looks now.

 

[Weaselboy]

That adds up to right at 500GB, so I think you are good to go!

 

[MacFrag]

That adds up to right at 500GB, so I think you are good to go!

Thank you for your time looking into it! 👍

I love being back on macOS!

 

[SaguaroSeven]

This post was a big help in explaining what's "normal" for Catalina/APFS. In setting up a new Mac, I renamed my drive "Mac SSD." Later I was confused by diskutil list showing both "MacSSD" and "Macintosh HD - Data." All makes sense now.

 

[SpydahEndo]

Does anyone have what the disks and volumes should look like on a MacBook Pro that has been newly erased? I've been having a problem with my security and it seems like there are two processors running in tandem. See Attached. Thanks.

 

[SaguaroSeven]

My macs diskutil apfs list results are very similar to yours, but both mine have and additional volume listed under Physical Store: APFS Volume Disk (Role): disk#s# (System). It seems your system partition is not listed.

In DiskUtility.App do you see two icons for your system drive? eg:
- Mac HD
- Mac HD - Data

 

[chabig]

Does anyone have what the disks and volumes should look like on a MacBook Pro that has been newly erased?

That picture is incomplete because you didn't show us volume 5, but otherwise everything there is normal. You erased and renamed your disk "Untitled 2". In Monterey, Preboot, VM, Recovery, System, and Data volumes all coexist in a single APFS container.

 

[SpydahEndo]

Sag and Cha, thanks for the help. I've been working with the Apple folks over the phone. They are helpful, but keep asking me to do the same thing,......go to Disk Utilities, Go to View, Show all devices, and them ask me to erase the devices from the bottom up. But after wards I still have problems. As a note, I'm a novice computer guy and have only started to mess around with Terminal because I'm frustrated at the security issues that I'm having. Below, please see the photos that I've recently set to Apple to try and fully erase my MacBook Pro. Thanks for all of your help.

 

[SaguaroSeven]

Sag and Cha, thanks for the help. I've been working with the Apple folks over the phone. They are helpful, but keep asking me to do the same thing,......go to Disk Utilities, Go to View, Show all devices, and them ask me to erase the devices from the bottom up. But after wards I still have problems. As a note, I'm a novice computer guy and have only started to mess around with Terminal because I'm frustrated at the security issues that I'm having. Below, please see the photos that I've recently set to Apple to try and fully erase my MacBook Pro. Thanks for all of your help.

I don't really understand how you got to this point, or the "security" problems you're having. If you want to start over and get a clean, working Mac, I would completely erase the mac from Recovery and reinstall OS over the Internet. You will need to remove any files/data you want to keep; know the administrator login/pwd; and be able to connect to the Internet. From your photos, it looks like you have an Intel MacBook Pro...

WARING: THIS WILL DELETE EVERYTHING ON YOU MAC.

These are the steps...
1. remove any files/data you need from the Mac.
2. For Intel Mac: Restart Mac. Immediately press and hold either
A. CMD-OPTION-R (for latest compatible macOS version, probably Monterey)
B. CMD-SHIFT-OPTION-R (to reinstall macOS version that came with the Mac)
3. Erase and reinstall macOS...
A. Connect to internet (if not already)
B. Follow the instructions under "Erase and reinstall macOS" using the correct link below.
- Disk Utility app: select the top level device (APPLE SSD... in your photo); click "erase" button.
- Type a name for the drive, recommended "Macintosh HD"
- Choose APFS in pop up menu, then click "Erase Volume Group"
- Click Done when complete, Quit Disk Utility
- In Recovery app: click "Reinstall macOS Big Sur" (or whatever); click continue and follow instructions...
- When done, mac will reboot and you can set up as new.

Use Recovery With Intel Mac: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac...an-intel-based-mac-mchl338cf9a8/11.0/mac/11.0

Boot to recovery partition for Apple Silicon Mac:
A. from Apple Menu, choose Shutdown.
B. When the Mac is off, press and hold power button until you see “Loading startup options.”
C. Click "Options" then "Continue"

Use Recovery With Apple Silicon Mac: https://support.apple.com/guide/mac...-mac-apple-silicon-mchl82829c17/11.0/mac/11.0

 

[SpydahEndo]

Sag, thanks for the response and sorry for the delayed reply. I followed your instructions for am Intel Mac. I restarted my macbook pro in recovery using "Option-Command-R", I then earesed the drive and named it "MAC HD 20211120". I then reinstalled Monterey. The macbook acted like it was new from the box, I skipped most of the setting until I got to the desk top screen, I then restarted the macbook in Recovery mode once again. I went chose Disk Utilities and clicked on "View, Show all devices". I took two photos of what was displayed and have attached it below.

 

[Quackers]

In that screen (Disk Utility) click on the sideways arrow next to MacHD 20xxxxxxx and then take screenshot of what shows please. It will help the people helping you

 

[SpydahEndo]

Thanks for responding Quak. See photos.

 

[Quackers]

Looks ok. Here's mine

You're just missing the snapshot that mine's got. Not sure whether that might appear later (after an update maybe).

 

[SaguaroSeven]

Sag, thanks for the response and sorry for the delayed reply. I followed your instructions for am Intel Mac. I restarted my macbook pro in recovery using "Option-Command-R", I then earesed the drive and named it "MAC HD 20211120". I then reinstalled Monterey. The macbook acted like it was new from the box, I skipped most of the setting until I got to the desk top screen, I then restarted the macbook in Recovery mode once again. I went chose Disk Utilities and clicked on "View, Show all devices". I took two photos of what was displayed and have attached it below.

Just now seeing your reply. It all seems fine. Are you having any problems? I would be happy and enjoy life!

the snapshot seen @Quackers post is from Time Machine, probably? You’re not missing anything if you not have one.

in your pictures youre in recovery, which is why the macOS Base Image is there— you booted from it. I dont think there’s anything for you to gain by further digging into the APFS drive structure. Enjoy your Mac!

 

[SpydahEndo]

Sag, thanks for your reply. After taking the photos for Quack, I shut down the mac and started it normally. Once I got to the desk top screen, I went to Finder, then Utilities and dragged the Terminal app to the dock.
Now, this is where I'm having some issues. As you know, there is nothing on the Mac. It's all been erased. From a YouTube video that describes a way to erase your mac without going to Disk Utilities.

So, I decided to follow the instructions from the Youtube vide:

I opened Terminal and typed, "diskutil apfs list" and got the following screen. See photo below.

 

[SpydahEndo]

I then continue to follow the instructions from the Youtube video, I copy the disk info and the write "diskutil apfs deleteContainer (disk info)". I then got the following screen, see photo. In the screen, you will see that: "The volume "preboot" on disk1s2 couldn't be unmounted because it is in use by process 0 (kernal); error -69888 couldn't unmount disk ********* %.