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JedNZ

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 6, 2015
651
249
Deep South
Was updating Windows10Pro on my system (see my sig), and when I booted back into macOS 10.12.6 Sierra I had problems with my primary User account which is located on a Fusion Drive (NVMe + spinner) - was locked Read-only somehow. Can't open apps, can't save files/folders = completely "observe only". I'll blame W10 for touching my macOS side - even if it's not true it makes me feel better.

I tried repairing the FD with Disk Utility (DU) with no luck - something about it not being journaled, backup my data because the FirstAid failed - but no red lines of texts showing issues with the actual drive (volume header, attributes etc). I honestly think it's just lost it's personality as far as journaling goes and being read-only for whatever reason.
DU shows the FD isn't journaled - it was when I created the FD 18 months ago.
DU shows Read-only.
Can't enable Journaling from DU File menu (greyed out option).
Finder Get Info won't allow changing permissions, and Ignore Ownership is also greyed out so can't change it.

So I've deleted the FD, reformatted the two drives and have created a new FD. All appears fine there.

The problem now is trying to restore my User data. I have it all backed up on TimeMachine (TM) hours before my adventures updating W10, so it has a very up to date copy of my files.
And I also have a CarbonCopyCloner backup copy of my User data on a separate drive that is about 4 days old.

What am I best to try and restore from? TM or CCC backup?

If TM, do I create my User account first and then point to it's location on the FD before trying to restore it? Or do I just let TM copy it and it'll sort out creating the User account ID etc?

Or with CCC, so I just clone it straight from the backup to my FD, then create a new User and point it to where it's been copied to on the FD?
Or other options?

My set up:
Boot disk: PCIe Accelsior S SATA III adapter with Samsung 850 EVO 500GB for apps and an Admin account.
User data: FusionDrive (FD) consisting of a Samsung 960 EVO 500GB NVMe (sitting in a PCIe M.2 adapter) fused with a 2TB spinner (in a direct connect bay). 3 Users accounts - all Admins.

All Google searching I've done relates to a FD consisting of boot macOS plus User data on the FD, not my peculiar setup of having my boot macOS on a separate SSD, and my User data being on a FD that includes a NVMe drive. I know it's a pretty unique setup, but hoping someone else has experience with this kind of setup and knows the best way forward based on actually doing it themselves (no disrespect to anyone who wants to share their ideas).
 
Try setting up a root account and logging in to that. There's loads of instructions online for how to do that.
 
Thanks Yellowbunny. I have done that, and finally moved everything across using TM>Restore. Had a few permissions issues, fixed with BatchMod - useful having Root access. Now the painful process of Photos uploading all my pics/vids.

One problem I did encounter is DropBox saying I have insufficient disk space (I have 750GB free on my FD where my User data exists). Not sure why it's having problems - mind you, I was busy fixing permissions, copying stuff etc at the time. Might check back again later.

Update: The issue with Dropbox was that it was pointing to the Dropbox folder on my CCC backup, not the one in my User folder. Fixed!
 
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