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☀️ ***HELP, Adding recovered Files back into root System Folder [ M2 Macbook // Ventura 13.0 ] ☀️

A

aduogytsaot_i03

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 26, 2025
10
1
Hello,

I'm seeking some Guidance.
I accidentaly erased files from =

- /usr/standalone/firmware
was able to recover the erased files.


This happend using an app called Sonoma Cache Cleaner

= I did a Deep Cleaning of System Cache.+
never done that before. Didn't read the risks that were involved.

After Rebooting, none of my apps worked
normally some wouldn't Open at all,
firefox was able to run briefly before crashing.
Terminal even crashed at one point during my recovery efforts.

I was able to recover the lost files with [Disk Drill] app.

Files recovered are mostly .img4 files.
Aswell as a kernelcache (System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kernelcahes/kernelcache)
+ /var/db (.plist files)



I have tried various methods to copy the recovered files to /usr/standalone/firmware

Im aware that modifiying System files is risky.

I disabled SIP

csrutil disable

csrutil authenticated-root disable

Then proceeded to execute these commands = (might not be in the right order)

mkdir -p ~/mount

sudo mount -o nobrowse -t apfs /dev/disk1s5 ~/mount

sudo cp -Ri /Users/*username*/Desktop/standalone/firmware/* ~/mount/usr/standalone/firmware/

sudo bless --mount ~/mount --setBoot --create-snapshot

This got me into a boot loop,
which I got out of by Enabling:

csrutil disable

csrutil authenticated-root disable

- This got me back to where I was before fiddling around in terminal



Just wondering how screwed am I?


- Could these recovered files from /usr/standalone/firmware
Possibly have caused my apps/computer to behave this way?
- Or is there anything else that could have caused my MacBook to go haywire?

* Unfortunatley I have no Time Machine Backups.


Anyone have any ideas that could possibly help?
What could have caused this?

Thanks in advance : )
I can share more of what I recovered, if anyone would like to have a look.

Keep on Rolling, Ride or die.
Click to expand...
 
Why not boot into Recovery (Command+R while booting) and reinstall macOS Ventura. Won't impact your data but always safe to have backup. Then update to most recent version of Ventura.
 
“An error occurred while preparing the installation. Try running the application again”

I tried a reinstall first
then a reinstall with SIP disabled.
= same outcome both times.

Should I undo the mount copy of the recovered files?
 
In Recovery, open Terminal and post the output of “diskutil list”. Let’s see what’s going on. Is SIP enabled or disabled at the moment?
 
image.jpg
 
First time I did a reboot - SIP was disabled.
2nd Reboot - SIP was enabled.

both giving me exactly the same resutls + message.
 
I think I'd avoid using any "cache cleaners" again for a while.

Sounds to me like the best course of action would be:
1. Use the "erase all content and settings" option to "nuke the MacBook" back to "moment zero".
2. Connect your backup
3. Start over with setup
4. Use Setup Assistant to migrate from your backup...
 
  • Like
Reactions: TechnoMonk
Don’t use these apps where you have no idea what they are deleting. Are you sure if those are the only files that are deleted causing the issue. I. Would vote @Fishrrman suggested above.
 
Fishrrman said:
I think I'd avoid using any "cache cleaners" again for a while.

Sounds to me like the best course of action would be:
1. Use the "erase all content and settings" option to "nuke the MacBook" back to "moment zero".
2. Connect your backup
3. Start over with setup
4. Use Setup Assistant to migrate from your backup...
Click to expand...


This worked, thanks gang.

1. Backup via Time Machine.

2. Recovery mode > Disk Util. > Mac HD Erase.

3. Fresh Catalina 13. install (USB installer)

4. Recovery assistant - migration from Time Machine Backup.
*** Took around 10-12hrs.

Woke up yesterday morning to my MacBook back to normal like nothing had happened. Best day ever 👽.

Been a very anxious week, to say the least.
Paranoid I might lose 10+ years of valuable work.

Learned a lot through this journey + my MacBook M2 - Definitely feels way smoother than before.

Thanks y’all for all the help & advice.
Been Lurkin for a long long time.

First time posting. This was the definitely the trickiest pickle Ive gotten myself into.


Stay safe everybody. Tomorrow is Sunday & I’m eating Ice Cream.
Hell to the yeaurr.

- Peace ✌️
 
  • Like
Reactions: JSRinUK
Hello, So I still have a problem, where it seems the System Files I lost are still causing issues.

Was wondering what would be best to do? I would like to keep my applications and system settings as unchanged as possible.

Wondering if I just have to do a clean install of everyhing?
Or if updatings my macos could possibly help? (Im currently on macOS Ventura)
 
Make a Time Machine backup to external storage. Boot Mac into Recovery mode. In Recovery, use Disk Utility to erase internal storage. Make sure to select menu View > Show All Devices and select top most node in tree before erase. Install macOS to internal storage. Reboot and use Setup Assistant to restore your account and user data from external TM backup. Setup will walk you through the process.
 
Perhaps Recovery corrupted. Then download Ventura installer from Apple and create USB install media. Follow all steps, except boot from USB rather than Recovery.

If this not work, then firmware perhaps corrupted and you will need to DFU restore using another Mac.
 
aduogytsaot_i03 said:
Hello,

I'm seeking some Guidance.
I accidentaly erased files from =

- /usr/standalone/firmware
was able to recover the erased files.


This happend using an app called Sonoma Cache Cleaner

= I did a Deep Cleaning of System Cache.+
never done that before. Didn't read the risks that were involved.

After Rebooting, none of my apps worked
normally some wouldn't Open at all,
firefox was able to run briefly before crashing.
Terminal even crashed at one point during my recovery efforts.

I was able to recover the lost files with [Disk Drill] app.

Files recovered are mostly .img4 files.
Aswell as a kernelcache (System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kernelcahes/kernelcache)
+ /var/db (.plist files)



I have tried various methods to copy the recovered files to /usr/standalone/firmware

Im aware that modifiying System files is risky.

I disabled SIP

csrutil disable

csrutil authenticated-root disable

Then proceeded to execute these commands = (might not be in the right order)

mkdir -p ~/mount

sudo mount -o nobrowse -t apfs /dev/disk1s5 ~/mount

sudo cp -Ri /Users/*username*/Desktop/standalone/firmware/* ~/mount/usr/standalone/firmware/

sudo bless --mount ~/mount --setBoot --create-snapshot

This got me into a boot loop,
which I got out of by Enabling:

csrutil disable

csrutil authenticated-root disable

- This got me back to where I was before fiddling around in terminal



Just wondering how screwed am I?


- Could these recovered files from /usr/standalone/firmware
Possibly have caused my apps/computer to behave this way?
- Or is there anything else that could have caused my MacBook to go haywire?

* Unfortunatley I have no Time Machine Backups.


Anyone have any ideas that could possibly help?
What could have caused this?

Thanks in advance : )
I can share more of what I recovered, if anyone would like to have a look.
Click to expand...
Guidance: Don't do that!

Apple macOS does not not any of that "maintenance" nonsense, we have proven for decades that those cleaner apps are nonsense.

They cannot know which files are junk and can be deleted, so that function is useless, just delete your old junk files yourself, those apps require you to look at the files anyway so using those apps is just a waste of time.

The cache removal function (flush, whatever) is a complete scam, the caches are there because you need them, so when you reboot and it looks like you save space they actually are lying to you. After you reboot your operating system starts to rebuild all your caches.

So now you lose all that space that you thought that you had saved because those caches are necessary and are automatically rebuilt so it restores system performance for you.

Apple macOS also has a built-in function to detect corrupted caches, so if corruption is detected (extremely unlikely on modern Macs and unheard of on SSD equipped Macs) then that specific cache is deleted and immediately rebuilt by macOS, the user doesn't have to do anything at all and of course the maintenance process is complete invisible to them.

Apple macOS maintenance happens automatically in the background all the time, you do not need to do anything at all.

If you filled up your storage space then get in there and delete all those old unless, abandoned files, you are the only one that knows which files are outdated and useless to you, if you are a hoarder then you need to do this monthly.

If you already ruined your Mac:

If you deleted system files, used usrutiq, typed any command line commands into the Terminal or performed any other useless "maintenance" then:

Boot up in Apple macOS Recovery Mode and reinstall macOS. Done.

It really is that easy.

No, you do not lose user files, that only happens with Windows and Linux.

Yes, we can tell who are the former Windows and or Linux users because they try to ruin their Macs attempting to perform useless maintenance on them. Stop it! It is not Necessary.

If you are damaged by having to perform ridiculous maintenance on Windows and or Linux to get them to keep running and you just can't keep your hands off your Mac then:

Boot up in SAFE MODE. (it will boot up slowly)

Safe Mode will delete all the caches, perform almost all maintenance routines, deactivate all extensions then boot you up without caches and extensions. You can then perform any (imaginary) troubleshooting that you wish. When you get bored of that then reboot normally.

On that reboot it will also boot up slowly because it is performing all the rest of the maintenance routines that it did not perform on startup. It will take longer to boot up but now you are finished with Safe Mode.

It will take a while to finish rebuilding all the caches and verifying all the databases so it might take a few hours or a day before full system performance is resumed because its busy, but you asked for it so that is the price that you pay.

PS System Extensions used to be a problem area because app developers would create extensions unnecessarily and when those sloppily made extensions glitched then it cause problems for the user, Apple banned them for moderns Macs so they cannot cause problems, if you are still using an old version of macOS (you really should update it) and if you have extensions then delete all those extensions, 99.999999% of the time they are useless and could cause you problems.

Now, don't mess with your Mac, it doesn't need to be"maintenance", don't believe app developers who offer maintenance apps, Macs are not Windows/Linux, those apps are nonsense.

Don't fill up al your storage space with junk.

Done. End of lesson.
 
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