Macintosh HD-DATA?

[legaleye3000]

I just read that Catalina create this other partition called -Data. It appears that mostly everything is on that partition and that its almost full. I have a 800gb HD that are split into 2 equal partitions: (1) Macintosh HD; and, (2) Macintosh HD-Data. The 1st partition is only using about 10gb of 400gb, which I assume is macOS files. Then everything else is on my 2nd partition with only about 20 gb left.

Can I just merge the 2 somehow so that I have 800gb again? Thank you!

 

[Taz Mangus]

Catalina splits the OS partition into 2 volumes, the read-only OS volume and the read/write user data volume (named - Data). It is not possible to merge the 2 volumes together. Maybe try pushing some of your user data to the iCloud or add a external drive and move some of the user data to the external drive. Or replace the internal drive with a larger size drive.

 

[legaleye3000]

Is it possible to resize? I don't need my Macintosh HD partition to be 400gb if its only using 10gb... Thanks.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Open Disk Utility app, click View->Show All Devices. Post a picture of what is shown.

 

[legaleye3000]

Here you go. Thank you.

 

[chabig]

Macintosh HD and Macintosh HD - Data are logical volumes inside one container. They share 400GB of SSD space. Because Macintosh HD only uses about 11GB, your data volume can use the remaining 389GB, which is almost full.

By the way, you have a 512GB SSD, not an 800GB hard drive. Your Mac files only have 400GB out of the 512GB because about 100GB is dedicated to Boot Camp.

There is no magical way to get more free space. Your 512GB SSD is nearly full. Your only option is to move some less used data to another drive.

 

[legaleye3000]

I think I understand... So really I should be looking at the container? The container is 400gb that have 2 "partitions" within the container?

 

[Taz Mangus]

I think I understand... So really I should be looking at the container? The container is 400gb that have 2 "partitions" within the container?

The container has 2 volumes, Macintosh HD and Macintosh - Data HD. The Container is essentially the partition.

 

[chabig]

...and the volumes share the container’s free space. No space is wasted.

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

Guys,

My Time Machine is refusing to back up data because I have
2 x Macintosh HD (I have renamed one of them to HD)
and
2 x Macintosh HD Data

What can I do with all of this mess?

[automerge]1602316424[/automerge]

 

[Taz Mangus]

Guys,

My Time Machine is refusing to back up data because I have
2 x Macintosh HD (I have renamed one of them to HD)
and
2 x Macintosh HD Data

What can I do with all of this mess?

Open Disk Utility app, click View->Show All Devices. Select the Container and post a picture of what is shown.

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

Open Disk Utility app, click View->Show All Devices. Select the Container and post a picture of what is shown.

Here it is!

 

[Taz Mangus]

From the picture it kinda looks like you have more then one Catalina install. Do you have more than one install of Catalina?

 

[Tech198]

I just read that Catalina create this other partition called -Data. It appears that mostly everything is on that partition and that its almost full. I have a 800gb HD that are split into 2 equal partitions: (1) Macintosh HD; and, (2) Macintosh HD-Data. The 1st partition is only using about 10gb of 400gb, which I assume is macOS files. Then everything else is on my 2nd partition with only about 20 gb left.

Can I just merge the 2 somehow so that I have 800gb again? Thank you!

Well, i deleted mine, and it stuffed up the OS, had to reinstall lol.. It booted in a loop

Better not do that.

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

From the picture it kinda looks like you have more then one Catalina install. Do you have more than one install of Catalina?

I do not know if I have more than 1 Catalina installed, but I have fixed the Time Machine by renaming to the following. Time Machine started working, but I am unsure if it will restore from the back up when I need it ))

 

[brianmowrey]

Time Machine started working, but I am unsure if it will restore from the back up when I need it ))

I would focus on regaining drive capacity by identifying and nuking the two unused/duplicate volumes before you wait to *need* Time Machine. So, copying everything to a virgin external and going to war on your internal seems like first order...

 

[Appledoesnotlisten]

So, copying everything to a virgin external

You mean copying all my data? I have a lot of apps and settings that I can't simply COPY-PASTE. How do you suggest i do this copy-paste thing?

 

[brianmowrey]

You mean copying all my data? I have a lot of apps and settings that I can't simply COPY-PASTE. How do you suggest i do this copy-paste thing?

I suggest just a barebones User folder copy. You already have Time Machine for "robust" backup. But Time Machine has copied a cramped, duplicate-volumed internal drive, so the "backup to the backup" should be limited to your in-use User folder. Obviously, if your own intuition for how to preserve your data is different, go with that. I'm describing what I wish I had done when my own internal drive+external Time Machine failed in 2015.