I recently sent my MBP (Quad i5, OS 11.6.8) off for repair. Before doing so, I did a Time Machine backup and then restored the machine to factory settings. When I got the machine back, it had a basic 11.6.8 install. First thing I did was a Time Machine restore. I expected it to wipe the drive and then replace everything I backed up in the places they were beforehand. However, when I booted up the machine for the first time afterwards, there were TWO volumes showing, both called Macintosh HD. I opened Disk Utility to check how the SSD was partitioned and there was no partition. The SSD is 1TB, and one reported being 1TB/400GB used (correct) and the other as being 1TB/160GB used (so 560GB used in total). Only difference is that one showed as having a boot sector, the other didn't. I've got another Mac that I have previously TMRestored before now and that went as expected. Just wondering what happened this time that was different. The OS is no different, but it took me ages to pluck up the courage to bin the 'extraneous' one. 🙄
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Time Machine restore - extra volume?
- Thread starter dazzer21-2
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I believe you need to erase the entire drive, and start over.
You haven't told us EXACTLY which MBP you have (what year it was made).
If you had told us that, it would be possible to ascertain what versions of the OS that internet recovery will offer you when you summon it up.
Here's what you need to do to get rid of the extra OS partition:
1. Boot to INTERNET recovery. This IS NOT THE SAME as "the recovery partition".
Command-OPTION-R
at boot.
2. You'll need your wifi password. Be patient as "the globe spins" and the utilities load.
3. When the internet utilities are loaded, open disk utility.
4. VERY IMPORTANT: go to the view menu and choose "show all devices".
5. In "the list on the left", choose the topmost item which represents the physical drive inside.
6. Erase it to APFS, GUID partition format. Should take only a few moments.
NOW THINGS GET MORE COMPLICATED.
Since you have a current time machine backup, I'm wondering if you can go to tm and just "restore from this point"?
(I have NEVER used time machine, not once, and am not familiar with how it restores).
It seems to me that if tm backs up everything, it should be able to restore everything, including the OS.
The above is what I'd try first.
IF THIS DOES NOT WORK...
Then I would quit tm, go back to disk utility and erase the entire drive AGAIN, and then open the OS installer (NOT tm), and install a fresh copy of the OS onto the drive.
Once the OS install is done, I would begin the setup procedure, and at the appropriate time setup assistant will ask if you wish to migrate from another drive. Yes, you do, so connect the tm backup and proceed from there. That should do it.
You haven't told us EXACTLY which MBP you have (what year it was made).
If you had told us that, it would be possible to ascertain what versions of the OS that internet recovery will offer you when you summon it up.
Here's what you need to do to get rid of the extra OS partition:
1. Boot to INTERNET recovery. This IS NOT THE SAME as "the recovery partition".
Command-OPTION-R
at boot.
2. You'll need your wifi password. Be patient as "the globe spins" and the utilities load.
3. When the internet utilities are loaded, open disk utility.
4. VERY IMPORTANT: go to the view menu and choose "show all devices".
5. In "the list on the left", choose the topmost item which represents the physical drive inside.
6. Erase it to APFS, GUID partition format. Should take only a few moments.
NOW THINGS GET MORE COMPLICATED.
Since you have a current time machine backup, I'm wondering if you can go to tm and just "restore from this point"?
(I have NEVER used time machine, not once, and am not familiar with how it restores).
It seems to me that if tm backs up everything, it should be able to restore everything, including the OS.
The above is what I'd try first.
IF THIS DOES NOT WORK...
Then I would quit tm, go back to disk utility and erase the entire drive AGAIN, and then open the OS installer (NOT tm), and install a fresh copy of the OS onto the drive.
Once the OS install is done, I would begin the setup procedure, and at the appropriate time setup assistant will ask if you wish to migrate from another drive. Yes, you do, so connect the tm backup and proceed from there. That should do it.
If you have a decent internet connection speed, I would do the following:
- Boot to the Recovery partition.
- Invoke the disk utility to completely repartition/format the drive using one partition. There will be an EFI partition of 600MB.
- Use the macOS install menu item to reinstall macOS to the latest official version downloading it from the internet.
- During macOS initialization use the Migration Wizard option to restore Applications, Users, Data, and Settings from TimeMachine.