After installing Catalina a second time, it put a second Mac HD data partition. Then when trying to use Time Machine, it failed. Because there are two drives with the same name HD data. How do I rename the drive or delete the Drive. How do I know which one Catalina is using?
iMac Line (2012 and Later)
I've reinstalled several times, Yes. No other volumes. Just one drive that I erased before installation.
Yes, that is what happened to me, I did download Catalina a second time to make a bootable USB stick. Now I have no idea how to get rid of this unit without risking the system.
Thanks for the answer! Have the same issue.
Question, can you just delete the old Data volume from Disk Utility either in recovery or when logged in?
Yes, that's normal. Catalina is designed to not see the restricted, read-only volume and only show the volume that the user has access to and control over.
Can you explain step 5 to me...what is the hard drive top layer?
top left; the apple HDD
the goal: is for the entire computer to be erased
I just had this happen to me after I had problems with an update in Catalina which caused it not to boot up, so I had to erase all my data and do full reinstall of Cataline then a full data restore from Time Machine.
Apple Support guided me through the process.
After you have erased the hard drive, turn the computer off and open in Internet recovery mode. There will be an option to restore from time capsule.
Internet recovery mode is command option R. If you have a Bluetooth keyboard, you have half a second, to press command option R, when powering up.
I deleted both the Data drives, leaving the HD drive in place. Shut down and restarted in Recovery mode and tried to use Time Machine to recover. It found Time Machine but would not start the download. Then tried to Reinstall Mac OS onto Mac HD. Got the message "The target volume is part of an incomplete system and cannot be installed to".
HELP please
Craig, you are right I missed part 5. Have now connected old time machine and am "hopefully" reinstalling Mojave. If it works I will stay with it for ever. If not I may try again, but I don't remember seeing internet recovery mode as an option. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Just adding that the second data drive on the desk top is the extra. I renamed it so I could tell the difference in disk utility when in recovery mode . I removed it and then restarted. No need to wipe the drive and perform a reinstall of the system.
I have not downloaded Catalina twice. I just bought a brand new computer, and when I try to use time machine, it won't let me. I have the double data hardrive problem. I don't even have one time machine backup to use. Now what? I thought when I bought the new computer all my problems would be over.
Craig150,
I hardly think this issue is solved.
The worst part of this experience for me is that Time Machine was horribly corrupted during the process of restoration or, did not import and parse the data properly. I did end up renaming a data drive to move forward but everything after that was a domino effect of failures.
The double Data drive images caused Time Machine to fail until a drive was renamed.
How is one to know which drive is legitimately connected to the installation and going to function properly? I have moved on and just left things alone as I have spent so much time with this upgrade issue on so many levels that I need to get work done instead of bang my head against the Apple wall. I can only hope Time Machine is functioning properly, I no longer trust the process.
At some point down the road I will wipe everything and start fresh, probably after a few iterations of upgrades, but this has been a ridiculous exercise in Apple dramatically changing the game with no sensible path for educating end users in place.
Very frustrating,
gchdrake
I would only use the last back up; the back up that only contains one drive. However, you can use the finder to change the name of one of the HD data drives. Allowing time machine to back up. This only changes the name that YOU see. Not the name that Catalina is actually using for its HD data.
of course, the risk is: you are copying the same problem and inserting it after you have cleaned everything up. Especially, if you look at the HD data drive and it has already created a new container and or volume.
do you not have a good back up before the problem started?
copying the problem, will most likely create another problem.
Apple has confirmed, that renaming the drive just exacerbates problems.
basically, starting fresh, with an old back up, which was known to be good is useful.
to answer one of your questions: you can look up the time and date in finder through GET info, about when the drive was created.
The main reason, I had to start over was: each data drive had created another volume and container, which doubled the memory usage. The easiest way is to remove everything off the computer, via the steps, and then repair with the backup before the problems. My iMac is working great and fast as advertised in Catalina.
OS Catalina. 2 MAC HD data drives
