Duplicate User Accounts

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Level 1

8 points

Duplicate User Accounts

Hello!

I bought a new Macbook Pro a few months ago and used Migration Assistant to transfer files, settings, etc. from the old Macbook Pro (from 2011). Somehow the process created 3 user accounts, two of which seem to be exactly the same. One is smaller, though that may be the one I have been using. I have a 500 GB hard drive and there is almost no space left on it.

How do I delete the extra accounts and recover my spacee?

How do I identify which accounts I want to keep?

One account just has my first name, which is how it was on the old machine. Another account has first initial, last name - as in jdoe - and the third account has first inital, last name, 1 - as in jdoe1.

I'm really pretty annoyed actually.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Oct 19, 2020 3:01 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Halliday

Level 4

2,671 points

Oct 19, 2020 4:54 PM in response to jgordonathy

Since the “jdoe” and “jdoe1” directories seem to have no associated Accounts, jgordonathy, it appears that you’ll need to delete them directly.

I expect that they will be “protected” from you simply deleting them, right off.

Instead, you’ll need to change your user privileges on those folders, and all contained folders and files: select the folder, open Get Info, and open the padlock at the bottom, and give yourself full access.

If it gives you the option to set that privilege for all contained items, choose it.

Then try to Delete (or put in Trash and empty Trash).

Continue as needed until all is gone.

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Answer 2

Oct 19, 2020 3:07 PM in response to jgordonathy

When migrating user accounts are also migrated. This is expected behaviour.

Information

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350

When removing the accounts you must investigate which ones can be deleted.

Then go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Users and Groups, open padlock, remove accounts including home folders.

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Answer 3

jgordonathy Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 19, 2020 4:16 PM in response to jgordonathy

Also, there is only one user account in Users and Groups (other than Guest User).

But when I go to Finder - Macintosh HD - Users, there are three: jdoe, jdoe1, and John.

I think I have only been using the John account. How do I delete the others?

When I go to to About This Mac, Storage, I see about 60 GB in Documents, 18GB in Applications, etc. totaling about 110 GBs. that seems to be about right.

There are 380 GBs in Other, which is grayed out, so I can't even see it. What's in there?

Thanks

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Answer 4

Halliday

Level 4

2,671 points

Oct 19, 2020 4:42 PM in response to jgordonathy

That “Other” storage category, jgordonathy, is quite a different issue!

I am surprised to see it show up simply from a Migration Assistant transfer. (That’s potentially troubling.)

I think it best to concentrate on getting your user accounts and directories sorted out, at this time.

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Answer 5

jgordonathy Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 19, 2020 8:02 PM in response to Halliday

Thank you very much! Everything worked exactly as you said. I was even able to copy one of the folders to an external drive just in case. I freed up about 340GB of space on the hard drive. Obviously, I made a mistake somewhere with Migration Assistant, but I'm not sure where. I'm not a techie, but I'm reasonably comfortable doing this stuff. I don't know what happened.

Again .... many thanks!

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