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User profile for user: Shivam_Agrawal
Shivam_Agrawal Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Unable to access macOS hard disk after using bootable Linux USB

I was using 16gb pen drive to do some task in Ubuntu but storage was insufficient so I upgraded to 64gb 3.0 pen drive. 


But this time my macbook was working fine until I realised that macOS startup disk isn’t recognised


Here are few of the things I tried and some observations:


Resetting NVRAM / PRAM or safe boot doesn’t help and shows same folder with question mark icon


While running Linux this time I get some extra error prompt which brought issue I guess although I am unable to debug or do anything


CMD + R recovery mode is throwing 3002 error and assuming it’s common issue, usb to Ethernet cable is on the way


Running lsblk showing 113gb disk partition so it shouldn’t be mounting issue


Any help or suggestions will be really helpful. I am out of time and really want to solve this issue. (Connecting to another Mac and using this Mac as external hard disk using power + T but it requires another cable which will take 3 day to arrive)

that’s it from my side (:

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.0

Posted on Oct 25, 2020 10:10 AM

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User profile for user: Kappy
Kappy
User level: Level 10
361,849 points

Posted on Oct 25, 2020 11:19 AM

Well, now you know that it can. You can fidget with Grub, if you know how. I don't know Grub. This assumes you did not install Linux over your .macOS installation, which is what the Linux installer will do if you are not careful.


If you have a model from Late-2011 or later, then you may try this:


Internet/Network Recovery of El Capitan or Later on a Clean Disk


You will need a fast, working Internet connection, preferably, Ethernet. If you must use Wi-Fi, you will be asked to select your network and enter the network password. This procedure will install the current version of macOS that is compatible with your model.


  1. Restart the computer. Immediately, at or before the chime, hold down the (Command-Option-R) keys until a globe appears.
  2. The Utility Menu will appear in from 5-20 minutes. Be patient.
  3. Select Disk Utility and click on the Continue button.
  4. When Disk Utility loads select the target drive (out-dented entry w/type and size) from the side list.
  5. Click on the Erase button in Disk Utility's toolbar. A panel will drop down.
  6. Set the partition scheme to GUID.
  7. Set the Format type to APFS (SSDs, only if installing Mojave or Catalina ) or Mac OS Extended, (Journaled.)
  8. Provide a volume name, usually "Macintosh HD."
  9. Click on the Apply button, then click on the Done button when it activates.
  10. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
  11. Select Install OS X and click on the Continue button.


FWIW, you should never do what your did without having a backup unless you know exactly what to do in case something goes wrong.


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User profile for user: Kappy
Kappy
User level: Level 10
361,849 points

Oct 25, 2020 11:19 AM in response to Shivam_Agrawal

Well, now you know that it can. You can fidget with Grub, if you know how. I don't know Grub. This assumes you did not install Linux over your .macOS installation, which is what the Linux installer will do if you are not careful.


If you have a model from Late-2011 or later, then you may try this:


Internet/Network Recovery of El Capitan or Later on a Clean Disk


You will need a fast, working Internet connection, preferably, Ethernet. If you must use Wi-Fi, you will be asked to select your network and enter the network password. This procedure will install the current version of macOS that is compatible with your model.


  1. Restart the computer. Immediately, at or before the chime, hold down the (Command-Option-R) keys until a globe appears.
  2. The Utility Menu will appear in from 5-20 minutes. Be patient.
  3. Select Disk Utility and click on the Continue button.
  4. When Disk Utility loads select the target drive (out-dented entry w/type and size) from the side list.
  5. Click on the Erase button in Disk Utility's toolbar. A panel will drop down.
  6. Set the partition scheme to GUID.
  7. Set the Format type to APFS (SSDs, only if installing Mojave or Catalina ) or Mac OS Extended, (Journaled.)
  8. Provide a volume name, usually "Macintosh HD."
  9. Click on the Apply button, then click on the Done button when it activates.
  10. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
  11. Select Install OS X and click on the Continue button.


FWIW, you should never do what your did without having a backup unless you know exactly what to do in case something goes wrong.


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User profile for user: Shivam_Agrawal
Shivam_Agrawal Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Oct 25, 2020 11:31 PM in response to HWTech

What is the exact model of your Mac?

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage, 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 5th Gen)


What version of macOS was on the internal drive?

macOS big sur public beta (not sure exact one but i updated system less than a week ago so i'm sure it's better)


Are you running an Ubuntu Live USB drive or was Ubuntu actually installed to the USB drive?

USB drive with linux installed (currently i'm writing this reply from same mac using that USB which has ubuntu 20.04 installed)


What version of Ubuntu are you using?

20.04


Output of:

sudo  fdisk  -l  /dev/sda

and regarding t2 mac:

It's not t2 mac but file encryption was enabled in macOS. can that be a reason for not showing partition or other info?

This is the output I am getting.

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,332 points

Oct 25, 2020 11:36 AM in response to Shivam_Agrawal

What is the exact model of your Mac?


What version of macOS was on the internal drive?


Are you running an Ubuntu Live USB drive or was Ubuntu actually installed to the USB drive?


Is the Ubuntu USB drive a USB stick or an actual USB external hard drive/SSD?


What version of Ubuntu are you using?


Shivam_Agrawal wrote:

Running lsblk showing 113gb disk partition so it shouldn’t be mounting issue

It is not showing any partitions. It is only showing a physical drive for "sda". Try running fdisk and posting the output as it should show the actual macOS partitions if the drive hasn't been wiped or failing (or is a T2 Mac):

sudo  fdisk  -l  /dev/sda



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User profile for user: Shivam_Agrawal
Shivam_Agrawal Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Oct 26, 2020 9:36 AM in response to HWTech

Thanks. ethernet cable arrived today and running recovery mode and trying repair confirmed what you said. Unfortunately, I lost all my data and now reinstalled macOS. Great Lesson learned. Thanks everyone for being so helpful.

Still not sure about the cause of the issue but but Some red warning or prompt would have been helpful since Apple is known for great user experience.

And to all developers out there, have back up or all your hard work is gone 🤧


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Unable to access macOS hard disk after using bootable Linux USB

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