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New disk partition created when OS last updated

During the last update of Catalina OS, a "container" was created in my internal hard drive. A new drive, called LLLL, was created and the OS update placed in it. My old hard drive, MAC HD, is a second partition. Now all my library files are showing as being in both drives. The new drive icon, LLLL, is in a new location on my desk top each time I open my computer.


This structure is replicated of course on my backup drive.


I'd like to restore the original structure. How do I do that?


LL Hendrickson, Santa Barbara

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Jan 4, 2021 11:07 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 4, 2021 4:03 PM

My OS update was BigSur 11.0 to 11.1
Here is the disk layout from Terminal App
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.3 GB disk0
1: EFI ⁨EFI⁩ 314.6 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_APFS ⁨Container disk1⁩ 500.0 GB disk0s2

/dev/disk1 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +500.0 GB disk1
Physical Store disk0s2
1: APFS Volume ⁨Macintosh HD - Data⁩ 145.8 GB disk1s1
2: APFS Volume ⁨Preboot⁩ 348.2 MB disk1s2
3: APFS Volume ⁨Recovery⁩ 1.1 GB disk1s3
4: APFS Volume ⁨VM⁩ 20.5 KB disk1s4
5: APFS Volume ⁨LLLL⁩ 15.0 GB disk1s5
6: APFS Snapshot ⁨com.apple.os.update-...⁩ 15.0 GB disk1s5s1



Your Volume <APFS Volume ⁨LLLL⁩ 15.0 GB disk1s5> appears to be your Macintosh HD. I would not delete that.


ref: About the read-only system volume in macOS Catalina - Apple ...


Yours It is not a pristine presentation however it looks correct.



For a comparative reference only, a more pristine look:


MacBook-Pro ~ % diskutil list internal

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk0

1: EFI ⁨EFI⁩ 314.6 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_APFS ⁨Container disk1⁩ 1.0 TB disk0s2


/dev/disk1 (synthesized):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: APFS Container Scheme - +1.0 TB disk1

Physical Store disk0s2

1: APFS Volume ⁨Macintosh HD⁩ 14.9 GB disk1s1

2: APFS Snapshot ⁨com.apple.os.update-...⁩ 14.9 GB disk1s1s1

3: APFS Volume ⁨Macintosh HD - Data⁩ 279.7 GB disk1s2

4: APFS Volume ⁨Preboot⁩ 281.5 MB disk1s3

5: APFS Volume ⁨Recovery⁩ 655.5 MB disk1s4

6: APFS Volume ⁨VM⁩ 1.1 GB disk1s5





I may have lost the thread but if you are continuing to having issues— to wipe the slate and start anew,

from Internet Recovery: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904


Disk Utility>View>Show All Device it is here you select the parent Drive (not the Container level or Volume level.)


you erase/format/initialize the parent Drive and reinstall the macOS, and restore your user date from a backup.

Restore your Mac from a backup


The new drive icon, LLLL, is in a new location on my desk top each time I open my computer.


If this is your only issue, you do not have to show the Macintosh HD on the Desktop— it really is just a carry over from the old days. Make a change from Finder>Preferences>General> remove the Hard Disk selection

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4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 4, 2021 4:03 PM in response to Larry Hendrickson

My OS update was BigSur 11.0 to 11.1
Here is the disk layout from Terminal App
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.3 GB disk0
1: EFI ⁨EFI⁩ 314.6 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_APFS ⁨Container disk1⁩ 500.0 GB disk0s2

/dev/disk1 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +500.0 GB disk1
Physical Store disk0s2
1: APFS Volume ⁨Macintosh HD - Data⁩ 145.8 GB disk1s1
2: APFS Volume ⁨Preboot⁩ 348.2 MB disk1s2
3: APFS Volume ⁨Recovery⁩ 1.1 GB disk1s3
4: APFS Volume ⁨VM⁩ 20.5 KB disk1s4
5: APFS Volume ⁨LLLL⁩ 15.0 GB disk1s5
6: APFS Snapshot ⁨com.apple.os.update-...⁩ 15.0 GB disk1s5s1



Your Volume <APFS Volume ⁨LLLL⁩ 15.0 GB disk1s5> appears to be your Macintosh HD. I would not delete that.


ref: About the read-only system volume in macOS Catalina - Apple ...


Yours It is not a pristine presentation however it looks correct.



For a comparative reference only, a more pristine look:


MacBook-Pro ~ % diskutil list internal

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk0

1: EFI ⁨EFI⁩ 314.6 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_APFS ⁨Container disk1⁩ 1.0 TB disk0s2


/dev/disk1 (synthesized):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: APFS Container Scheme - +1.0 TB disk1

Physical Store disk0s2

1: APFS Volume ⁨Macintosh HD⁩ 14.9 GB disk1s1

2: APFS Snapshot ⁨com.apple.os.update-...⁩ 14.9 GB disk1s1s1

3: APFS Volume ⁨Macintosh HD - Data⁩ 279.7 GB disk1s2

4: APFS Volume ⁨Preboot⁩ 281.5 MB disk1s3

5: APFS Volume ⁨Recovery⁩ 655.5 MB disk1s4

6: APFS Volume ⁨VM⁩ 1.1 GB disk1s5





I may have lost the thread but if you are continuing to having issues— to wipe the slate and start anew,

from Internet Recovery: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904


Disk Utility>View>Show All Device it is here you select the parent Drive (not the Container level or Volume level.)


you erase/format/initialize the parent Drive and reinstall the macOS, and restore your user date from a backup.

Restore your Mac from a backup


The new drive icon, LLLL, is in a new location on my desk top each time I open my computer.


If this is your only issue, you do not have to show the Macintosh HD on the Desktop— it really is just a carry over from the old days. Make a change from Finder>Preferences>General> remove the Hard Disk selection

Jan 4, 2021 11:10 AM in response to Larry Hendrickson

Larry Hendrickson wrote:

During the last update of Catalina OS, a "container" was created in my internal hard drive. A new drive, called LLLL, was created and the OS update placed in it. My old hard drive, MAC HD, is a second partition. Now all my library files are showing as being in both drives. The new drive icon, LLLL, is in a new location on my desk top each time I open my computer.

This structure is replicated of course on my backup drive.

I'd like to restore the original structure. How do I do that?

LL Hendrickson, Santa Barbara


Update from what to what "Catalina" a point update or a macOS upgrade...(?)


For a better look see

Post the output from the Terminal.app copy and paste:

diskutil list internal

Jan 4, 2021 3:29 PM in response to leroydouglas

My OS update was BigSur 11.0 to 11.1


Here is the disk layout from Terminal App


 #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER


   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *500.3 GB   disk0


   1:                        EFI ⁨EFI⁩                     314.6 MB   disk0s1


   2:                 Apple_APFS ⁨Container disk1⁩         500.0 GB   disk0s2




/dev/disk1 (synthesized):


   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER


   0:      APFS Container Scheme -                      +500.0 GB   disk1


                                 Physical Store disk0s2


   1:                APFS Volume ⁨Macintosh HD - Data⁩     145.8 GB   disk1s1


   2:                APFS Volume ⁨Preboot⁩                 348.2 MB   disk1s2


   3:                APFS Volume ⁨Recovery⁩                1.1 GB     disk1s3


   4:                APFS Volume ⁨VM⁩                      20.5 KB    disk1s4


   5:                APFS Volume ⁨LLLL⁩                    15.0 GB    disk1s5


   6:              APFS Snapshot ⁨com.apple.os.update-...⁩ 15.0 GB    disk1s5s1



New disk partition created when OS last updated

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