You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

OS Catalina - Can't access files.

My Mac upgraded to Catalina recently and created the partition for 'security' reasons in the HD and I can't access any files in the 'Macintosh HD - Data'.


• In Utilities it indicates that the data is actually in the 'Macintosh HD - Data' partition. (see pic)

• When I click 'Desktop' in the sidebar - it gives me the message "The desktop cannot be found"


I have lost access to a lot of recent work that was on my desktop prior to the 'upgrade'.


I have no back-up of my desktop.


Any suggestions would be super appreciated.


Thanks


Bryan


MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Jan 12, 2021 12:27 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 12, 2021 8:45 AM

Bryan_Watt wrote:

Hi, thanks for the reply

"created the partition for 'security' reasons in the HD" - I read that the partitioning was done by Apple as a new 'security' feature in Catalina.

• There is nothing much significant in the relocation folder.
• My working files were on my desktop before the upgrade - Now they are missing and the desktop cannot be modified in any way.
• The files are no doubt in the Macintosh HD- Data partition - but there is no way for me to access them.

Thanks..


I suspect iCloud Drive got turned on by default— I would look there.



iCloud drive missing desktop and documents


Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple ...


Set up iCloud Drive - Apple Support


How to Restore Your Desktop and Documents After Disabling ...


How to find your Documents and Desktop folder contents after ...


 


Finder>Go>Go to Folder>copy & paste:

~/iCloud Drive (Archive)

iCLoud Drive (Archive) - here you should find all your files 

Similar questions

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jan 12, 2021 8:45 AM in response to Bryan_Watt

Bryan_Watt wrote:

Hi, thanks for the reply

"created the partition for 'security' reasons in the HD" - I read that the partitioning was done by Apple as a new 'security' feature in Catalina.

• There is nothing much significant in the relocation folder.
• My working files were on my desktop before the upgrade - Now they are missing and the desktop cannot be modified in any way.
• The files are no doubt in the Macintosh HD- Data partition - but there is no way for me to access them.

Thanks..


I suspect iCloud Drive got turned on by default— I would look there.



iCloud drive missing desktop and documents


Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple ...


Set up iCloud Drive - Apple Support


How to Restore Your Desktop and Documents After Disabling ...


How to find your Documents and Desktop folder contents after ...


 


Finder>Go>Go to Folder>copy & paste:

~/iCloud Drive (Archive)

iCLoud Drive (Archive) - here you should find all your files 

Jan 12, 2021 4:18 AM in response to Bryan_Watt

Bryan_Watt wrote:

My Mac upgraded to Catalina recently and created the partition for 'security' reasons in the HD and I can't access any files in the 'Macintosh HD - Data'.

• In Utilities it indicates that the data is actually in the 'Macintosh HD - Data' partition. (see pic)
• When I click 'Desktop' in the sidebar - it gives me the message "The desktop cannot be found"

I have lost access to a lot of recent work that was on my desktop prior to the 'upgrade'.

I have no back-up of my desktop.
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/80e077d1-52c6-4a42-810c-32da487469ae
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/6b773150-309a-414b-b9c0-c044204517ba

Any suggestions would be super appreciated.

Thanks

Bryan



What does this mean "created the partition for 'security' reasons in the HD" What I see in your Disk Utility looks normal for macOS Catalina.




Were you files/directories always left in the default location— or did you customize and move them outside your User/Home Folder at some point? This would be an issue.


Your Macintosh HD - Data Volume is certainly showing the ~168 GB of used storage(?)


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

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210650



Was there anything significant in the relocated file folder upon upgrade?



Jan 12, 2021 4:52 AM in response to leroydouglas

Hi, thanks for the reply


"created the partition for 'security' reasons in the HD" - I read that the partitioning was done by Apple as a new 'security' feature in Catalina.


• There is nothing much significant in the relocation folder.

• My working files were on my desktop before the upgrade - Now they are missing and the desktop cannot be modified in any way.

• The files are no doubt in the Macintosh HD- Data partition - but there is no way for me to access them.


Thanks..

OS Catalina - Can't access files.

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.