Update of Big Sure stuck in loop due to disk storage

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rune-onvik Author

Level 1

9 points

Update of Big Sure stuck in loop due to disk storage

Hi,

My Macbook Air is stuck in a update loop with Big Sure.

This is due to the disk running out of space during the update (I know, totally my bad),

I have search around for solutions, and found many cases with same issue.

The main problem for me is that the system have security settings for not allowing to boot from external drive. So cannot use this method.

Also the 1 user on the Mac is not admin, so have no admin users to change the settings.

Have managed to start in Recovery, but for some reason I am not able to log in with the local user on the Mac, but have to use the Apple ID the local user is connected to. This again makes the volume on the disk locked, and are not able to open this volume with the normal login pwd for the Mac user, nor the Apple ID user.

So, I'm at the moment stuck in the update loop, not able to reduse the diskspace since I'm somehow locked out from the user volume.

Anyone have any good ideas on on how to get out of this one?

Are there any other files that can be deleted from the system without ruining things?

Or is it possible to delete the downloaded installation files for Big Sure to get out of the loop (might be it is halfway installed and might ruin the system, but just have to ask)?

Or any way to add a admin so I can remove the restriction of booting on an external disk?

Many questions for one problem, all answers are appriciated :-)

Thanx!

Posted on Feb 11, 2021 1:22 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

rune-onvik Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 15, 2021 11:26 AM in response to PRP_53

So, in the end I ended up at the local Apple Store, and they did not succeed either.

Have no idea what happened, but for some reason the Data volume would not unlock by the user password anymore after the update of Big Sur failed.

Luckily no important data will get lost, so I’m just going for the good old clean start.

Thanks a lot for the effort Phillips :-)

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Answer 2

PRP_53

Level 10

85,015 points

Feb 12, 2021 6:44 AM in response to rune-onvik

Have a read over Here pertaining to this issue and solution in article involves using the Target Disk Mode. If successful, one may be able to transfer enough personal files ( doc, photos, music, videos ) off the drive to the computer being used to connect to the malfunctioning computer. If that should work, it ( malfunctions unit ) just might boot up

If this is too much, last option is the take the computer to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Centre

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Answer 3

rune-onvik Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 11, 2021 12:20 PM in response to PRP_53

Hi, thank you for the feedback!

Could not find any solution still, not sure if the user is corrupted during the update.

I am not able to log in with the user on the computer, only by selecting "forgot password" and log in with the Apple Id connected with the user. But then I am not able to unlock the Data volume for the user, which is locked.

Have tried to unlock in the terminal from Recovery mode with:

> diskutil apfs unlockVolume [DeviceNoe]

But it do not accept the user password

Also tried to boot with external disk, but there is a security setting that prevents from booting with external disk.

Not able to turn off this setting either since there are no admin user available.

Really lost on what to do on this one.

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Answer 4

rune-onvik Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 12, 2021 6:36 AM in response to PRP_53

Thanks again, tried this one now.

Took about 2 hours with the spinning globe, but still not able to log on.

As mention, when starting in recovery mode I need to log in with the Apple ID, but the Data disk is still locked.

Not able to activate or run first aid from the disk tools since the user password is not accepted.

Now I get warning that the drive is locked, and try again in 15 minutes (wait time getting longer for each try).

Also not able to set boot options for external disk. When opening the startup security tools I get the message that no administrators are found, and hence I can't get to these security settings either.

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