Accidentally deleted Macintosh HD

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Level 1

4 points

Accidentally deleted Macintosh HD

Hi there,

When trying to erase the data on my hard drive on my MacBook Air M1 (bought 2021), I stupidly deleted the whole Macintosh HD hard drive!!

I also don’t have a time machine backup! I’m not bothered about my files as I backed those up on an external hard drive, I just want to be able to re-install Big Sur.

All I was left with in disk utility is “Data” and the MacOS base system.

One fix I tried was to try to partition off part of “data”, call it Macintosh HD and then use that as the start up disk but when I tried to reinstall Big Sur it says

”An error occurred while reading device owners. Ensure that a user is allowed administer this computer”

Someone help me! I’m desperate

Thank you!

MacBook Air Apple Silicon

Posted on Aug 20, 2022 4:00 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

PRP_53

Level 10

84,739 points

Aug 21, 2022 1:53 AM in response to TessCook

Not knowing exactly how or why the Apple Silicon Computer was " trying to erase the data on my hard drive on my MacBook Air M1 (bought 2021), I stupidly deleted the whole Macintosh HD hard drive!!."

The drive structure of Apple Silicon computer as several Volumes on the drive ( Not Partitions ).

One can not boot into Disk Utilities and Erase the Macintosh HD . That is because that is where the Operations System resides including Disk Utilities

Normally the drive structure on M1 Computer will look like in below image

Since the user is uncertain as how this " whole Macintosh HD hard drive " was erased It is suggested to below >>

Send your product to Apple or Find an Apple Authorized Service Provider or Visit a Genius at an Apple Store where an On-Hand approach by Apple Professionals can evaluate what was done and what they can do to put things right again