Delete a startup snapshot in Macintosh HD

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Delete a startup snapshot in Macintosh HD

Dear all,

I am using a Macbook Pro M3 Pro with macOS 14.3.

When I bought it, it replaced an Intel Macbook pro and I preferred to do a clean install instead of a Time Machine restoration with potential incompatible apps. After this clean install I had in the main container only Macintosh HD and Macintosh HD - Data, in the disk utility app.

Yesterday I had, unfortunately, to reinstall macOS and I used my latest time machine to do so (coming from the Silicon Mac). But since I have done this, I see a startup snapshot in Macintosh HD ... Of course it was not there before and the "issue" is that I also see 2 Macintosh HD in iStats Menu.

I tried to erase all contents and seetings, erase macintosh HD and redo a clean install, but the snapshot always remains !

I was not able to erase the SSD in the recovery disk utility, it said it was used by the kernel.

I know it is not a big deal, but it is irritating and I really would like to make it as it was before. It was like that before, so there should be a way no? Is there a way to go back to the previous situation without any the snapshot inside Macintosh HD?

Thanks by advance to those who will try to propose me a solution.

Have a nice day

Christophe

MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023)

Posted on Feb 4, 2024 8:13 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Owl-53

Level 10

103,141 points

Feb 4, 2024 9:33 AM in response to Selzere

What your are presenting in your First Image is totally Normal

The Snap Shot in your image is where the Operating System resides in a Sealed and Read Only Volume that can not be opened.

It is also from where the Operating System Boots from.

Just to compare, including a Snap Shot of a M2 Machine I use running Sonoma 14.3.

So rest easy tonight all is well 😎 🤞

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Answer 2

Owl-53

Level 10

103,141 points

Feb 4, 2024 9:57 AM in response to Selzere

Just build on previous posting.

Whe it say Erase all Content and settings it is referring to User setting and content.

Using this method does Not Touch the Operating System at all

Much like on iPhone reset all settings.

The version of iOS reminds untouched

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Answer 3

leroydouglas

Level 10

199,416 points

Feb 4, 2024 9:46 AM in response to Selzere

Selzere wrote:

Dear all,

I am using a Macbook Pro M3 Pro with macOS 14.3.

When I bought it, it replaced an Intel Macbook pro and I preferred to do a clean install instead of a Time Machine restoration with potential incompatible apps. After this clean install I had in the main container only Macintosh HD and Macintosh HD - Data, in the disk utility app.

Yesterday I had, unfortunately, to reinstall macOS and I used my latest time machine to do so (coming from the Silicon Mac). But since I have done this, I see a startup snapshot in Macintosh HD ... Of course it was not there before and the "issue" is that I also see 2 Macintosh HD in iStats Menu.

I tried to erase all contents and seetings, erase macintosh HD and redo a clean install, but the snapshot always remains !

Seems a normal.

The number scheme is relative not absolute...

install compare:

you see more of the big picture from the Terminal.app copy & paste:

diskutil list internal

ex

Mac-M1 ~ % diskutil list internal

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *251.0 GB disk0

1: Apple_APFS_ISC Container disk1 524.3 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_APFS Container disk3 245.1 GB disk0s2

3: Apple_APFS_Recovery Container disk2 5.4 GB disk0s3

/dev/disk3 (synthesized):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: APFS Container Scheme - +245.1 GB disk3

Physical Store disk0s2

1: APFS Volume Macintosh HD 9.1 GB disk3s1

2: APFS Snapshot com.apple.os.update-... 9.1 GB disk3s1s1

3: APFS Volume Preboot 5.5 GB disk3s2

4: APFS Volume Recovery 778.1 MB disk3s3

5: APFS Volume Data 21.7 GB disk3s5

6: APFS Volume VM 20.5 KB disk3s6

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