Formatting of iMac 2019 HDD and Disk Utility Persistent Error: (69716)

Dear All - Here is the question in a nutshell, as best as I am able.


If a Fusion drive was formatted outside its 2019 iMac enclosure, being connected to another computer (with another User operating it) and an upgraded OS installed from that computer or drive attached to it, (i.e. no communication with Apple servers for the OS), could there be a problem for the operation of the Fusion drive once back in its rightful enclosure?


As a total amateur, I am wondering if the SSD part of the Fusion drive, being physically separate from the spinning disk HD when these big changes were made to it, could be responsible for a persistent Error I am getting from Disk Utility, namely "Storage system verify or repair failed: - (69716)".


This message is important because it appears in both normal and Recovery modes, when using First Aid for the Macintosh HD with its Data volume, or at the higher up level of Container. I have numerous First Aid reports, all saying the same thing about the "volume /dev/rdisk2s1", giving the message at the end of its scan: "The volume /dev/rdisk2s1 with UUID 31F87150-5459-4ABE-A09F-A08B23C75124 was found to be corrupt and cannot be repaired."


Additionally, the message "Storage system verify or repair failed. : (-69716)" was presented when I tried to Reinstall OS Sonoma from inside Recovery (to see if this cleared the 69716 storage system problem). And when I tried to upgrade to OS Sequoia via System Settings, that also failed. It could not be installed.


I am advised by Apple Support to try erasing the HDD and then see if Reinstalling OS Sonoma can work normally, i.e., the error has been cleared by the erasing procedure.


BUT, as I am so dependent on this computer, which is working FINE except for the problems noted, I am very apprehensive to do a testing procedure by erasing the drive only to find that reinstallation of Sonoma still fails and then the verdict will be 100% clear - I have to either buy a new internal or external HD/Startup Drive which will have to be an SSD. This outcome would then leave me without the computer for many days on end as I attempt to sort out a replacement for the Fusion drive. I dread that being the consequence of erasing the drive! And it is not cheap, even in Mexico, to get someone to open this iMac up.


In my amateur way, I am wondering if the physical, and therefore electronic, separation of the two components of the Fusion Drive at the time of Erasing, could have messed up the storage drive. But maybe this is not a relevant variable! Does anyone know how the 2019 iMac might respond?


BTW - Three softwares have checked the physical performance of the Seagate drive inside my iMac and they have not come back with any dire message to replace the drive. I used Etrecheck, DriveDX, and the technician used his Crystal Disk Info software, (perhaps through running Windows on his Mac, or on a Windows machine, I have yet to get confirmation of exactly what his process was).


For anyone suggesting I take it in to an Apple Store - both logistics and cost issues come into play, and of these cost issues are significant, in order to cover the logistics costs! If I can reach a reasonable estimation of how it is that the Fusion drive has got some 'corruption' on it which is causing problems, I can at least plan the various expenses ahead of time.


Big thanks in advance for comments that might help me make my decision about the next step with more confidence. :-)

iMac 27″, macOS 14.7

Posted on Feb 11, 2025 2:37 PM

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Posted on Feb 12, 2025 7:52 AM

Both disk0 the 1T HDD and disk1 the 28GB SSD are GUID which is correct.


The disk2 is the 1T HDD that is now formatted APFS independently from the original Fusion Drive.


The problem is that the Fusion Drive was split when one or both drives were formatted outside of your iMac.


To refuse the split Fusion Drive, follow the steps at > How to fix a split Fusion Drive - Apple Support


If refusing the drives fails, then the HDD has a problem and needs to be replaced.

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Feb 12, 2025 7:52 AM in response to lifewebb

Both disk0 the 1T HDD and disk1 the 28GB SSD are GUID which is correct.


The disk2 is the 1T HDD that is now formatted APFS independently from the original Fusion Drive.


The problem is that the Fusion Drive was split when one or both drives were formatted outside of your iMac.


To refuse the split Fusion Drive, follow the steps at > How to fix a split Fusion Drive - Apple Support


If refusing the drives fails, then the HDD has a problem and needs to be replaced.

Feb 11, 2025 3:12 PM in response to lifewebb

The original Fusion Drive (HDD and SSD) is split and needs to be refused in order to work properly.


To do that, you need to backup any important data on that drive to another external drive.

Reinstall the hard drive back into the iMac and Refuse the HDD and SSD drives.

Reinstall the macOS and copy your data back to the refused Fusion Drive.

see > How to fix a split Fusion Drive - Apple Support


Another option, is to get and connect a USB-C external SSD to the 2019 iMac.

Format and Install macOS on the external SSD, and run from that SSD.

Then migrate or copy your data back to the external SSD.

see > Use an external SSD as your startup disk … - Apple Community


Feb 12, 2025 5:42 AM in response to Old Toad

Thank you Old Toad for what I can see now was imprecise language in my question. Thank you also for the link to the helpful article about writing for Apple Support Communities. Def worth my time to read through.


In answer to your question - Yes, the entire internal system of components were removed and cleaned of dust after nearly 4 years of operation in a very dusty environment where I live.


The main storage drive - Hard Disk Drive (Seagate HDD) - was disconnected as was the logic board with its SSD drive component attached to it. Everything that could be unscrewed and removed, got individually cleaned.


But I have an UPDATE! It has shifted the focus of attention dramatically I believe. I watched a video about using Terminal to list the internal drives and then to run a verify operation on the main HDD part of the Fusion system, which has revealed something foundational! Here is the Terminal response to the Verify command (my quote marks):


"diskutil verifyDisk /dev/disk2

Unable to verify this whole disk: A GUID Partition Table (GPT) partitioning scheme is required (-69773)"



The list for the drives indeed show no GUID for the HDD. Screenshot view:


Feb 11, 2025 3:34 PM in response to lifewebb

Please read the following user tip and restate your question/problem in detail


     Writing an Effective Apple Support Communities Question - Apple Community


"If a Fusion drive was formatted outside its 2019 iMac enclosure"


Did your tech remove both components of a Fusion drive from the 2019 iMac?


You would have to refuse the Fusion drive before you tried re-installing the system and migrate your user data and that would have to be in the 2019 iMac.


If the software you mention indicated that the HDD was toast then your best bet is to get an external SSD, install the system on it, migrate your user data from your Time Machine backup and boot and run from it.



Feb 12, 2025 9:33 AM in response to den.thed

Thank you den thed.


I was going to reply to your earlier message to say that I had already read the article about fixing a split Fusion Drive before I posted here, and had concluded that because I do not see two drives in Finder (just Macintosh HD) and because Disk Utility says it is seeing a Fusion Drive, the article did not apply to my situation.


However, I followed the steps just now for checking what can be seen for 'Storage' in System Settings and, as before when I have clicked on 'Volumes', I have been flummoxed by what I can see.


I now know enough that there must be something wrong because the SSD is much smaller than 1.0 TB. Do you think the images are proof that the Fusion Drive IS split?



Here is what Disk Utility is presenting:


PS - the difference in naming is because the computer came back from the technician with a new name called macOS and macOS - Data (as seen in Disk Utility) I discovered I could no longer view my previous backups prior to this "servicing" done by the local technician. Permission had gone.


I tried to change the situation by renaming the HD part to be what it always has been - Macintosh HD. Finder allows this.


But then after I did the next Time Machine Backup, I saw that there was a deeper level of NAME for my Drive which definitely cannot be changed without erasing the disk! My personal files/folders are all identified by TM as stored in a drive called macOS - Data.


I cannot predict if any use of Migration Assistant following erasure will work and in any case I don't trust what is being backed up at a system level. This worry and uncertainty pushed me to enroll for a small account with iCloud, plus I have had to keep on doing manual copies of folders onto an external drive just in case iCloud went wrong for me as well, subsequent to erasing the drive...


You can see that the fence I am sitting on is challenging for a non super user!

Feb 12, 2025 11:09 AM in response to lifewebb

I wouldn't rely on the Storage and Optimization eye-candy for accuracy.


That Disk Utility screenshot looks good. That is exactly what an APFS formatted Fusion Drive should look like.


What is the name of iMac's Drive Icon on your desktop and in the finder sidebar...?




As for your Time Machine backup that sounds correct.

Because Time Machine now only backs up the macOS - DATA volume of the APFS formatted Internal drive.

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Formatting of iMac 2019 HDD and Disk Utility Persistent Error: (69716)

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