Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference to kick off June 10 at 10 a.m. PDT with Keynote address

The Keynote will be available to stream on apple.com, the Apple Developer app, the Apple TV app, and the Apple YouTube channel. On-demand playback will be available after the conclusion of the stream.

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

Really lost on installing Mavericks...any help?

OK, I am totally lost. I have 2 partitions on my hard drive. I did a test on Lion a couple of years ago and put that on one partition and still have Snow Leopard on the one I use daily. Haven't been into Lion for a while and never did put the final version on there...but have 2 HD's on my desktop, Lion and Snow Leopard. A couple of week's ago I decided to update Lion to Mavericks to test it before I install on Snow Leopard. I restarted and selected the partition with Lion and signed in, about info said I was on Lion, did the install for about 45 minutes, said I was on 10.9.3. Then I switched to Snow Leopard and that showed on Mavericks also, but startup disk showed Lion. Thought I messed up but lost emails so contacted FiOS and they got my emails back after an hour so thought OK. But was strange because the startup disk kept showing weirdly, like the same for Lion and Snow Leopard. Now when I go into the Lion partition it shows 10.6.8 and startup disk Snow Leopard...why isn't it startup disk Lion or even Mavericks? And where did Mavericks go??? When I installed Mavericks it didn't ask to do any certain type of install so just did an install and left all my files, etc., (want to see if my Quark will work in Mavericks) and when said was on 10.9.3 Quark still seemed to work. Now when I restart and go back to Snow Leopard or Lion it shows 10.6.8 and startup disk Snow Leopard for both partitions...So what happened to Mavericks??? I really would like to install Mavericks on ONLY the Lion partition and leave my current programs there. Can someone tell me exactly how to do that and what it should show under About this Mac when I restart and select the other partition??? I have no idea where Mavericks went or if it is somewhere on here. Snow Leopard I have my apps lined up along the left and Lion it is along the bottom - snow leopard has a different background (a picture) when in it and Lion has a generic blue background so I am sure I am going between partitions, aren't I? I just do a restart and select the other partition and sign in. When I was in Mavericks once I had some option in the top right corner to switch between partitions and seemed to be able to just switch them, but none of that is there now and no Mavericks anywhere I can find. Any help is greatly appreciated. Can anyone tell me where Mavericks is and how and I can only upgrade the 2nd partition with this - don't want to touch my Snow Leopard in case issues in Mavericks. Thanks. Gary

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2009), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jun 3, 2014 5:28 PM

85 replies

Jun 14, 2014 2:11 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

Hi Gary,

You have chosen a very unusual User Name. Maverick Partition 2.

Usually this is how you would name a partition not a User.

Have you considered making the migrated user from Snow Leopard your default User?

Under Devices in the Finder window, do you see your Mavericks drive? This is the screen show we need to see like the one you posted for Snow Leopard.

Jun 14, 2014 2:25 PM in response to dianeoforegon

Maverick Partitions 2 is a 'SECOND PARTITION" . It is not just a user. Let me start from the start. Years ago I did a test on Lion for Apple and created a separate partition for it. I didn't like Lion so never used it but kept the partition so I have a Snow Leopard partition I used all the time and Lion. I recently upgraded Lion to Mavericks and migrated everything from Snow Leopard to that Mavericks Partition 2 - so I thought, but apparently didn't migrate the user folder. So I now have 3 users, garyschnetter (Snow Leopard), GJFS (what was made when I tried to migrate only the garyschnetter user folder to Mavericks this morning), gsnicker (Mavericks). I have no bookmarks, address book addresses, favorites, old mail or folders, pictures, itunes library, iphoto library, nothing. Only have the applications - nothing from the user folder. I am so confused on users and partitions now. I only want my old Snow Leopard so if this doesn't work I can still use that, which I have, but I want to upgrade the new Mavericks now with my Snow Leopard user folder so I have all the above. Mavericks (in the "Users" folder) has DELETED USERS (which has all the files I need but can't take them out of the deleted folder); Desktop (which has a red circle with a minus so can't copy the old snow leopard desktop to mavericks); garyschnetter (which has all the files I want, but they have a red circle with a minus so can't use them in Mavericks - don't have permission); GJFS (same as garyschnetter, red circle with minus so can't use them); gsnicker (which is the new user folder from Mavericks but has just the installed basics and don't have any of the files I need); Shared. So basically I only have the installed Mavericks folder and GJFS and garyschnetter have the files I need but I need them to be able to be active in Mavericks. I just want to get rid of all users in Mavericks except I want garyschnetter attive. I am going to open the folders and attach some pictures of what it shows in Mavericks:

Jun 14, 2014 2:27 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

I don't need GJFS at all in users/groups. That was just set up when I tried to migrate my Snowleopard user of garyschnetter to gsnicker (Mavericks) this morning and I have no idea where it is or why it is there:

Jun 14, 2014 2:28 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

In users/groups photo above: Maverick Partition 2 is the Maverick partition of my computer; Gary Schnetter is the Snow Leopard partitiion; GJFS is that error of trying to migrate garyschnetter user to Mavericks.

Jun 14, 2014 2:33 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

Basically I only need ONE USER - garyschnetter (which is on my Snow Leopard partition). How can I delete all other users in Maverick and get my Snow Leopard user of garyschnetter transferred to Mavericks so I have all my bookmarks, favorites, itunes, iphoto pix, addresses, everything I had in Snow Leopard in Mavericks (I already have the applications - just need the user stuff I guess so I can get the above files, all my pictures I have saved in users, etc.)

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Jun 14, 2014 2:34 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

>>I don't need GJFS at all in users/groups.

So, start by deleting that user & the associated home folder.

----------------------

Your screenshot shows a home folder (in /Users) named garyschnetter : is there a corresponding user account by that exact name in System Preferences - Users & Groups ?. If so, can you log in to it, from the login window, after clicking the Apple menu at top left, click 'log out Maverick Partition 2

Jun 14, 2014 2:38 PM in response to andyBall_uk

It is called Gary Schnetter in Users/Groups, not exact name. The Snow Leopard partition is under my name, Gary Schnetter, but the user folder on that partition is garyschnetter. That is the one I need transferred to Mavericks Partition 2. How do I delete the user and associated group? Again, I am very basic. It's unselectable in Users/Groups so where do I delete that at? I can log into all 3 users. What I do is go to system preferences and select start up disk and select either Snow Leopard (Gary Schnetter) or Mavericks Partition 2 (gsnicker). GJFS is not a partition but only a user I guess. I don't ever do the log out option, just switch by selecting the startup disk...is that not right in switching partitions?

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Jun 14, 2014 2:38 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

>>: Maverick Partition 2 is the Maverick partition of my computer

It's not : the partition is named Maverick, although your screenhsot of users & groups clearly shows a user named Maverick Partition 2

Jun 14, 2014 2:40 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

This is what I understand you have....

You have one internal drive named Snow Leopard instead of Macintosh HD.

The internal drive has 3 partitions. Lion, Snow Leopard and Mavericks.

If this is not correct, post a screen shot of Disk Utility showing your drives and partitions.

I would start by renaming your drive to Macintosh HD for clarity. You can do this in the Finder by doing a Get Info on the drive.

In Disk Utility, I would remove the Lion partition and give that space back to the drive.

I would also remove Deleted Users. They are taking up space and confusing matters.

According to your screen shot gsnicker is your current Home folder.

Note: If you select Column view instead of List view, it's easier to see the "big" picture.

At the root level, you have folders that should not be there like Gary's fonts for example. There should only be these folders at root level.

Applications

Incompatible Software <--OK to delete this folder as well.

Library

System

Users

I see Shared folder at the very bottom of your screen shot. If you put the window in Column view it will be easier to manage.

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Jun 14, 2014 2:41 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

To delete a user that isn't logged in, you select it in the list at System Preferences - Users & groups, then click the - button at bottom left. You may need to authenticate as an admin user by clicking the padlock icon first.

Jun 14, 2014 2:42 PM in response to andyBall_uk

I know, I have no idea where or how but someone told me once to rename Mavericks somewhere so I thought so I would know it was the second partition I would name if Mavericks Partition 2. All I know for sure is I have Snow Leopard (Gary Schnetter or user garyschnetter) and Maverick (Maverick Partition 2 and gsnicker as user). How can I straighten that out as well? I only need Snow Leopard - and the user folder garyschnetter I need migrated to Maverick (or Maverick Partition 2) whichever is the partition and remove GJFS entirely.

Jun 14, 2014 2:43 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

My computer on the desktop shows Snow Leopard and Mavericks on the drives, but in the title bar it shows Maverick Partition 2???

Jun 14, 2014 2:45 PM in response to andyBall_uk

Cannot select GJFS while in Maverick...so do I need to sign in using that swivel option and remove GFJS there? I can't select GJFS in system prefs, startup disks? Shall I do that now?

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Jun 14, 2014 2:47 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

Click the Apple menu at top left, click 'log out Maverick Partition 2' then at the login window, sign into Gary Schnetter.

Does that account have the files etc that you want ?. If so, stay logged into it & remove the others.

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Jun 14, 2014 2:48 PM in response to Gary Schnetter

>>Cannot select GJFS while in Maverick

>>> You may need to authenticate as an admin user by clicking the padlock icon first.

Really lost on installing Mavericks...any help?