aBarel

Q: "Macintosh HD" partition is not mounted properly

This question is about "Macintosh HD" partition that is not mounted properly.

If you are an experienced Mac user with good understanding in the OSX boot process and especially the mount procedure of the internal HDD, please read this and I'll appreciate your assistance.

Thank You for your patience reading this long issue.

 

Platform: iMac 2013, 1T fusion drive, original partitions (nothing was changed), running Yosemite (newest).

I think it would be worth mentioning (or on the other hand may not be relevant) that Paralles is running on this iMac [U]under[/U] OS X (not as a separate boot).

 

The Problem: The hard disk icon on the desktops top right corner (enabled by Finder->Preferences->Sidebar->Hard Disks turned on) usually titled "Macintosh HD" changed its title to a very long gibberish string. Other than that, I couldn't identify any operational issues with the iMac. For now ;-)

 

Gibberish.png

It annoyed me so I did some digging and compared the with a Mini Mac that has the same 1 Tera bit fusion drive (no Paralles is on that system).

That's what I found:

 

1. Directory "/Volumes" is empty, ls -la /Volumes shows nothing!

On the healthy (Mini Mac) system you can see that a link exists :

lrwxr-xr-x   1 root  admin     1 May 23 10:41 Macintosh HD -> /

 

2. Applying diskutil list  on the iMac:

 

iMac diskutil.png

 

While on the Mini Mac (healthy system):

 

Mac Mini diskutil.png

 

You can see that on the Mac Mini (healthy) system "/dev/disk2" is mounted while on the iMac this mount doesn't exist! That may be related to the fact that "/Volumes" doesn't contain the relevant link (as described in (1.) )

 

3. Applying diskutil info /  on the iMac:

iMac diskutil info.png

 

Looks very wrong... believe it or not this system works...

 

 

4. I didn't succeed to rename the disk icon gibberish title (the icon that is located usually on the top right desktop corner) back to "Macintosh HD". It stayed very long gibberish string. even "disk utility" didn't help. Each time I tried to change it the system produced an irrelevant error message telling me "The name xxx can't be used. Try using a name withe fewer characters, or with no punctuation marks"

 

5. "Disk Utility" behaves differently on the two systems: On the Mini Mac (healthy) system it shows a "Logical Volume Group" icon named "Macintosh HD" and under it, aligned to the right it shows another "Macintosh HD" icon for the "/" mount point.

 

On the other hand "Disk Utility" on the broken iMac shows alright the main "Logical Volume Group" icon, but underneath it, there is an icon with the gibberish title and the description below for that icon says:

Mount Point: Not mounted

Format: Logical Partition

Owners Enabled: -

Number of Folders: -

Capacity: 1.12 TB

Available: -

Used: -

Number of Files: -

Disk Utility on iMac.png

You can see that when the gibberished partition is selected (in the above picture), the "Verify /Repair" buttons are greyed out !

 

My Question: I'm not so deeply familiar with OSX (more of a Linux/Unix guy) but it definitely seems like something is broken with the mount process during boot. The question is why it is broken, and how to fix it.

I'm not sure that the missing link under "/Volumes" is the original cause of the problem. How these dedicated links under "/Volumes" directory are supposed to get there? I was not sure if adding manually the "Macintosh HD" link to root is the right solution, maybe some boot script that uses other config files adds this link automatically... More than that I'm not absolutely sure about that link permissions and ownership and how to create it...

A bigger question that I have is how the system is working at all if the mount of the main logical partition failed ??? Very strange...

 

For the cause of the problem, my suspicious is falling on the Paralles app since it the only program that may mass with partitions, but this is just a gut feeling and there is a good chance that I'm wrong. Maybe something went wrong during the migration to Yosemite.

 

Thanks for you patience

Hope you can help

iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), null

Posted on May 30, 2015 6:16 AM

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Q: "Macintosh HD" partition is not mounted properly

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  • by AdrianHunter,

    AdrianHunter AdrianHunter May 30, 2015 6:17 AM in response to aBarel
    Level 2 (285 points)
    May 30, 2015 6:17 AM in response to aBarel

    There might be bad sectors on the drive.

     

    I tend to use SpinRite to solve and prevent disk issues. It's a life saver.

     

    https://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

     

    I don't think Parallels messes with the existing partitions, at least it shouldn't.

  • by aBarel,

    aBarel aBarel May 30, 2015 6:28 AM in response to AdrianHunter
    Level 1 (1 points)
    May 30, 2015 6:28 AM in response to AdrianHunter

    Thanks Adrian,

    I will check it, but before I'll start with the heavy guns, I will wait until someone would be able to explain how the system actually works when the main partition (which is also the system partition) is not properly mounted ??? and some other misterious things like the ubsence of the mount links in "/Volumes".

     

  • by AdrianHunter,

    AdrianHunter AdrianHunter May 30, 2015 6:39 AM in response to aBarel
    Level 2 (285 points)
    May 30, 2015 6:39 AM in response to aBarel

    I'm no expert on core system functionality but it almost seems as if the disk is ok.

    The system will correctly boot but then the index table of the OS itself is messed up.

     

    I don't know the specifics of UNIX mounting or OS X volume indexing to give you any answers.

    Interesting tho!

     

    I think the OS indexing/reading of the disk info itself is messed up.

     

    Did you use Disk Utility from the recovery/DVD or in OS X self? Try the recovery one.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 30, 2015 6:57 AM in response to aBarel
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 30, 2015 6:57 AM in response to aBarel

    Back up all data immediately if you haven't already done so.

    Please read this whole message before doing anything.

    This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

    The purpose of the test is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party software that loads automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.

    Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem.

    Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

    Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.

    The login screen appears even if you usually login automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

    Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

    After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.

  • by aBarel,

    aBarel aBarel Jun 1, 2015 12:13 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Jun 1, 2015 12:13 AM in response to Linc Davis

    THanks Linc, safe boot didn't change anything and the problem remained the same while running in safe mode. The problem remained also after rebooting regularly.

  • by aBarel,

    aBarel aBarel Jun 1, 2015 11:14 AM in response to aBarel
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Jun 1, 2015 11:14 AM in response to aBarel

    HHow do you suggest to proceed?

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jun 2, 2015 6:11 AM in response to aBarel
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Jun 2, 2015 6:11 AM in response to aBarel

    I suggest you back up all data, then turn off FileVault. If that's successful, try turning it back on.

  • by Topher Kessler,Solvedanswer

    Topher Kessler Topher Kessler Jun 2, 2015 6:33 AM in response to aBarel
    Level 6 (9,866 points)
    Jun 2, 2015 6:33 AM in response to aBarel

    While you could spend hours monkeying around with partition tables, corestorage setups, and volume formatting routines, your best bet here is going to be to set up your drive from scratch. The Fusion Drive is a combination of two separate hard drives (an SSD and a HDD--your SSD is disk0 and your HDD is disk1, with the corestorage volume being disk2 in the "diskutil list" output above), and thereby employ both classic partitioning and corestorage volume management to provide your Mac with a single storage medium upon which to store OS X and your data.

     

    It appears you have some corruption in your Mac's corestorage setup. If you want, you can run the following command to see the structure of corestorage on the systems:

     

         diskutil cs list

     

    However, I suspect this is not going to give any details that will help address this problem. Ultimately, if you back up your system and format it, then you will ensure the drive's setup is healthy. To do this, after backing up your Mac, boot to Recovery mode by holding the Command-R keys at startup, and then use Disk Utility to erase the partition on there. For fusion drives on supported Macs (those that ship with Fusion drives), Disk Utility should clear the corestorage partition and rebuild the Fusion drive setup. You can then use either OS X's backup recovery tools, or your cloning software, to restore OS X to the system.

     

    Above everything, though, be sure you get your files backed up.

  • by aBarel,

    aBarel aBarel Jun 2, 2015 1:13 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Jun 2, 2015 1:13 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Sorry but I don't understand your suggestion. FileVault was always turned off on this machine.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jun 2, 2015 1:23 PM in response to aBarel
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Jun 2, 2015 1:23 PM in response to aBarel

    Apple has not provided an easy way to recover from this condition. If you don't feel able to carry out these instructions, get someone more experienced to help you. One option is to make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store.

    You need at least two complete, independent backups of all data before proceeding. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional. Ask if you need guidance.

    Start up in Internet Recovery mode by holding down the key combination command-option-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a spinning globe.

    Note: You need an always-on Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection to the Internet to use Recovery. It won’t work with USB or PPPoE modems, or with proxy servers, or with networks that require a certificate for authentication.

    When the OS X Utilities window appears, select

              Utilities Terminal

    from the menu bar at the top of the screen—not from any of the items in the OS X Utilities window.

    Follow the procedure in this thread to split up the Fusion Drive. The long string of letters, numbers, and dashes that you will have to enter will be different in your case. Copy and paste it from the Terminal window into the command.

    This operation will remove all data from the Fusion Drive, so you had better be sure of your backups.

    Quit Terminal, then repair the Fusion Drive (see under "Troubleshooting" on the linked page.)

    Quit Disk Utility. You should then be able to restore the data from a backup in the main screen.

  • by aBarel,

    aBarel aBarel Jun 2, 2015 1:54 PM in response to Topher Kessler
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Jun 2, 2015 1:54 PM in response to Topher Kessler

    Thanks Topher

    I came to same conclusion as you did and I tried to do exactly what you suggested, but, there are few issues...

    Before erasing the "bad" partition, I obviously tried to back it up. Well I've set up a Time Machine on the "bad" iMac. The target disk was fine, TM is on and its about to start a backup on a countdown... Few seconds after the backup started it popped up an error message: No disk to backup! The time machine doesn't see the drive that its supposed to back up! (I checked that the exception list is indeed empty).

    Unfortunately it makes sense, non of the apps could see the disk (disk utility even claimed that its unmounted!). I even opened the "Startup Disk" under System Preferences - was empty!

    More than that, I've tried to reinstall the system under "recovery mode" but it wouldn't let me because it can't see any optional destination target - again as if the system partition doesn't exist!

    I can't even erase the system partition, because for this partition (in Disk Utility) the "erase" option is greyed out

    Huston we have a problem:

    1. I can't use TM for backup

    2. I can't reinstall  (before the partition is erased)

    3. I can't erase the system partition (using Disk Utility)

     

    It looks like I'm f'ed :-(

     

    Any out of the box suggestions would be welcomed.

  • by aBarel,

    aBarel aBarel Jun 2, 2015 2:12 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Jun 2, 2015 2:12 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Please read Topher Kessler Suggestion and my reply to it.

    I can't use TM for backup because TM is not able to see the System drive it supposed to backup!!!

    In that sense, what will be different between "recovery mode" and "internet recovery mode". Will the latter format the entire machine from scratch?

    Suppose so, I still don't have a solution for backup.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Jun 2, 2015 2:15 PM in response to aBarel
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Jun 2, 2015 2:15 PM in response to aBarel

    There are several ways to back up a Mac that is not fully functional. You need an external hard drive or other storage device to hold the data.

    1. Start up from the Recovery partition, from Internet Recovery, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) Launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.

    If you use FileVault 2, then you must first unlock the startup volume. Select its icon ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) It will be nested below another disk icon, usually with the same name. Click the Unlock button in the toolbar. Enter your login password when prompted.

    2. If Method 1 fails because of disk errors, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.

    3. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.

    4. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.

  • by aBarel,

    aBarel aBarel Jun 2, 2015 2:41 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Jun 2, 2015 2:41 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Thanks for your prompt answer

    please try to focus on the relevant situation: The "bad" iMac is fully functional. Everything works accept of something corrupted on the system volume (I assume) which prevents applications to identify the main volume. E.g. Disk utility says that this partition is even not mounted. TM doesn't see the volume it supposed to backup, etc.

    Surprisingly I couldn't notice ANY real malfunction on that machine.

    FileVault is not relevant for me. No problem to connect a local external HD, but I prefer (if possible) to backup on a remote shared drive (no need to elaborate on that).

    So if you don't mind please repeat the relevant procedure you suggest for backup, system reinstall and data restore?

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