Timeline for Recovering from a failed update in a way that I don't lose everything and have to setup everything again from scratch
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
17 events
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| Sep 26, 2022 at 8:25 | comment | added | Tetsujin | As in my 2nd comment above. Copy what data you can from the internal drive. Wipe the drive completely & install High Sierra from scratch [Internet Recovery]. When asked, migrate from your TM backup. Once up & running, copy in any newer data from the 'emergency' copy you just made. You will end up with a bit of a patchwork, but it's the best I can anticipate. | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 22:42 | comment | added | Oli C | I was unable to restore with Monterey. But I also noticed my old backup had two drives, normal and data....so I don't think these were created recently. What do you think my best chances are of somehow restoring the files from the installation I had before ? Should I try creating a boot disk for an earlier version and try that? I really am desperate to get my old setup back. | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 13:39 | comment | added | Oli C | Well I was only given the option of High Sierra or the latest which is Monterey, so I had to go for that...it installed fine, but won't recognise my old data...offers me an option: Mackintosh HD - Data (Archived system) but when I select to transfer from that drive and click continue it seems nothing really happens, so not sure what it's doing and not sure what it meant by Archived Data. | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 12:49 | comment | added | Tetsujin | HS to Monterey is a massive jump. I'd be very wary. Database translations may or may not work if you go that far in one hop. I doubt you'll find many people with a similar experience to know what the precise pitfalls may be. HS to Mojave added a firmware update for many computers. idk what happens if you miss that or any others on the way. | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 11:14 | comment | added | Oli C | Thanks - I realised I may as well go straight to Montery. Though if I install from my new version of High Sierra, I am guessing it won't recognise all my old files? Would the better way be to restart, erase the HD again, then install via internet? | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 10:24 | comment | added | Tetsujin | I've never tried doing this. If you put Catalina on the 'new OS partition' it might be OK. I actually think what happened is you jumped too soon when it was halfway through - the conversion of the drives & databases to the new format is a really, really long task. Restarting in the middle will have 'broken' it. You definitely need to copy your data off there before trying anything else, just in case, because you're starting from a very unknown state. | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 10:21 | comment | added | Oli C | Ah noooo, not what i wanted to hear. Thanks for the help though. How about if I actually install Catalina now? Will that recognize my old system? | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 10:19 | comment | added | Tetsujin | That your existing TM drive hasn't seen the current failed "hybrid OS" is probably good news, because then it would not allow you to go 'downhill' again. If the install got far enough to start converting Mail databases etc, then that might also be a stumbling block on your manual backup you have to now create. Let's cross that bridge when we come to it. | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 10:17 | comment | added | Tetsujin | OK - that's not going to be easy, because High Sierra will not install onto an APFS drive. It wants to see HFS+… which it will then, ironically, convert to APFS [single volume] as part of the install. You will have to get the data backed up from what you have there already, before going any further, with a full re-format. I wouldn't try to use your existing TM drive to do this; make a new copy. You might then be best to Migrate from the TM drive at first run of your new install, then manually pick out newer files from the later copy. See apple.stackexchange.com/q/315880/85275 | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 10:08 | comment | added | Oli C | Thanks @Tetsujin - I can only assume that Catalina split the drive into two, so I have both the HD and HD-Data now. Makes sense that High Sierra won't know how to look for my user data - do you know what the solution is here? Do I need to erase both containers somehow? Slightly scared to do this! | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 9:06 | comment | added | X_841 | I know this does not help you know, but before doing any update (especially a full upgrade!) you should make a backup in future. | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 8:42 | comment | added | Tetsujin | "erased Macintosh HD" - you say 'just the OS container', but High Sierra doesn't have separate OS/Data volumes, it's all in the one volume unlike newer macOS with a "HD" & an "HD-data" partition… so if you did how that reads, then you erased all your data. Could you clarify? If in fact Catalina had been installed [even partially] & you do have HD & Data partitions, then High Sierra won't know to look for your user data on the other partition. | |
| Sep 25, 2022 at 8:39 | history | edited | Tetsujin | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
deleted 1 character in body
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| S Sep 25, 2022 at 3:28 | history | suggested | agarza | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
fixed capitalization, punctuation, grammar
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| Sep 24, 2022 at 23:01 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S Sep 25, 2022 at 3:28 | |||||
| S Sep 24, 2022 at 22:25 | review | First questions | |||
| Sep 24, 2022 at 23:01 | |||||
| S Sep 24, 2022 at 22:25 | history | asked | Oli C | CC BY-SA 4.0 |