So...
When you open the SSD in Finder and go to /Users/YourUserName (where your files should be), there is nothing there?
But when you go to /System/Users/YourUserName, everything is there?
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G4 Mini Hard Drive
- Thread starter Buhtwheat
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When you open the SSD in Finder and go to /Users/YourUserName (where your files should be), there is nothing there?
But when you go to /System/Users/YourUserName, everything is there?
Yes and yes. And thank you for showing me the easy way to describe things:
#1 = /Users/MyUserName
#2 = /System/Users/MyUserName
I have managed to move most of the files from #2 to #1, but I am having trouble with the "Library". When I attempt to copy it from #2 to #1, I get an error message that reads "The operation cannot be completed because you do not have sufficient privileges for some of the items". I don't know how to correct this. Any ideas?
#1 = /Users/MyUserName
#2 = /System/Users/MyUserName
I have managed to move most of the files from #2 to #1, but I am having trouble with the "Library". When I attempt to copy it from #2 to #1, I get an error message that reads "The operation cannot be completed because you do not have sufficient privileges for some of the items". I don't know how to correct this. Any ideas?
The Library folder should not contain any of your personal files per se - it contains things like application-specific settings, such as browser bookmarks and stuff, therefore I'd see if everything works fine without copying anything from that folder first.
If you do want to copy the whole thing (“at your own risk”), you might have to do it from /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app with admin privileges.
sudo cp -R /System/Users/YourUserName/Library/ /Users/YourUserName/LibraryThis copies everything under #1/Library to #2/Library.
If that still fails, you'll have to do it in single-user mode.
With that being said, it looks like Data Backup 3 somehow messed up the restore. Why would the /Users folder be restored to /System?
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Thanks for replying. So far, I've got all my photos, fonts, music & artwork present. Freehand doesn't want to work, so I'm going to reinstall it. I also need to reinstall Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. If they both work after reinstallation, I'm going to consider this job done!
Yeah…the only thing that should be in the System folder is the Library folder (and it's contents) - nothing else.
@Buhtwheat Either your backup was messed up somehow or the restore options you chose were off.
But other than @Amethyst1's workaround there is another. But you need to be the root user to do that and that requires enabling the root user. It is not enabled by default.
Typically, I'll do this if I need to create a new user profile but want to retain all my app preferences. You login as root and then move the folder over. Only the root user has the permissions to do that - and sometimes not even then.
The problem here is that your home folder also contains a Library folder of it's own. Considering your messed up restore I'm concerned that moving that might cause the Mac to stall after login.
But since your Mini isn't set up right anyway you may want to take a shot, IDK.
Google for enabling the root user.
Booting in single-user mode also automatically logs you in as root. You just need to remount the volume with read-write access (instructions are given by the system IIRC) and can then do whatever you want.
Question - if all else fails: Your Mini's old HD contains everything you need, right? Could you put it in an external (preferably FireWire) enclosure and clone it over to the new SSD? That way, you wouldn't have to reinstall all your software or manually shuffle around your personal data.
What do you mean? Outside of the aforementioned problems with Freehand and PSE, everything else seems to be working as it should.
No, it doesn't. That was the problem that got me started on this adventure, my backup was 60 gigs of data, and I only had a 40Gb HD. The drive in the Mini that failed was a 64Gb replacement that was installed when the original 40Gb drive failed. The SSD is the 4th drive in this computer.
Your home folder belongs in the Users folder, which belongs at the root of your hard drive. That's been the way Apple set it up since OS X. Inside your Users folder is also a Library folder.
Here is how mine looks on my work Mac.
Below is a basic set up (also my work Mac). You can see that the only folder inside the System folder is the Library folder. There is no Users folder in there.
Somehow, your install is maintaining a link to /System/Users/MyUserName. Yes, the Mac is working 'normally' - but that install is not the way things are normally set up.
I see. Do you also have a populated Applications folder in /System (that should normally be in the / directory as well)? I'm wondering if other stuff from your backup (if present) got dumped into /System as well.
Just turned the Mac on, and for some reason, I had to log in, and go through the Setup Assistant. WTF?
Here's a couple of screen shots of my System folder. Everything is in the Library:
And here's a shot of my Mac HD window. Should there be a "Macintosh HD" file in it?
I hope this helps. I didn't see any "Applications" folder.
Here's a couple of screen shots of my System folder. Everything is in the Library:
And here's a shot of my Mac HD window. Should there be a "Macintosh HD" file in it?
I hope this helps. I didn't see any "Applications" folder.
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I'm thinking real serious about starting over, only this time use a different backup. The Mini is acting weird, it makes me log in every time I turn it on. It never did that before. Rather than try to keep fixing something (the backup) that we know is flawed, just start over with one that hopefully isn't.
That looks fine. Pretty much everything that makes up OS X’s core is in /System/Library.
That's not normally there. What’s in that folder?
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Everything: apps, documents, photos, etc. I no longer have any idea what is happening, or why. A fresh start is looking better all the time.
Question: If all my stuff (docs, pics, music, art, etc.) is in my Users folder, why couldn't I load all the software back on, and copy my User file from a USB backup? Any chance this would work better than a regular backup?
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So it looks like the restore put everything in that folder, named after the drive which was backed up (“Macintosh HD”).
I still don’t get how your Users folder also ended up in your System folder though.
Yes. It’s definitely worth trying.
The Mini appears to be working properly, for the first time in a while. The method I outlined in post #114 is what I used, and it was waaaay faster than using Data Backup 3. The hardest part was transferring the "Library" folder from my backup to the Mini. I took my time, and went line-by-line, just to make sure I didn't screw anything up. Everything seem to be where it should be, and overall, I'm pretty happy!
Thank you to everybody who offered help and assistance, I really appreciate it.
And now, I think I'm going to go do something that doesn't involve computers.
Thank you to everybody who offered help and assistance, I really appreciate it.
And now, I think I'm going to go do something that doesn't involve computers.
Well, it's been 8 days, and I'm back with another issue. The Mini has BIG problems. It won't boot, it gets as far as the white screen w/gray apple & spinner, and stays there. And, it won't boot from a OS X start-up disk. This is not good. Do you think this is a "green board" problem? Any ideas at all? I'm clueless.
Wonderful. Fortunately, I do have another adaptor AND another SSD to play around with. Thank you.
Yep. These green PCB adapters aren’t always as reliable as their red siblings.
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