Lion downgrade to 10.6.8 = USB drive Incompatible Format

[semiotics101]

Hello,

I had to downgrade from Lion due to a couple incompatibility issues--important enough to force me to downgrade. I made a Time Machine backup of my 10.6.8 state prior to upgrading to Lion. My backups are on a external USB drive.

Here's what I'm working with:

- MacBook5,1
- Internal SSD 128 GB
- External USB Drive (original Macbook5,1 320 GB)
- USB 2.0 enclosure
- Weeks of Leopard 10.6.8 backups
- About 1-week worth of Lion 10.7 backups

1. I rebooted my MacBook and held down: Command+R
2. I restored from Leopard 10.6.8 Time Machine backup
3. Restoration went smoothly
4. USB drive is now showing "Incompatible Format"
5. I only have Time Machine backups on the USB drive from Leopard AND from Lion (no partitions, no OS installs, nothing but backups).

Something tells me that Lion did something quirky?

I wish I took a screenshot when I booted up my Leopard restore--Mac OS X told me that "...the USB Drive is incompatible but all my files are safe..." Something to that effect. Disk utility claims, "Incompatible Format."

Note: I formatted this drive in Leopard, NOT Lion.

Screenshot:

Any solutions? TIA

 

[zakopower]

Usb drive problem

Hi,

I've got the same issue with my external USB drive. I would like to ask you if you solve it? My whole necessary data (documents, photos, music) is on that drive and I don't know how to get them back on my new installed Snow Leopard.

Please reply back how did you get your data back.

Thanks!

 

[gr8tfly]

If you boot up on Recovery HD, and run Disk Utility from there, does it show a known format? If so, what is it?

 

[zakopower]

USB problem

Thanks for reply.

Yes. Disk Utility recognizes External USB Hard drive. Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled). I've tried to make a new image of it, but it doesn't work. I think Snow Leopard doesn't recognize this type of formatting. I've tried also plug USB drive in Windows, but nothing happend (also).

Please, provide me some advices for solving this issue. I'd be really grateful.

Thank you!

If you boot up on Recovery HD, and run Disk Utility from there, does it show a known format? If so, what is it?

 

[gr8tfly]

That's a normal format type for Mac OS. Windows won't see it without additional software.

I guess the first thing I would do is run Disk Utility Repair Disk. There shouldn't be anything different between Lion and Snow Leopard, as far as format is concerned.

If you can, do the following command in Terminal, both while booted to Recovery HD (which would be running Lion), and while booted in 10.6.8. Post the results, labeling which was which.

% [B]diskutil list[/B]

You should see something like this:

/dev/disk1
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *750.2 GB   disk1
   1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk1s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS HG Wells                749.8 GB   disk1s2

This is actually my Time Machine drive, the same one I had been using with 10.6. It's FW800, not USB.

If Lion is installed on a device, it will create the hidden partition Recovery HD. After reading yours and the OP, I restarted on a 10.6.8 partition and plugged in a USB stick that I had installed the Recovery HD partition on. It worked fine, i.e. the Recovery HD partition remained hidden and the rest mounted normally (I had partitioned it into 1GB and 7GB partitions. I used Lion Recovery Disc tool to install Recovery HD onto the 1GB partition.) This hidden partition should be the only unique difference between Lion and Snow Leopard, and only on a drive that has had Lion installed on. So, your USB drive should be just a plain vanilla Mac OS formatted drive, which should work fine on any OS-X system back to at least 10.2.

I don't know what I'll find, if anything, in looking at your partition lists, but I'll certainly take a close look.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I know exactly what's going on.

Lion does some monkeying with the file system on Time Machine drives, in order to enable its Versions and Auto Save features. These changes render such file systems incompatible with earlier versions of Mac OS X.

 

[zakopower]

USB problem

I didn't like Lion, so I tried to downgrade it to Snow Leopard. I started with copying my libraries, music, photos and everyting I needed to USB External HD. Than I format whole Macintosh partition and installed Snow Leopard from DVD provided to my macbook. Obviousely I've lost everything on Mac's HD. I thought it won't be any problems, but now I can't get my data from external HD. I don't want to install Lion again.

Unfortunatelly I don't have Time Machine.

I've already used option "Repair" in Recovery HD. Doesn't work. I've got a message: "Device appears to work properly" or sth like that.



Outcome of "diskutil list" in TERMINAL in 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard):

/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *320.1 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 291.4 GB disk0s2
3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3
4: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 27.7 GB disk0s4

/dev/disk1
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *120.0 GB disk1
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk1s1
2: Apple_CoreStorage Incompatible Format 119.7 GB disk1s2
3: Apple_Boot Boot OS X 134.2 MB disk1s3




Outcome of "diskutil list" in TERMINAL in Recovery HD (Lion):

-bash-3.2# diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *320.1 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 291.4 GB disk0s2
3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3
4: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 27.7 GB disk0s4
/dev/disk1
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: Apple_partition_scheme *1.5 GB disk1
1: Apple_partition_map 30.7 KB disk1s1
2: Apple_Driver_ATAPI 2.0 KB disk1s2
3: Apple_HFS Mac OS X Base System 1.5 GB disk1s3
/dev/disk2
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *120.0 GB disk2
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk2s1
2: Apple_CoreStorage 119.7 GB disk2s2
3: Apple_Boot Boot OS X 134.2 MB disk2s3
/dev/disk3
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk3
/dev/disk4
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk4
/dev/disk5
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk5
/dev/disk6
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk6
/dev/disk7
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk7
/dev/disk8
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *6.3 MB disk8
/dev/disk9
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *2.1 MB disk9
/dev/disk10
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *1.0 MB disk10
/dev/disk11
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk11
/dev/disk12
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk12
/dev/disk13
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *1.0 MB disk13
-bash-3.2#


Actually I really don't know what does this everytnig mean. But if it's necessary for you, so maybe you'll find a source of problem.

I'm not a big IT person, so it's not easy for me to check terminal and whole this stuff. Please take it into account when repling me.

Thank you again and I still ask you for help.

Greetings.

That's a normal format type for Mac OS. Windows won't see it without additional software.

I guess the first thing I would do is run Disk Utility Repair Disk. There shouldn't be anything different between Lion and Snow Leopard, as far as format is concerned.

If you can, do the following command in Terminal, both while booted to Recovery HD (which would be running Lion), and while booted in 10.6.8. Post the results, labeling which was which.

% [B]diskutil list[/B]

You should see something like this:

/dev/disk1
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *750.2 GB   disk1
   1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk1s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS HG Wells                749.8 GB   disk1s2

This is actually my Time Machine drive, the same one I had been using with 10.6. It's FW800, not USB.

If Lion is installed on a device, it will create the hidden partition Recovery HD. After reading yours and the OP, I restarted on a 10.6.8 partition and plugged in a USB stick that I had installed the Recovery HD partition on. It worked fine, i.e. the Recovery HD partition remained hidden and the rest mounted normally (I had partitioned it into 1GB and 7GB partitions. I used Lion Recovery Disc tool to install Recovery HD onto the 1GB partition.) This hidden partition should be the only unique difference between Lion and Snow Leopard, and only on a drive that has had Lion installed on. So, your USB drive should be just a plain vanilla Mac OS formatted drive, which should work fine on any OS-X system back to at least 10.2.

I don't know what I'll find, if anything, in looking at your partition lists, but I'll certainly take a close look.

----------

May you suggest something to solve this problem?
Does solution even exist?

I know exactly what's going on.

Lion does some monkeying with the file system on Time Machine drives, in order to enable its Versions and Auto Save features. These changes render such file systems incompatible with earlier versions of Mac OS X.

 

[gr8tfly]

I know exactly what's going on.

Lion does some monkeying with the file system on Time Machine drives, in order to enable its Versions and Auto Save features. These changes render such file systems incompatible with earlier versions of Mac OS X.

Doesn't change the file system. My drive/partition with Time Machine on it - that's been used for Lion backups - mounts just fine in 10.6.8, and it's still normal HFS+.

 

[gr8tfly]

I didn't like Lion, so I tried to downgrade it to Snow Leopard. I started with copying my libraries, music, photos and everyting I needed to USB External HD. Than I format whole Macintosh partition and installed Snow Leopard from DVD provided to my macbook. Obviousely I've lost everything on Mac's HD. I thought it won't be any problems, but now I can't get my data from external HD. I don't want to install Lion again.

Unfortunatelly I don't have Time Machine.

I've already used option "Repair" in Recovery HD. Doesn't work. I've got a message: "Device appears to work properly" or sth like that.



Outcome of "diskutil list" in TERMINAL in 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard):

/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *320.1 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 291.4 GB disk0s2
3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3
4: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 27.7 GB disk0s4

/dev/disk1
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *120.0 GB disk1
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk1s1
2: Apple_CoreStorage Incompatible Format 119.7 GB disk1s2
3: Apple_Boot Boot OS X 134.2 MB disk1s3




Outcome of "diskutil list" in TERMINAL in Recovery HD (Lion):

-bash-3.2# diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *320.1 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 291.4 GB disk0s2
3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3
4: Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP 27.7 GB disk0s4
/dev/disk1
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: Apple_partition_scheme *1.5 GB disk1
1: Apple_partition_map 30.7 KB disk1s1
2: Apple_Driver_ATAPI 2.0 KB disk1s2
3: Apple_HFS Mac OS X Base System 1.5 GB disk1s3
/dev/disk2
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *120.0 GB disk2
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk2s1
2: Apple_CoreStorage 119.7 GB disk2s2
3: Apple_Boot Boot OS X 134.2 MB disk2s3
/dev/disk3
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk3
/dev/disk4
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk4
/dev/disk5
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk5
/dev/disk6
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk6
/dev/disk7
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk7
/dev/disk8
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *6.3 MB disk8
/dev/disk9
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *2.1 MB disk9
/dev/disk10
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *1.0 MB disk10
/dev/disk11
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk11
/dev/disk12
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *524.3 KB disk12
/dev/disk13
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: untitled *1.0 MB disk13
-bash-3.2#


Actually I really don't know what does this everytnig mean. But if it's necessary for you, so maybe you'll find a source of problem.

I'm not a big IT person, so it's not easy for me to check terminal and whole this stuff. Please take it into account when repling me.

Thank you again and I still ask you for help.

Greetings.




----------

May you suggest something to solve this problem?
Does solution even exist?

Have you and the OP opted to use Lion's FileVault on the partition in question? I believe that's what Apple_CoreStorage type is, and Lion's FileVault is different than SL. If you remove FileVault encryption, you should be back to a normal partition type.

Try this: Boot off Recovery HD and run DiskUtility. Select the Time Machine partition. Under File > Turn Off Encryption, turn off the File Vault encryption.

Run terminal, and "diskutil list" command again, I'll bet the partition type is now Apple_HFS.

Hope that fixes the problem. Sure threw me, as I don't use encryption.

 

[zakopower]

don't know how, but it works now.

Thank you for your help.

Have you and the OP opted to use Lion's FileVault on the partition in question? I believe that's what Apple_CoreStorage type is, and Lion's FileVault is different than SL. If you remove FileVault encryption, you should be back to a normal partition type.

Try this: Boot off Recovery HD and run DiskUtility. Select the Time Machine partition. Under File > Turn Off Encryption, turn off the File Vault encryption.

Run terminal, and "diskutil list" command again, I'll bet the partition type is now Apple_HFS.

Hope that fixes the problem. Sure threw me, as I don't use encryption.