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Post-Migration question re: User Accounts

ChromeCrescendo

ChromeCrescendo

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 3, 2020
488
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I received my new Mac Studio M4 Max a few days ago and, when I went to use Apple Migration Assistant, it kept trying to use WiFi, despite my having connected a TB5 cable between the old Mac and the new one

After doing some digging, I decided to create a user account on the new Mac so I could turn WiFi off

I then initiated the Migration and everything worked smoothly

However, I now noticed that the new user account I set up on the new Mac is still there but, it is only in the following folder (and NOT in the "Users & Groups" within System Settings (screenshots below):

1.png2.png

I have tried to delete the new user: Macintosh HD>Users>dskstudio but, when I move it to the trash and attempt to delete I receive a message that it cannot be deleted

As regards the migrated user "dsk" - I cannot do interact with it but I can interact with the subfolders therein

Any advice on how to clear up this issue?

Thank you
 
Bigwaff said:
How did you create the "user account on the new Mac so I could turn WiFi off"? During initial set up walk through?
Click to expand...

Yes, I tried migrating but it would only migrate via WiFi so I set up a new user account for the new Mac, turned off WIFi, then migrated

Everything is working properly so, no complaints, I am just not sure how to get rid of that new user account, especially since it does not show up in Users & Groups, just on the path I referenced in my OP
 
.. and when you log out or shutdown, on restart the "user account on the new Mac so I could turn WiFi off" does not appear as an account on the login screen?
 
Bigwaff said:
.. and when you log out or shutdown, on restart the "user account on the new Mac so I could turn WiFi off" does not appear as an account on the login screen?
Click to expand...

Nope only the migrated account


Madhatter32 said:
I think you would need to login in from a secondary admin account to delete the new one you set up.
Click to expand...

The new one does not show in Users & Groups - it only shows in that one path
 
I even just created a new user in Users & Groups and named the new user "dskstudio" and did not give it admin privileges, just standard

I then deleted it and chose the option to delete the home folder associated therewith

I was able to delete the user from the Users & Groups but the Mac would not delete the associated Home folder
 
In Terminal, check:
Code: 
Users
If the account isn't listed, it's safe to remove.

Then do:
Code: 
sudo rm -rf /Users/dskstudio
Password and admin privileges are needed.

Disclaimer: Do this at your own peril.
 
Last edited:
I'm really curious how a user account created during initial set up walk through can go "missing" from the Users & Groups settings panel... unless User was deleted but option to delete Home folder was not chosen.
 
AlixSPQR said:
In Terminal, check:
Code: 
Users
If the account isn't listed, it's safe to remove.

Then do:
Code: 
sudo rm -rf /Users/dskstudio
Password and admin privileges are needed.

Disclaimer: Do this at your own peril.
Click to expand...

I tried that - the "dskstudio" was not listed as an account - only "dsk"

I then tried that sudo command and nothing happened

Bigwaff said:
I'm really curious how a user account created during initial set up walk through can go "missing" from the Users & Groups settings panel... unless User was deleted but option to delete Home folder was not chosen.
Click to expand...

I never even went into System Settings>Users & Groups before migration

...

I tried using the "Delete Immediately" option in the Trash to delete the "dskstudio" folder, which shows "Size: Zero bytes" and received an error that it had to "skip" items therein because they were "in use" but, once I clicked ok, Trash did not show me any items that were in use

I then booted up in safe mode and Trash would still not empty the "dskstudio" folder

I guess I am stuck having a seemingly empty folder in the "Users" folder within Macintosh HD

Here is a screenshot of the "dskstudio" Info window and, for some reason, "Fetching" has been spinning for about 20 minutes now:

Fetching.png
 
Last edited:
ChromeCrescendo said:
I even just created a new user in Users & Groups and named the new user "dskstudio" and did not give it admin privileges, just standard

I then deleted it and chose the option to delete the home folder associated therewith

I was able to delete the user from the Users & Groups but the Mac would not delete the associated Home folder
Click to expand...

This is the error I received when I did that:

513.png
 
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System Settings - Users & Groups - Network Account Server - Edit - Open Directory Utility... - Open the lock at the bottom left with your password - Menu Bar - Edit - Enable Root User - Login as root and you should be able to delete EVERYTHING.
 
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canadianreader said:
Your previous command was fine personally I prefer cd-ing into the parent folder of the folder I wanna delete
Here's a link from stackexchange the first answer it's quite detailed. If you feel lost type 'pwd' to know what folder you're currently in.
Click to expand...

Ok thank you I will take a look at the instructions in that link

Adora said:
System Settings - Users & Groups - Network Account Server - Edit - Open Directory Utility... - Open the lock at the bottom left with your password - Menu Bar - Edit - Enable Root User - Login as root and you should be able to delete EVERYTHING.
Click to expand...

This sounds simpler than my attempting a deep dive into Terminal in recovery mode - I will try this option first


Thank you - I will report back
 
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Adora said:
System Settings - Users & Groups - Network Account Server - Edit - Open Directory Utility... - Open the lock at the bottom left with your password - Menu Bar - Edit - Enable Root User - Login as root and you should be able to delete EVERYTHING.
Click to expand...

Good morning - so, I just tried this and still, in the root user account, I received the same errors that items were in use when I attempted to delete the "dskstudio" folder
 
canadianreader said:
Your previous command was fine personally I prefer cd-ing into the parent folder of the folder I wanna delete
Here's a link from stackexchange the first answer it's quite detailed. If you feel lost type 'pwd' to know what folder you're currently in.
Click to expand...

OK I just looked at that website and I am unsure I should attempt that as there are replies stating there are additional steps for Apple Silicon and I am not sure whether those are required, suggested, whether they will actually work

Plus, some Terminal commands are shown with quotation marks and others without - are the quotation marks just to highlight the process in set forth or are the quotation marks an actual part of the command

I cannot believe a folder with "Zero bytes" of information cannot be deleted
 
OP wrote:
"After doing some digging, I decided to create a user account on the new Mac so I could turn WiFi off
I then initiated the Migration and everything worked smoothly"

Heh. That was your first mistake. Things only looked like they "went smoothly" -- until you discovered that they didn't.

I'll tell you how to get this all corrected so the Mac is "like new" and the migration does go smoothly.
But as they say, "you can lead a horse to water..."

Let's get started.

DANGER! DANGER! WARNING! WARNING!
What you're going to do next is going to WIPE OUT any user data on the NEW Mac...!!!

First thing (on the NEW Mac):
Get booted into any administrative account that will get you to the finder.
Now, open System Settings.
In the search box (upper left corner), type "erase all content".
Below you should see "Erase all contents and settings".
Click on that.

Over on the right, you'll now see "erase all content and settings".
It's a button, so click it.
Enter your administrative password, and then follow the instructions.
It's VERY simple, and it goes QUICKLY.

When done, the new Mac will be back to "moment zero" -- the moment you first took it out of the box, set it down, and powered it up.

LET IT BE... FOR NOW.
We have stuff to do on the other (OLD) Mac.

You'll need a BACKUP DRIVE.
Ethernet or thunderbolt won't do.
You need a PHYSICAL drive.

If it's a time machine backup, that may work ok. You have to try it.
I RECOMMEND that you create a CLONED backup using either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
SuperDuper is easiest -- VERY easy to understand for a first time user. And, it's FREE to use for what we're going to do.
You can download it here by clicking this link:

Just use either CCC or SC to create the cloned backup. It doesn't have to be "bootable" any more.
But the advantage of a "clone" is that it will mount on the desktop and look the same as any other drive.

Once you have your backup drive ready...
Connect it to the NEW Mac. (that's still sitting there, brand new again, ready to set up).

Start "clicking through".
DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT.
Doing that is what got you off the rails in the first place.

When setup assistant asks if you wish to migrate from another drive, yes, so point the way to the backup drive.
Setup assistant will take a little time to "digest" everything, and then present you with a list of stuff that can be migrated.

I don't think you told us what the old Mac is, but if it's an Intel, you might consider UN-CHECKING the option to migrate applications.
You can re-install the ones you want later.
If you create a CLONED backup, you might even "test run" the apps from the backup disk to see if they'll work BEFORE you put them on the new Mac.

This is up to you.
But I do recommend that you still migrate everything else.

Turn SA loose and let it do the migration from the backup drive. It will take a little while (depends on how much "stuff" you have).

When done, you should see your login screen, as before.
So... log in and look around.

If you read this far, I suggest you print this reply out and check it off as you go along.

Good luck.
 
ChromeCrescendo said:
OK I just looked at that website and I am unsure I should attempt that as there are replies stating there are additional steps for Apple Silicon and I am not sure whether those are required, suggested, whether they will actually work

Plus, some Terminal commands are shown with quotation marks and others without - are the quotation marks just to highlight the process in set forth or are the quotation marks an actual part of the command

I cannot believe a folder with "Zero bytes" of information cannot be deleted
Click to expand...

There shouldn't be any quotation marks. Basically when you're in Recovery mode in Terminal you do cd /Volumes then cd Macintosh HD then cd Users once there type ls and hit enter you'll see the studio folder listed go ahead and delete it rm -rf dskstudio
The problem some people are facing is when files are in the trash. If it happens to you, you could temporarily disable the System Protection Utility by typing csrutil disable, reboot the mac in recovery go to Users folder and do rm -rf dskstudio then reenable the system protection by typing csrutil enable you can verify the status by typing csrutil status.
 
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