tiasMPB wrote:
There is clearly something wrong with my disk mapping.
I have no idea what you mean by "disk mapping". Sometimes an APFS volume can become corrupted where Disk Utility is unable to repair the corruption and that involves needing to perform a clean install of macOS. A DFU Firmware Restore is one option, but it is not the only option since you can boot into Recovery Mode to access the online macOS installer.
Accessing M-series Macs' Startup Options Screen To Repair or Reinstall macOS
The iboysoft Data Recovery tool is the only app that came close to help me put my volumes back in order. It uncovered thousands of misplaced system files!
There are no issues with the macOS system files because they now reside on a read-only signed & sealed APFS volume. The Mac won't boot if anything happens to that system volume.
A Data Recovery app is for recovering deleted items, or items that are no longer accessible due to file system corruption. Once a file has been deleted from an SSD and the Trash emptied, there is no way to recover the file due to how SSDs work. I have no idea what this "Data Recovery" tool is doing to help you.
The only problem is that I could never afford it. I've tried other cheaper softwares but they were bandaids for my situation. Let's cross our fingers that I find an affordable solution because this is the only cpu in the house.
Run the third party app EtreCheck and post the full report here so we can examine it for clues.
How to use the Add Text Feature When Posting an EtreCheck Report - Apple Community
People need to avoid using anti-virus apps, cleaning/optimizer apps, and third party security software. None of these types of apps are needed on a Mac, plus these types of apps usually cause more problems than they solve because they interfere with the normal operation of macOS. Most people's computer issues come down to using these junk type apps.
The other possibility is your file system is corrupt. You can try running Disk Utility First Aid on the hidden Container. Even if the First Aid summary says everything is "Ok", click "Show Details" and scroll back through the report to see it there are any unfixed errors or warnings. If there are any unfixed errors/warnings, then run First Aid again until they are gone. If after several scans the errors remain, then try running First Aid while booted into Recovery Mode. Unfortunately the Disk Utility hides the hidden Container by default, so you will most likely need to click "View" within Disk Utility and select "Show All Devices".
