Disk Utility Error 254 SOLVED

This persistent problem has been a bugaboo for years and has been the cause of many long nights and huge frustration for me. You follow the standard instructions for putting an .iso on a USB using Restore in Disk Utility and it doesn't do it, returns an error 254.
Here's the workaround that worked for me, once I noticed the problem ISOs had no embedded partition information:
1) CONVERT the problem ISO to DMG in Disk Utility
2) DOWNLOAD "DMG Converter" (freeware) from the web.
3) Set convert tab, file format to ISO (JOLIET)/UDF HYBRID IMAGE.
4) Allow to run and finish. This seems to restore
5) Now use Disk Utility to Restore the new ISO to your USB drive.
Good luck.

I am having the same issues as from the post ...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1507263
The DMG i am using is one i created of my MBP using Disk utility onto my external HDD. Its now that i am restoring it i am getting this error. I have tried everything to restore this and spent countless hours, its 50GB files so each attempt takes ages.
Please anyone a solution or other possible clue as to fixing this? I really need to access the data that is in that DMG. When i try to open it in finder it says "no mountable file system."
Message was edited by: Boojo

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Unable to clone hard drive from early 2008 macbook using disk utility, error 254

Attempting to upgrade my early 2008 Macbook hardrive, currently 160gb to a 250gb drive. Using Mac Disk Utility to restore from drive in computer to the 250 gb drive currently attached via usb. Receiving error, Could not validate source, error 254. I know this process works as I recently upgraded our MacbookPro to 1 TB. The 250gb drive I am attempting to clone to is from that computer. I have formated the 250gb drive, mac osx extended journaled, guid. Not sure how to proceed. Suggestions?

To transfer your current hard drive I like the free application Carbon Copy Cloner. It makes a bootable copy of everything on your hard drive http://www.bombich.com/index.html You'll need a cheap SATA external hard drive case. Put the new drive in the case then format and partition the new drive and clone your old drive to the new one. Check that it's set up right by booting up from the external drive. Then replace your old hard drive with the new one and put your old one in the external case.

Disk Utility Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit 1

    #!/bin/bash
      # Author : Bill Hernandez
    # Location : Plano, Texas
    # Updated : Saturday, June 6, 2009 (1:48 PM)
    # script name : setdisk_ownerenabled
    # make sure to set permissions to execute
    <hr>
    # Description :
    <hr>
    # I've noticed that sometimes when using disk utility I cannot repair permissions, or I might get :
    # ERROR: The underlying task reported failure on exit 1
    # This shell script seems to have solved the problem.
    # It worked very well for me,
    # IF YOU USE THIS SCRIPT, IT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK...
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    # After running it, it is best to restart before using Disk Utility again
    <hr>
    # Details :
    <hr>
    # After partitioning a disk using "Disk Utility", and then begin using it, at some point I would get
    # an arror message when trying to save to one of the partitions, yet when I looked at the permissions
    # everything looked fine. I would then try to use Disk Utility to repair permissions and end up with a
    # cryptic error that pretty much told me nothing.
    # I noticed that while in Disk Utility, if I selected a partition the lower LH corner of the dialog
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    # I tried selecting the partitions at the Desktop and doing a (CMD-I) and at the very bottom of each
    # info dialog there was a checkbox :
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    <hr>
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    <hr>
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As it turns out, this didn't completely solve the problem, it solved part of the problem.
Here is a summary to the root cause of the problem.
SUCCESS...
Problem Summary : The system crashed and would hangup during boot, tried many things, until I eventually erased the disk and started over again.
iMacG5 24 GHZ Intel with One internal disk partitioned into 3 logical drives
Cub_1 OS X 10.5.7
Cub_2 OS X 10.5.7 (Carbon Copy Cloner backup of Cub_1)
Cub_3 OS X Server 10.5.7 (standard os x server setup)
At some point after setting up standard preferences, OS X Server crashed.
When I tried to restart, the machine would hang up during boot.
Finally after several attempts, ran Disk Utility from install dvd and repaired Cub_3
When I tried to run "Repair Permissions" on Cub_3 from install dvd, I got an error
Disk Utility Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit 1.
Rebooted, and started in single user mode (CMD-S) during boot until I saw the unix commands on the screen
RAN : root # fsck -fy
Then I began seeing the same command filling the screen :
posix_spawnp("/usr/sbin/mDNSResponder") could not find file or directory
Called Enterprise Support and spoke to Frank Alcorn, he said this was most likely a permissions problem and asked me to try repairing permissions from the install dvd. I told him about the error, but nevertheless I tried it again and got the same Disk Utility Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit 1..
He asked me to try booting into single user mode again, and to try
root # chmod 775 /
root # reboot
During the reboot process the machine got hung up again, and could not get the single user mode to work at all.
Frank said the command needed to be :
root # chmod 1775 /
Frank asked me if I had changed anything in file sharing, and I told him I had. He asked me what I had shared, and I said the entire drive Cub_3. He asked me what I had done for permissions, if I had denied permissions to anyone. I told him that I had set myself up as the only user that could have access to it, and when he said that's where the problem was the lightbulb went off, and it made sense.
Shortly after I set the sharing preferences is when the server crashed. It all makes sense now...
Frank said not to share the entire disk, only portions (share points) of it. I had done this in Panther Server, and Tiger Server and it worked fine, but apparently Leopard Server works a little differently, maybe more secure.
It seems to me that if sharing the entire disk, which is what I needed would cause such a problem there should have been some sort of warning from the operating system, but there wasn't. I had run into this problem several times over the past three weeks since I had started working with Leopard Server, but in each case I ended up re-installing OS X Server and starting over again.
I told him I would try to reboot from the OS X partition (Cub_1) and try it from there.
He asked me to let him know if it worked, and I said I would...
Problem FIX :
I booted back into the partition containing OS X (Cub_1) and did the following via the Terminal.
$ su - root
$ chmod 1775 /
$ reboot
During the reboot process I held down the (OPTION) key, and selected Cub_3 (the os x server partition) and sure enough after a few minutes of holding my breath the login window magically appeared. So I logged in, and did not have to re-install the server. Hallellujah....
This solved the boot hang problem. It is great to finally have an answer. In retrospect it makes sense, but that's why its hindsight...
The reason for sharing the entire disk in my mind was that since I was the only user on the system, it was easier to have one disk mounted on my workstation rather than several folders. It made sense to me, it still does. I don't need a bunch of folders, just one disk is easier...

Disk utility error message

My daughter told me her Mac mini isn't booting up past the grey screen. I put in the install disk and started it up pressing "C" and used Disk Utility to attempt to figure out what's up. I got the following error message:
Could not repair due to underlying task failure on exit (-9972)
Does this mean the hard drive is toast? I don't have any HD repair software-with all my Macs I've never run across a problem that the boards here or Disk Utility couldn't fix for me. I don't know if she damaged the drive (she claims the cat chewed on the edge of the mini-sounds a bit like the "dog ate the homework"), or if it failed. It was purchased last year when Tiger was released, so it should still be under warranty. Any ideas about what I could try next?
Thanks
~margaret
17 iMac G4 1.25GHz 160GIG HD Mac OS X (10.4.3) G4 iBook, Mac mini, 10G iPod, iPod mini (pink!), Apple IIGS

Dale, although the -9972 error is probably some serious data error on the drive, which can sometimes be solved by an Erase & Install of Mac OS X, the fact that the Hardware Test reports an issue probably means that the data error was caused by physical damage on the drive.
I have to say that I find your post(s) most unhelpful. It' true that the informatin contained in them can be useful, however, you could have made the effort to sort it for iMargB. The fact that you didn't, plus your posting of the exact same post in two different threads, makes me feel that you are in a hurry, and that you sacrifice quality to quantity. Trying to help as many people as possible is a good thing, however, we are here to help (or to be helped), not to overwhelm people with information, hoping that they will figure it all out on their own.
iMargB, the Hardware Test is not part of Mac OS X, it is a system-specific volume, which explains why it is included on your original disc rather than on the Tiger one. Your guess of using the latest OS's Install disc was a good one though, when it comes to using Disk Utility for example : attempting to repair a Tiger installation with a Panther disc is not a good idea, as it might damage it instead, because of the differences between Panther and Tiger.
Although I know little about the Hardware Test's error messages, the "Master" part is not what would worry me, as it could just be the position of your hard drive's jumper (which could be Master, Slave, or Cable Select). However, if the Mass Storage test is failing, I would suspect a hardware issue with the drive itself. Hardware Test is known to miss a few things sometimes, but the reverse isn't true. Thus if it reports a bad drive, I think it is safer to assume that there is an issue than to assume that Hardware Test is wrong. Moreover, the "Invalid Node Structure" is very likely due to physical damage (as I already said), therefore, zeroing out all data and reisntalling Mac OS X or using Disk Warrior could be very temporary fixes.
If you have a FireWire cable, I would suggest booting your Mini in FireWire Target Disk Mode to retrieve as much data as you can, with another Mac such as your iMac or iBook. Instructions can be found here. There may still be a chance that the other Mac could see the drive, so not all your data would be lost. Then, I would take it to Apple for repair, as the drive could be failing.

Disk Utility - Error message...how do I fix this???

My powerbook has been running a little sluggish, so I decided to run Disk Utility and the following message appears:
First Aid failed.
The underlying task reported failure on exit.
Can anyone let me know how to solve this???

Hi, ejji. Without knowing which routine you were running, it's pointless to guess at what the problem might be. Try the following:
Boot the Powerbook to your most recent retail OS X installer disc; use Disc 1, if it's a set. Note: (DO NOT use your Intel iMac installer disc(s) on the Powerbook.) Open Disk Utility from the Installer menu. Select the hard drive and the First Aid tab, then click "Repair Disk". This may be the same thing you were doing when the error message appeared before. If it is, repeating the procedure won't do any harm and might do some good. If you don't get a similar error message this time, repeat the process until DU has given you two consecutive "Appears OK" verdicts. If that doesn't happen after half a dozen runs, you'll need either to buy and use a more powerful disk Utility like DiskWarrior or TechTool Pro, or erase the drive completely and reinstall everything on it.
If you do get two consecutive "Appears OK" outcomes from the Repair Disk routine, try the Repair Permissions routine next.
Post back with results and/or additional questions.

Disk Utility error when verifying DIY fusion drive

Hi,
It has been a while since I had to post a problem, but I need others advice on this if you can help. When 10.8.3 came out I installed an M4 512gb ssd in my main drive bay of 2008 unibody aluminium macbook and put a 1tb spinner in the optibay. Created a fusion drive, migrated data and all has been great. Decided to run disk utility today to check for any errors as I had a sleep issue with the 10.8.4 update which I ended up solving by changing the sleep settings in terminal - the issue had caused a few forced shutdowns. I have Disk Utitliy Version 13 (450). The Fusion drive is shown as the logical volume group followed by the volume disk. When I run a verify disk on the volume itself it is all ok:
Verifying volume “Cybernet”
Checking storage systemChecking volume.
disk0s2: Scan for Volume Headers
disk1s2: Scan for Volume Headers
disk0s2: Scan for Disk Labels
disk1s2: Scan for Disk Labels
Logical Volume Group 0DAE76E1-A325-4925-902F-1015B270B84C spans 2 devices
disk0s2+disk1s2: Scan for Metadata Volume
Logical Volume Group has a 2170 MB Metadata Volume with double redundancy
Start scanning metadata for a valid checkpoint
Load and verify Segment Headers
Load and verify Checkpoint Payload
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Incorporate 6 newer non-checkpoint transactions
Load and verify Virtual Address Table
Load and verify Segment Usage Table
Load and verify Metadata Superblock
Load and verify Logical Volumes B-Trees
Logical Volume Group contains 1 Logical Volume
Load and verify 309877EC-EA53-443C-A75C-63C159B04EF3
Load and verify 5388E543-6974-4251-BDBD-FA850C121897
Load and verify Freespace Summary
Load and verify Block Accounting
Load and verify Live Virtual Addresses
Newest transaction commit checkpoint is valid
Load and verify Segment Cleaning
The volume 0DAE76E1-A325-4925-902F-1015B270B84C appears to be OK.
Checking file systemPerforming live verification.
Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Checking extents overflow file.
Checking catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking catalog hierarchy.
Checking extended attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
The volume Cybernet appears to be OK.
When I run it on the LVG it comes up as:
Verifying partition map for “M4-CT512M4SSD2 Media”
Checking prerequisites
Checking the partition list
Checking for an EFI system partition
Checking the EFI system partition’s size
Checking the EFI system partition’s file system
Checking all HFS data partition loader spaces
Checking Core Storage Physical Volume partitions
Checking storage system
Checking volume.
disk0s2: Scan for Volume Headers
disk1s2: Scan for Volume Headers
disk0s2: Scan for Disk Labels
disk1s2: Scan for Disk Labels
Logical Volume Group 0DAE76E1-A325-4925-902F-1015B270B84C spans 2 devices
disk0s2+disk1s2: Scan for Metadata Volume
Logical Volume Group has a 2170 MB Metadata Volume with double redundancy
Start scanning metadata for a valid checkpoint
Load and verify Segment Headers
Load and verify Checkpoint Payload
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Incorporate 40 newer non-checkpoint transactions
Load and verify Virtual Address Table
Load and verify Segment Usage Table
Load and verify Metadata Superblock
Load and verify Logical Volumes B-Trees
Logical Volume Group contains 1 Logical Volume
Load and verify 309877EC-EA53-443C-A75C-63C159B04EF3
Load and verify 5388E543-6974-4251-BDBD-FA850C121897
Load and verify Freespace Summary
Load and verify Block Accounting
Load and verify Live Virtual Addresses
Newest transaction commit checkpoint is valid
Load and verify Segment Cleaning
The volume 0DAE76E1-A325-4925-902F-1015B270B84C appears to be OK.
Incorrect size for volume “Cybernet”
Problems were found with the partition map which might prevent booting
Error: Incorrect size for logical volume.
Verifying partition map for “WDC WD10JPVT-00A1YT0 Media”
Checking prerequisites
Checking the partition list
Checking for an EFI system partition
Checking the EFI system partition’s size
Checking the EFI system partition’s file system
Checking all HFS data partition loader spaces
Checking Core Storage Physical Volume partitions
Checking storage system
Checking volume.
disk0s2: Scan for Volume Headers
disk1s2: Scan for Volume Headers
disk0s2: Scan for Disk Labels
disk1s2: Scan for Disk Labels
Logical Volume Group 0DAE76E1-A325-4925-902F-1015B270B84C spans 2 devices
disk0s2+disk1s2: Scan for Metadata Volume
Logical Volume Group has a 2170 MB Metadata Volume with double redundancy
Start scanning metadata for a valid checkpoint
Load and verify Segment Headers
Load and verify Checkpoint Payload
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Load and verify Transaction Segment
Incorporate 43 newer non-checkpoint transactions
Load and verify Virtual Address Table
Load and verify Segment Usage Table
Load and verify Metadata Superblock
Load and verify Logical Volumes B-Trees
Logical Volume Group contains 1 Logical Volume
Load and verify 309877EC-EA53-443C-A75C-63C159B04EF3
Load and verify 5388E543-6974-4251-BDBD-FA850C121897
Load and verify Freespace Summary
Load and verify Block Accounting
Load and verify Live Virtual Addresses
Newest transaction commit checkpoint is valid
Load and verify Segment Cleaning
The volume 0DAE76E1-A325-4925-902F-1015B270B84C appears to be OK.
Incorrect size for volume “Cybernet”
Problems were found with the partition map which might prevent booting
Error: Incorrect size for logical volume.
I got the same when I did a safe boot and when rebooted from the recovery partition.y question is, do I repair or could it damage my setup? eg is Disk Utility being accurate and it can repair the error, or is it a phantom issue that should be ignored bearing in mind it's a DIY fusion drive and it could end up getting mashed?
Thanks!

Hi,
The computer's running fine since I sorted the sleep issue. No issues as far as I can tell, which is why I was surprised to see the error. What does the error actually mean - is it saying that the volume is a different size than the computer thinks it should be and therefore it'll just change a few values? In which case I suppose a repair is harmless? I just don't want to repair and then reboot to find the volume corrupted.

Disk Utility Error - Secure Erase Free Space failure

I have encountered a problem which I can't solve: I've used the secure erase feature to wipe unused parts of the disk before without problem. Now I get the following error message each time I try to use Disk Utility to do so:
"Secure Erase Free Space failed
Secure Erase Free Space failed with the error:
Could not create temporary file"
I tried it with the hard disk on the computer, my external backup disk, and a USB thumb drive. Same error message in each case.
If anyone knows the solution I would appreciate the help. I've scoured these fora and the internet to no avail.
Thanks.

Tried booting from another hard drive and running Disk Utility Repair Disk? follow up with Disk Warrior after that.
I would just do a full volume clone, reinitialize, and restore.

Disk Utility Errors/ Mail Problems

My mail was working fine the other day, but suddenly it won't connect to any of my email accounts (gmail, university email account, etc). I tried installing Thunderbird and read my messages through that but it still won't work.
Additionally, skype stopped working too. It said I could connect but it would show that no users were online, when they were infact online. However, I reinstalled it and it solved the problem. But mail still won't work...
I looked at my firewall settings and they seemed ok.
The internet/network connections are working completely fine. I can browse normally with Safari. The only things that have changed are Mail and Limewire. Limewire no longer connects properly and mail can't seem to connect to any of my accounts. No preferences have changed to my knowledge. I even tried dragging the preferences folder to the desktop and let the preferences go to the default, however, Mail still did not work
AND I decided to run the processes in Disk Utility and it wouldn't even finish verifying the Disk! It said this:
Verifying volume “macintosh hd”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Volume Bit Map needs minor repair
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume free block count
Invalid volume free block count
(It should be 6027767 instead of 6027735)",2)
The volume macintosh hd needs to be repaired.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair
HELP!

Boot into Single User Mode (command s) and run the fsck. The instructions are there when you get to the prompt: /sbin/fsck -fy
Don't use an older version of 10.4 than 10.4.6 to be safe, ie if you have 10.4.0 DVD it is recommend to NOT use it. There are 10.4.3 and 10.4.6 DVDs of Tiger.
Best: have and use an emergency boot disk on another drive, just need a small 10-20GB partition and update it with minimal Apple updates, and run your disk repair utilities from there.

MacBook Pro Stuck in Recovery Loop; Disk Utility Error

I am getting the error: Disk Utility Stopped Repairing "disk0s2" - says disk utility can't repair the disk and I will need to reformat the disk and restore my files. This appears to be the startup disk (could be wrong) - as I am currently in recovery mode and any time I reboot, I am taken back to recovery mode and there are no start-up disks available to be selected.
When I run Disk Utility on my Internal HD (or what appears to be - this is 250 GB Hitachi) - I get the all clear that everything appears to be working correctly.
I do have TMbackups saved to a NAS. My MacBook Pro has been running very slowly as of recent (slight boost after upgrading to Yosemite, but then returned to slow performance).
I am running OS X Server on it - and have considered migrating that to a Mac Mini (yet to be purchased) - but want to get a better idea of options before I pull that trigger. I also want to make sure my MacBook Pro is recoverable and can still be used.
1. What is the risk of reformatting just the startup disk "disk0s2"? Is that even possible?
2. Is MacBook Pro in need of service at the apple store? Or can this be completed by me? (I have above average ability, but no wizard)
3. My logic on best practice to recover MBP and then add Mac Mini, migrating OS X Server to it: (all recommendations/suggestions welcome)
a. reformat MBP startup disk
b. restore TMbackup
c. use migration wizard to migrate OS X Server to Mac Mini
d. reformat MBP again, starting from scratch and install fresh copy of Yosemite
I had also considered just a fresh build of OS X Server on a new Mac Mini and starting fresh with the MBP. I don't use a ton of services on OS X Server so think my rebuild would be less time intensive than most.
Appreciate all the feedback.

Well, your hard drive (flash storage) is good, at least. Here's what I would try next (before making a trip to the Apple Store or an AASP):
Boot into your Recovery partition and reinstall OS X. This won't damage or erase any of your user files, etc., just give you a fresh installation of Mountain Lion. Since your hardware seems to be OK, it could be that the system has just become corrupt and reinstalling it may 'fix' the problem.
Call back if that doesn't work...
Clinton

Disk Utility Error "no valid packages"

Hi,
I have a PowerBook G4 with 1GB RAM.
I've noticed a significant system slowdown lately. Programs take longer to open and respond, and it's rather annoying. I came to the forums to seek some remedy, and tried to run a Disk Utility to check that everything there is at least okay. But when I click on verify permissions, I get an error that says "no valid packages." Does anyone know what this means and how to fix it (if it needs fixing; I'm assuming this isn't a good thing, whatever it is!).
Thanks.
Lori

Hi librarygirl and Welcome to the Discussions!
Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4: Disk Utility shows a "No Valid Packages" alert
Disk Utility can't verify or repair permissions on the Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4 volume if the "BaseSystem.pkg" file is not in /Library/Receipts.
This alert appears when you try to repair permissions with Disk Utility:
"First Aid failed
"Disk Utility stopped repairing permissions on '(volume name)' because the following error was encountered: No valid packages"
In the Disk Utility text window, this message appears in red text:
"Error: No valid packages (-9997)"
This happens when the BaseSystem.pkg file is not in /Library/Receipts.
Solution
If you've moved this file, move it back to /Library/Receipts. You shouldn't normally remove any files from /Library/Receipts.
If the file has been deleted, replace it by copying it from a different computer that uses Mac OS X 10.3 or 10.4, or by reinstalling Mac OS X 10.3/10.4 from an installation disc.
"Reinstall" means you can install 10.3 or 10.4 from a disc, if it's the same version of 10.3/10.4 (such as 10.3.3 on both the installation disc and computer). If the version of 10.3/10.4 on the computer is newer than what's on the install disc, then use the install disc to perform an Archive and Install installation instead, then update to a later version of Mac OS X.
Joe

Disk Utility Error-Please Help

I tried to repair my hard disk. I couldn't repair straight away as the repair button was greyed out so I varified the HD. The message came up:
*Disk Utility*
*First Aid*
*Disk Utility stopped verifying “Macintosh HD” because the following error was encountered:*
*The underlying task reported failure on exit*
The result of the varifacation was:
*Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”*
*Checking HFS Plus volume.*
*Checking Extents Overflow file.*
*Checking Catalog file.*
*Incorrect size for file objects.nib*
*(It should be 0 instead of 4514)*
4514
*ng multi-linked files.",0)*
*Checking Catalog hierarchy.*
*Checking Extended Attributes file.*
*Checking volume bitmap.*
*Checking volume information.*
*he volume %@ needs to be repaired.",1)*
*Macintosh HD*
*Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit*
*1 HFS volume checked*
* Volume needs repair*
Could someone please advise me how to fix this.
Thank you.
Simon

You can only Repair Disk from a different boot volume so boot from your Tiger installer disk, select your language and then from the menu>Utilities>Disk Utility. select your hard drive and then Repair Disk. If Disk Utility can't repair it you will need a stronger utility like DiskWarrior to rebuild the directory.

Disk utility error when erasing an external hard drive

Hi,
Not sure if this is the most appropriate fourm list to post this but I thought I'd give it a try.
I am running snow leopard on my MBP and am trying to use disk utility to erase and format an ext. HD. While the disk icon does not show up on the desktop when I connect it to my mac, Disk utility does show the ext. hd in the left column, but no matter what format I try, even just using one partition and selecting zero out all data, I get the following error: "disk erase failed with the error: POSIX reports: The operation couldn't be completed. Cannot allocate memory".
Is the hd dead? Are there other options? I do have disk warrior, version 4.1.1 and it does not regonize the ext. hd.
Please advise.
Thanks,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I did select the ext hd as the one I wanted to erase (my internal hd is my start up drive). After I selected the ext hd, (there is no volume listed under it so the only thing I can select is the hd itself). that is when I selected erase and then Mac journaled, then named the hd and then after selecting erase, I got the error. Also as a matter of note, if I select firstaid, both the repair and verify permissions are dimmed, so I can't even try to repair the disk. That is when I tried disk warrior hoping that could examine the hd, but since it is not mounted on the d/t, it doesn't show as a drive to check. I don't understand why the ext hd shows up in disk utility, but not the d/t. Also of note is the fact that when I connect that ext had to my Mac with a fw cable, a window opens saying that the drive is not readable and do I want to initialize it or ignore. I choose to initialize and that is when I get the error. Also of note is that I have tried both security options of "don't erase data" and "zero out data" and still get the same error.
Hope this clarifies things a bit.

Is my HD Dead? Reformat Disk Utility Error: secure disk erase failed with the error could not open disk.

Hi,
Fed up with seeing the spinning beach ball I decided to reformat my MacBook Pro...
After backing up everything on an external hard drive I put in the OSX install DVD, restarted the machine and held down 'C'.
I followed the install prcedure, clicking next a few times etc...
I then went into Utilities > Disk Utility. I chose 7-Pass to erase the Macintosh HD and set it off erasing.
I checked the process an hour in and message on screen read:
Secure disk erase failed with the error:
could not open disk
The internal hard drive no longer exists in the disk utility so I cant retry erasing it.
The only thing that appears in disk utility is the OSX install DVD.
I can't even shut down the mac as everything under the apple tab is greyed out!
I'm guessing this means my hard drive is broken right?
If anyone has any other ideas of what to try I'd really appreciate that.
How do I turn the machine off?
If my hard drive is gone then should I consider getting an SSD drive?
Any recommendations for such a drive would be great.
Hope you can help!

Did you partition the drive?
Extended Hard Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder. If you need to reformat your startup volume, then you must boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger or Leopard.)
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (only required for Intel Macs) then click on the OK button. Set the number of partitions from the dropdown menu (use 1 partition unless you wish to make more.) Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the volume(s) mount on the Desktop.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.

Disk Utility Error 61 when attempting to create disk image on external driv

I would like to make occasional archive backups of my three macintosh computers. I bought a new Western Digital 2TB drive for this purpose, and formatted it as Mac OS Extended. Trying to do a disk image backup using Disk Utility, I follow the directions:
- Startup from an install DVD.
- Start Disk Utilities and select "Restore"
- Drag "Macintosh HD" into the Source box
- Click on "New Image" and select compressed and 128-bit AES encryption
This leads to the error message: Unable to create "....." (error -61)
I have enocountered this problem both with my iMac G5 and a MacBook, both running Leopard.
Does anyone know what this error means, what I am doing wrong, and/or if there is another way to create disk image backups? Help!

1. For reasons I don't know disc images seem to become more fragile the larger they get. They also can be subject to file corruption that affects the entire disc image, whereas file corruption on a clone would only affect certain files.
2. You cannot put multiple clones on the same volume. Each clone must be on a separate volume, but you can have multiple volumes on a single drive simply by partitioning the drive accordingly. Of course you need a drive large enough to accommodate each clone. Each clone should be to a space equal to the capacity of the cloned drive.
3. I'm not a big fan of TM, although I must confess it has become more reliable since it's release, especially with Snow Leopard. However, there are many backup utilities that can create clones, perform incremental updates, and archive changed files. See the following:
Backup Software Recommendations
Carbon Copy Cloner
Data Backup
Deja Vu
Silver Keeper
MimMac
Retrospect
Super Flexible File Synchronizer
SuperDuper!
Synchronize Pro! X
Synk Pro
Synk Standard
Tri-Backup
Others may be found at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.

Worrying Disk Utility Error Message

When I click verify disk in Disk Utility, a worrying error message comes up saying " The underlying task did not complete on exit" giving the error message
Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume free block count
(It should be 24694657 instead of 24694833)
The volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair
I can't repair the volume as it is greyed out.
Help! This is a brand new MacBookPro, I've only had it a couple of days!

So far I have never had any problems with them personally so I don't do an Erase & Install.
I'm sure we're all happy for you although problems do happen. Problems with the installation and even hardware problems. Thing is, often these issues aren't apparent until some time later.
The way I see it, the time and effort required to do an "Erase and Install" (which include a zero write to the drive) is a known… about 3 hours. To my mind, even there's a remote chance that this stops a potential problem in its tracks before it's a problem it's worth the time spent. 3 hours over the lifetime of a Mac OS X installation is not a lot to give up.
Additionally, by zero writing to a drive, it does allow you to see if your drive is on one way performing correctly. All four of my 300GB drives in my Mac Pro wrote zeros within one minute of each other. I know these drives won't have issues when being told to write a ton of data. Whithout doing this I would never know.
Now I did the same thing with my parents' 750GB drives and one finished in 3 hours and the other was still going at 5 hours. Now you can't tell me there's not something up there. So at what point would you like to have found that out?
How much time, let alone money, does it cost to do something later on?
Just like tools like Monolingual. How many issues with updates are caused by such tools? Again, how much time is lost to debug and maybe fix such issues? Thing is, we don't know although if you had a customised installation from the outset it wouldn't matter as you wouldn't be using such tools.
But hey… everyone's got their own opinion. All I know is that my systems always seem to go better and faster than every other Mac owners I know.

Disk Utility Error 254 **SOLVED**

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Disk Utility Error 254 SOLVED