Having trouble with Disk Utility

Hello,
I'm trying to use Disk Utility to create a disk image of my hard drive. I get an error message that says
'Unable to create "nameofimage.dmg" Resource busy.'
Any idea what this means or how to work around it?
Thanks very much!

Okay I found a work around...
if you make a disk image of your HD through Make Disk Image of Folder and select the HD, then it works!

Similar Messages

Anybody having trouble with Disk Utility

It's been a month since I ran Disk Utility - it was fine then. Yesterday and today I ran it again and it doesn't make any permission changes.
What used to take several minutes was over in less than 30 seconds with no permission changes.
Diane

Hi Diane,
and your question is?
Remember to run some regular system maintenance: Mac OS X 10.3/10.4: System maintenance
If this answered your question please consider granting some stars: Why reward points?

I am having trouble with disk space,

I am having trouble with disk space, I am always getting the error message that I need to delete files on my start up disk, I am all out of space. I cant even save a file to my desktop without getting the message, Is there a way I can free up space. I am not very computer savvy, being a pensioner I cannot afford expensive options. I was familiar with the old apple imac, but I was given a macbook pro for my birthday, and am trying to work it out. I use it mostly for photos and web.

Jillian,
I'm assuming this is a second-hand machine. If it is brand new, get it to Apple because it's their problem, not yours.
First thing you should do is go to Programs: Utilities: Disk Utlity and choose "Repair Permissions." If you don't have the OS X system disk (a DVD) go ahead and verify the Disk. It can't fix itself, so to speak, but can tell you if there is a problem. iIf you have the OS X system disk then boot off the disk, go to Disk Utility, and run Repair Disk. Assuming all is OK:
You don't need to download any programs to get started on figuring out why all your space is gone. Try this first:
Oh, when deleting, especially at first, you may have to move only small folders or even files, of 100 MB or so to the trash, then empty the trash. As the free space increases, you can trash progressively larger files. To delete files, the computer needs to create even more files to tell it what files it is deleting before it deletes them. I know, go figure.;)
It would not be a bad idea, and is in fact a very good idea, to run the disk utility "Repair permissions" after every half-dozen trash/empty trash cycles and then restart the computer.
The basic plan is to search for unreasonably sized folders.
From the Finder:
Open a window, click in the window and then:
Go to menu item View. (If you click on the desktop instead of a window, you'll get a different set of view options, none of which is the one you want.)
Click on it and move the cursor to the bottom choice, Show View Options (alternative Apple (Command)-J). Make sure the checkbox "Calculate all sizes" is checked. If it isn't, check it and then click on "Use as default" When checked, it will show you the size of a folder. If it was unchecked, don't be surprised if nothing seems to be happening as it will take awhile for the computer to calculate the size of, literally, thousands of folders. But some will start to show up right away. If you open a new window and don't see any folder sizes, Repeat the Show View Options routine above and if Calculate all sizes is checked, just wait.
I've heard you Aussies enjoy a beer or two. If your Mac has to calculate all the folder sizes, this might well be a good time to have a cold one or two, as it will take some time.
Go to the root level, which is "Computer" or "_Your Disk Name_," generically Macintosh under Devices in the sidebar.
Make sure you are in list view and can have the size column visible. Click on it (turns blue-grey) and it will sort by size, large to small or the reverse. Click again to reverse the sort order.
On my 10.6.8 machine, I have
98 GB under Users.
22 GB under Applications. If you only have the Apple-supplied applications, you probably have between 4 and 6 GB here.
Library is 24.5 GB
System is 4.6 GB
Other than a few trivially small files or folders, that should be about it for the root level.
If you have two System files, you shouldn't, and will need to get rid of one. Ask for advice before deleting one or the other. If you have a, "Previous System," or "Old System," -- can't remember the language, you can proably safely delete it if you are satisified with how your computer is working.
The Library is a candidate for bloat. Some applications, especially those that manipulate audio or video, store the bulk of their code, generally resources of one type or the other, in the Application Support folder. For instance, I have a 10.5 GB folder of Live Type in my Application Support folder. Honestly, I don't know what program it is for, but don't care because I upgraded to a 3/4 TB drive. In contrast, on my 10.7.1 computer, which has little more than the Apple supplied software on it at this point, uses only 1.5 GB for Application Support. The support folders will remain even if the program itself is deleted. As a general rule, I wouldn't bother checking out anything under 300 MB or so. Any folders over that, you should note for possible deletion _but_ be sure to ask someone with more knowledge about this what it is used for before deleting. If it is used for some program that isn't on your machine, meaning the program has been deleted, you can safely delete it. If the program is still on the machine, decide if you will use that program and, if not, delete the program and its application support files.
My next largest folder in the Library is Audio at 2.7 GB. I have audio editing programs, so that makes sense. You probaby have one also, but shouldn't be over 500 MB or so.
Next is Printers at 1.4 GB. This is a good place to clear up space. You'll see folders with various printer brands. Do you have a Brother printer? No? Trash it. Just keep the folder with your printer brand and the PPD folder and trash the rest. If you want to get real fancy, open your brands folder and delete the files for every model other than the one you have.
My next largest is Fonts at 490 MB. Leave that alone. In fact, unless Fonts is something insane like 2 GBs, stop deleting from the Library.
Go to Users. There could be between one and more than one user. (Fudge of an answer there.) There is no such thing as a guideline for user folder size. Is there a previous user? If so, check with them and see if you can delete it. I have a "dummy" administrative - level user that can be used for some esoteric rescue operations and it takes up a trivial 33 KB or something like that while my own account is pushing 100 GB.
You'll see several folders, Music, Pictures, Desktop, etc. This is stuff you or the previous user have created. If you don't want it, delete it. You will also see, aha! another Library folder. There shouldn't be many folders over 100 MB here except for Mail and our friend Application Support. I get a lot of mail, rarely delete any, and have carried it over from 10.3 and measures out at 3.7GB. Still, if its someone elses mail and you don't want it, you can delete it, but again, check with more knowledgable people as there are probably some files and folders you absolutely should not delete, others that you should delete from within Mail, and some you can manually delete.
My Application Support Folder weighs in at 1.4 GBs, of which 1.2 GBs is for Final Vinyl. That's a lot. Sneaky sucker stored some untitled audio files in there. Bye! OK, now the Application Support folder is down to 145 MB. So, I'd say anything much over that should be investigated for possible deletion. Close up Library and move on.
Downloads may be very small or very large. Depends on how meticulous the previous user was in deleting or moving to a more appropriate location. Ask them if there is anything they want, and if no, delete it.
My Application folder has Zero KB because I always install at the root, administrative level. If there is anything there, figure out if you want to use it or not. If not, trash it.
Overall:
1) Don't sweat the small stuff. The days are long gone when searching a hard drive for a 100 K file to delete is worthwhile.
2) Start small. A disk that full is going to be pretty touchy, so once you have identified a bloated folder, go inside of it and trash the smaller files and folder, then empty the trash, then delete a few more files, empty the trash, etc.
3) Don't forget to periodically Repair Permissions and restarting the computer.
4) If you are unsure about whether a folder or file can be safely deleted, ask someone knowledgable or just knock off for the day and hit it again tomorrow. Seriously, an unanswerable question you have might well be answered by sleeping on it and attacking it the next day.
5) As Douglas Adams wrote: DON'T PANIC!
Best of luck!
Chris

Trouble with Disk Utility, Erase Free Space

Hello,
I have (had) a 120GB HD w/ about 53GB free. I had trashed some large files and thought I'd try the "Erase free space" option in Disk Utility.
I ran it per the help file: seleced Macintosh HD, Erase Free Space, using the "Zero Out Deleted Files" option. It got started, created a temp file, then told me it would take about 31 minutes. As it neared completion, I was presented w/ a Dialog: Out of Free space - or smthg to that effect.
Per the help file, which said I might be presented w/ such a warning but that I could ignore it, I clicked "OK".
Then the computer chugged along for another hour or so, never finishing. Finally I clicked the "Skip" button, and it chugged along for another 30 min. or so, never making any progress in "skippin" in the status bar. I finally just quit Disk Utility.
Now I'm showing a completely full HD. I've restared, but the same thing. I've tried to run Erase Free Space again, but it gives an error "Could not create temp file" - I'm assuming b/c it needs free space to do the task, and it thinks there is none. So...
...How do I get my free space back?
Thanks in advance...

There's probably a huge temp file somewhere, maybe in a folder in your Trash. Do a search for a huge (multi-GB?) file (it might be an image file) that looks suspicious.
The only reason to use erase is for security purposes, and doesn't do anything in the normal course of computer usage. Erase actually writes data to your remaining file space (as you have discovered with no space left) and then trashes that data (or not, in your case).
P.S. In future you should post this kind of topic as a question so people will know it is something that needs answering rather than being a comment.
Message was edited by: Limnos

Having Problems with Disk Utility

Hi Everyone,
Not sure if this is the appropreiate area to post this question but I did not know where else to post it. I tried repairing permissions on my emac and I keep getting an error message saying that disk utility lost conection with Tool Management. Has anyone else had this problem? Do you know what I can do to correct it?
Rob

Try either of the links in this post

Having trouble with my Airport Utility not supporting either of my Airports Expresses or Basestation. Do i have to update Firmware of airports or is the issue with my version of Utility which i believe is the latest. Thank you.

having trouble with my Airport Utility not supporting either of my Airports Expresses or Basestation. Do i have to update Firmware of airports or is the issue with my version of Utility which i believe is the latest. Thank you.

AirPort Utility in Mountain Lion will not support the older versions of the AirPort Express.....model numbers A1084 and A1088. Check on the side of the Express for the model number.
In addition, AirPort Utility in Mountain Lion will not support the older "round" or "dome" shaped versions of the AirPort Extreme.
Can you check to see how your devices might be affected?

I can't move downloads onto my desktop nor can I move folders around desktop. Have been having trouble with iPhoto also. "Terminal" has shown up on my dock for the first time. I tried repairing using disk utilities.

I can't move downloads onto my desktop nor can I move folders around desktop. Have been having trouble with iPhoto also. "Terminal" has shown up on my dock for the first time. I tried repairing using disk utilities.Please Help!

I have the same issue-was there ever a solution that worked? Thanks.

Can Time Capsule hard drive be accessed with Disk Utility? I'm having issues...

How does one mount , inspect , verify , and possibly repair a Time Capsule hard drive with Disk Utility ?
My 500Gb 1st gen Time Capsule ( used wireless with Airport) has quit backing up new data . ( iMac Core2Duo, Snow Leopard) . TC says it needs 238 Gb of available space, but only has 35 Gb available. So it quit doing new incremental backup altogether. It's almost like it wants to start over.
Airport connection seems good. Time Capsule seems healthy enough ( for being 3.5 years old) . I really dont want to lose the data on the existing backup.
What is the nature of this glitch ?

I'm sorry , LaP , but " Time Capsule become too full " is not the cause of my problem .
In fact, I just got done pruning the iMac system hard drive a little to free up some 10 Gb of new space , yet created only maybe 1-2 Gb of new data to archive. The TC had been doing regular daily backups without issue and Time Machine was showing me stuff from about ten days back.
The TC informed me it needed 235 Gb of space but only had 34 Gb available. That 235 Gb needed is totally in error. My problem more resembles corrupt hard disk directories . Maybe Permissions ? which is why I asked about using Disk Utility.
Yes, I do need a newer larger TC, but pigs don't fly and money does not grow on trees to make tha happen. The backup I have now is fine and should work if I need to restore anything in the forseeable. New data will not be archived, alas.

I am having trouble with my Mac Mini's ethernet connection. Defining a new network interface shows no ethernet adaptor. Reloading SL from DVD repaired. But SL update lost ethernet again. Will Lion Fix?

I am having trouble with my mac mini ethernet. It had been working for weeks after an update to SL 10.6.8.
Once it went out and i repaired it by defining a new connection from System Preferences ->Network->(left panel service, +).
But yesterday, after a power up. my ethernet was not working again. I tried this old trick to repair it, but the interface choices
listed for '+' a new service did not include Ethernet any more. And the Utilities->System Profiler->Ethernet Cards shows
no ethernet available.
As a last ditch effort i reloaded my original SL from DVD. (I think it was version 10.6.4 but i could be mistaken on the version).
The ethernet worked! But KeyNote wasn't going to work because apparently the version i purchased depends on 10.6.8.
So I upgraded again to SL 10.6.8 (Plus some other updates like AirPort which i don't use).
Now the Ethernet is not working again. I see the same symptoms as before with the Ethernet seeming not installed.
Is this a problem seen by others?
Would going to Lion fix the problem?
Could AirPort actually be the culprit and not SL?
If i stay with my original SL, would i need to repurchase a version of KeyNote for the older version of SL?

Have you reset the SMC?
Shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer's power cord.
Wait fifteen seconds.
Attach the computer's power cord.
Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.
While you're at it, resetting the PRAM won't hurt anything and 'might' help is SMC reset didn't work (PRAM does some port control):
Shut down the computer.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on the computer.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.
Something else you might try .... you don't say how you're updating to 10.6.8, however, if you're using Software Update, you might try downloading the 10.6.8 combo update, which contains all updates to 10.6. Sometimes, Software Update doesn't work quite right, and installing the combo update fixes that. Download the update from Apple's download site at http://support.apple.com/downloads/ , using Disk Utility repair permissions, apply the combo update, then repair permissions again.

I'm having trouble with my computer, I boot it up and within a few minutes it freezes and I have to restart it, I tried updating it to the latest mavericks but it won't finish the installation it's stuck at the end, what can I do to fix this?

As stated I'm having trouble with my computer, I boot it up and within a few minutes it freezes and I have to restart it, I tried updating it to the latest mavericks but it won't finish the installation it's stuck at the end, what can I do to fix this? I need it for homework tonight.

Crowntheme,
you can try this: boot your MacBook Pro into Recovery mode by holding down a Command key and the R key as it starts up. Once the Mac OS X Utilities menu appears, select Disk Utility. On the left-hand side of the Disk Utility window, select your internal disk’s boot partition (typically called “Macintosh HD”). On the right-hand side, press the Verify Disk button if it’s not greyed out; if it is greyed out, or if it reports that errors were found, press the Repair Disk button. Once the verification/repair is completed, exit Disk Utility and select Restart from the Apple menu to restart in normal mode. Does it still freeze after a few minutes?

Having trouble with my email from google

Having trouble with my email from gmail, both on my iPhone and on my iMac. It keeps asking to validate my password and e en after that it won't work. Does anyone know what to do?

Hey Florian Fangohr,
Thanks for the question. I understand you are experiencing issues with Mail in OS X Mavericks. Base on the symptoms you provided, the following article may help to resolve your issue:
Mail (Mountain Lion): If your password is not saved
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11775
If you click “Save password” in a dialog in Mail but still have to enter your password, there are a couple of things you can try.
- Open Keychain Access, and then locate and delete the mail account password item.
While in Keychain Access, you can also choose Keychain Access > Keychain First Aid to verify and repair keychain settings.
- Open Disk Utility, and then select the volume (for your hard disk or disks) in the list of disks and volumes. Click First Aid and then click Verify Disk. If necessary, click Repair Disk. Then send yourself a test message.
Note: The same steps apply for OS X Mavericks
Thanks,
Matt M.

I am having trouble with my IMac 27 2006

I am having trouble with my IMac 27 2006 start up OK will run however picture stops, scattered all over screen shutters and then sometimes freezes. Can I reinstall OSX? Or is there a program that dose Fixes?

How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
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, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.

Having trouble with freezing starting and stoping while syncing to i-pod

Having trouble with itunes freezing while syncing to i-pod

I have a Macbook with Tiger, and OS x 10.4. I had to install a new hard drive.
Run Disk Utility /Applications/Utilities
First, go to your Apple menu then click Software Update...
If no updates are available, check the startup disk using Disk Utility.
Using Disk Utility to verify or repair disks

Can't create disk image with Disk Utility

I just upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion and i can no longer create disk images with Disk Utility in order to store encrypted data.
The operation fails and ends with the post :
Failed to create disk image, error:
hdiutil: create failed - Resource busy
I use three Macs with Mountain Lion, and this problem occurs only on one of the three.
I check the disk, repair permissions and did a reset of the PRAM. I even did a reinstall of Mountain Lion, without success.
But curiously, using a new user account, I was able to create a first disk image. But no one after.

Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Console in the page that opens.
Make sure the title of the Console window is All Messages. If it isn't, select All Messages from the SYSTEM LOG QUERIES menu on the left.
Click the Clear Display icon in the toolbar. Try the action that you're having trouble with again. Post any messages that appear in the Console window – the text, please, not a screenshot.
When posting a log extract, be selective. In most cases, a few dozen lines are more than enough.
DO NOT INDISCRIMINATELY DUMP THOUSANDS OF LINES FROM THE LOG INTO A MESSAGE. If you do that, I will not respond.
Important: Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Edit it out by search-and-replace in a text editor before posting.

I am having trouble with a firmware update for my 40ex500 tv. Downloaded update to thumb drive but

Will try again. Am having trouble with a firmware updat for sony 40ex500. Downloaded update to my thumb drive but when inserted in the usb slot on the tv, the sequence to update the tv does not complete. Various service reps have led me to you for resolution. Please advise? Bill Becker

I have a Macbook with Tiger, and OS x 10.4. I had to install a new hard drive.
Run Disk Utility /Applications/Utilities
First, go to your Apple menu then click Software Update...
If no updates are available, check the startup disk using Disk Utility.
Using Disk Utility to verify or repair disks

Having trouble with Disk Utility

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for