MacBook Pro Hard Drive Repair/Permissions Problems

My MacBook Pro (2.2GHz) wouldn't start. I was getting the grey screen with the Apple logo and the spinning wheel that never stops. Tried zapping the PRAM. Tried holding down the shift key. No luck.
So I finally booted from the Leopard Install CD. No problem. Figured I'd use the Disk Utility to repair the disk. I get the following two problems every time:
REPAIR DISK PERMISSIONS:
Repairing Permissions for "GROOVY"
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
REPAIR DISK:
Checking Catalog File
incorrect block count for file pcscd.pub
(it should be 16 instead of 17)
Every time I re-launch the computer, using the Leopard CD, I get the same two problems. Can't repair permissions at all. And I get the same "incorrect block count for file pcscd.pub" error when trying to Repair Disk. Even though Disk Utility appeared to repair that problem (and then recheck it) the last time.
Anyway I was able to use Firewire Target Disk Mode to copy all my files to my PowerMac G4. While I was connected I also used DiskWarrior. Seemed to repair the disk with no problems.
So at this point I've pretty much resigned myself to doing an Archive and Install. Unfortunately I've tried it twice and I keep getting this:
INSTALL FAILED
Mac OS X could not be installed on your computer
The installer could not install some files in "/Volumes/GROOVY". Contact the software manufacturer for assistance.
Click restart to restart your computer and try again.
Now I'm going to try wiping the disk and doing a fresh install. If that doesn't work I guess I'll have to call Apple. Anybody else having similar problems?
Thanks,
LT

As I understand it, you can't fix a failing SMART status. Believe me I tried on my iBook! I was originally under the impression that DiskWarrior and Tech Tool Pro could fix anything, but I now understand that they and Disk Utility can only repair the directory. As it was explained to me, SMART was set up to give warning of hard drive failure so that you could rescue your data before the hard drive dies altogether. You can disable it I think, but that's like putting black tape over the warning light in your car that lights up if you are running out of oil--possible to do, but not a good idea.
So if your SMART status is failing, then the only cure is to replace the hard drive. The hard drive can work for a while, but it's on its way out.
Here's a little background information on SMART status:
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000184.htm
And I hope this was just a rhetorical question!

Similar Messages

  • Apple Macbook Pro Hard Drive Repair Help Please

    Cause of the mistake, i was being dumb and wanted to use my backup timemachine drive for an external drive, so I dragged the timemachine folder out of it and tried to empty the trash can, half way through I realized that it was trying to wipe my whole back up of my computer which would have been forever. So I panic, force shut off the computer, disconnect the drive and restarted the computer. My drive says 200 gb free when I know there is 400 left. So obviously the trash files are still around in my hard drive. 
    Did a disk verify and there is something wrong and the computer wants me to reboot and use repair upon rebooting the mac. I haven't done this in a while so I'm not sure if it's expecting me to have a backup from time machine.... the one i just fatally "deleted" or if it gets rid of the trashed files. Can someone help me please before I lose A LOT of work. 
    Update : And let's say I did need a back up, then if I just backed it up right now, with the missing but still taking up space files, would I still get those files in the back up or no? 

    As I understand it, you can't fix a failing SMART status. Believe me I tried on my iBook! I was originally under the impression that DiskWarrior and Tech Tool Pro could fix anything, but I now understand that they and Disk Utility can only repair the directory. As it was explained to me, SMART was set up to give warning of hard drive failure so that you could rescue your data before the hard drive dies altogether. You can disable it I think, but that's like putting black tape over the warning light in your car that lights up if you are running out of oil--possible to do, but not a good idea.
    So if your SMART status is failing, then the only cure is to replace the hard drive. The hard drive can work for a while, but it's on its way out.
    Here's a little background information on SMART status:
    http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000184.htm
    And I hope this was just a rhetorical question!

  • MacBook Pro hard drive repair

    My mac won't turn on and I've tried repairing the disk, but it won't repair. I'm taking it to the apple store, but I don't have AppleCare. How much will it cost to get a new 250gb hard drive?

    You can replace new bigger HDD or SSD by yourself which quite less costly than repairing it at Apple Store.
    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/

  • My MacBook Pro Hard Drive recently gave me the gray folder with the question mark of death. Even as

    My MacBook Pro Hard Drive recently gave me the gray folder with the question mark of death. Even as a Mac Newbie/Novice, I successfully installed a new hard drive and the OS (10.6.8) software from my installation discs. I have, however, lost the ability to play video using the spacebar and I have no idea on the steps necessary to correct this seemingly simple technical blip. .Here's my system overview:Model Name:     MacBook Pro Model Identifier:     MacBookPro6,2 Processor Name: Intel Core i5 Processor Speed:     2.4 GHz Number Of Processors:     1 Total Number Of Cores:     2 L2 Cache (per core):     256 KB L3 Cache:     3 MB Memory:     4 GB Processor Interconnect Speed:     4.8 GT/s.
    I am using the Premiere Pro CS5 NLE (with the 5.0.4 updates), and I have tried to reinstall the software (which is actually the Production Premium package) several times, but I still cannot use the spacebar (or any method) to play any of my imported videos.
    PLEASE HELP in any way you can!
    Prior to having to replace my hard drive, my software was working just fine. No problems at all. But now, it seems that I can't get it to play whatever type of file I import.
    Again, I am a newbie to the Mac, so any and all correctional/repair assistance needs to be expalined as if I were a child :  ) 
    I would hate to try to revert to considering the sophmoric Final Cut Pro X editing software package, but I've got to do something to be able to get back to my editing activities.
    zionhall
    [email protected]

    Jorge242 wrote:
    @FatMac the internet recovery doesnt work. It goes into recovery mode and then when i try to reinstall it cant find a disk to install it to. So what would be a good choice to take now?
    Recovery Mode presents you with, among other things, Disk Utility. When you open that, if the internal shows up at all, first try to "Repair DIsk." If that doesn't work but if the "Media" line is present, try to format and partition it with a GUID partition table (understand that you will be erasing the contents of your internal). Then try to reinstall the OS. If that doesn't work, and since your Retina MBP didn't come with a DVD drive or DVDs, you'll need to try a hardware test using these instructions from Apple (short version: shut down, press the power button and hold down the "D" key). If none of those things work, let's hope you either have AppleCare or your warranty has some life left because the SSD in your rMBP is proprietary and expensive. You'll need to bring it to an Apple Genius for evaluation.

  • I can not store all my Music on my internal Macbook pro hard drive so I am storing it on a large external drive connected to my airport extrem.  How do I get Itunes to search for the music here with out trying to copy it to my laptops hard drive??

    I can not store all my Music on my internal Macbook pro hard drive so I am storing it on a large external drive connected to my airport extreme (2 TB drive plugged into the USB port).  I see the drive on my laptop and I can add and delete files no problem.  How do I get Itunes to search for the music here with out trying to copy it to my laptop's hard drive?  I don't have enough space to do that.

    How did you move the music to the external drive?  What exactly is on the drive?  The entire iTunes folder or only music?  If it is the entire iTunes folder you can do the option+start suggestion earlier.  If you copied only music and did so by dragging it there then you need to delete it again and consolidate/organize it there instead so iTunes tracks the move.  iTunes 12 for Mac: Change where your iTunes files are stored - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH19507

  • My MacBook Pro hard drive is almost full and I wish to store my Aperture Library on an external drive, how do I do this and is the use of USB2 suitable or do I need to use a Firewire external hard drive?

    My MacBook Pro hard drive is almost full and I wish to store my Aperture Library on an external drive, how do I do this and is the use of USB2 suitable or do I need to use a Firewire external hard drive?

    You'll get better performance if you use a Firewire hard drive (especially if you buy a 7200 RPM drive). Firewire's IO speed is significantly faster than USB 2.  USB 2 has a theoretical max speed of 480 Mbps except that it has extremely high over-head.   The fastest speeds you can typically get are about 300 Mbps.   Firewire, on the other hand, has very little overhead.  The fastest speeds you can get are very nearly 800 Mbps.  You will typically be constrained by the maximum read/write speed of the drive, not the speed of the I/O on the Firewire bus.  Now if you had one of those nice shiny new Macs with the Thunderbolt I/O and a Thunderbolt drive (Light Peak) ... I think they alter space and time so that your data arrives before you know you want it. 
    Also... unless you want to buy a solid state drive (very expensive), try to keep your hard drives from becoming much more than about 60% full if you want great performance.  A nearly "full" hard drive is, on average, only about half as fast as the same hard drive when nearly empty.
    USB 2 will work perfectly fine... just not as fast.
    Also... it's much safer to move the entire Aperture library than to "relocate masters".  Your images must be managed.  You can Aperture manage them, or you can manage them.  But someone has to manage them.  If you "relocate" them so that they are no longer stored inside the Aperture library then you'll need to work out a system of how you decide to organize things and it's critically important that you don't start moving files around or deleting things without Aperture's knowledge.  If you do, you'll break the links to your masters and start having problems with missing masters.  If you have Aperture manage the library then you don't need to worry about any of that stuff.... it's safer.
    Do make backups (use the Aperture Vault or use some other backup program, but make sure you back up your work if you care about it.)  There are only two kinds of hard drives in the world:  (1) those that have failed and (2) those that are going to fail.  There are no exceptions to this rule.  Hard drives are cheap.  Backup software is built into Aperture and into your Mac.

  • New aperture library to ensure no space used on MacBook Pro hard drive

    Hi
    My laptop MacBook Pro hard drive is getting full (again). I mainly have photos on my laptop and iTunes. Using referenced files and having the raw photos stored on an external drive still eats up lots of GBs.  If I create a new Aperture library on a portable external drive (that I can back up on Time Machine) is this the best way to ensure my photos are available to edit, but that no GBs of my hard drive are used up as I import to the NEW library on the 1TB portable external drive.
    Are there any disadvantages or other ways to prevent any more hard drive GBs being used?
    And should the new library NOT be referenced since the photos will be on the external portable until it fills up.
    Many thanks
    BW

    Hi Kirkby
    Appreciate your help and useful link. I think I have been doing exactly as you recommend to date, using my laptop internal drive to store the library etc. and a portable external drive FW800 for my referenced originals, together with iMovie clips for the same events/years.  But my external is now full. And my internal drive is OK but I don't want to add more GBs to it.
    It is the next step I am pondering. The main problem being to avoid any extra laptop internal GBs being used up. 
    I usually need access to originals and iMovie clips for the same event on one drive. My iMovie projects include both.
    I could buy a 2TB portable drive and move all my originals to it, and even also the library but really I would prefer to have two externals and choose which one to connect, as required for Aperture and iMovie. And I would like maximum growing room on any new drive I buy.
    (I back up my lap top and each external drive to time machine, and put my photos from memory card onto a DVD as unedited originals. I have usb2 and FW800 and FW400 only)
    It's the best storage of new original photos and clips, and not eating up my last 50gb of my laptop drive, while enabling easy access to my most recent pics to enable more convenient editing, that are my issues. I don't want to have to sit at my desktop with a large external drive while editing.
    Is anything daft or disadvantageous about creating a new aperture library on a new external portable drive to store and enable access to all my new photos from 2014 onwards? I realise I would have to switch to the old library  and connect another external drive for pre 2014 access. And would this mean NOT eating up any more laptop internal drive GBs?
    Thank you again
    BW

  • I believe my macbook pro hard drive is bad.  I erased the drive and reinstalled the OS and the macbook still runs really slow.  I dont know if the hard drive is the issue.

    I believe my macbook pro hard drive is bad.  I erased the drive and reinstalled the OS and the macbook still runs really slow.  I dont know if the hard drive is the issue.

    Did you try an SMC reset too? It's easily done and none of those resets to the best of my knowledge hurt anything. When I was fooling with my system, which at one point was a home made Fusion setup, I needed to reset the SMC sometimes to get the drives recognized. Reading the documentation the sudden motion sensor is drive related but that seems to be about it.
    Some more specifics may be needed about the drive itself, the model number of your unit, and the OS version you're running.
    At present, the problem seems sort of odd to me. FWIW cable problems can be quite intermittent. I used Scannerz to find some of the problems on my original system that I later converted to a new HD and SSD combo. It can find lots of problems if you learn how to use it right (HD problems, logic board system faults, and cable problems) but you need to get a system at least partially up and running to use it, and it doesn't sound to me like your there right now (in other words, don't go out and buy it because at this point I don't know how it could help you)
    Another word of advice would be to not go out and start throwing parts at a problem unless you have a good idea what the source of the problem is. If you have a logic board problem, new drives and new cables won't make it go away, you'll just be wasting your money. Logic board problems, cable problems, and drive problems can all have very similar end user symptoms. The article that I linked above named "Hard Drive Problems" has a section on general symptoms of problems and if you read the article it becomes clear there's a lot of overlap associated with different types of problems.
    I assume that your unit isn't under warranty. If, by chance it is I wouldn't even fool with it and I'd take it to Apple and let them deal with the problem. You also might want to check with whatever Apple sources you have available to test your system, like an Apple store, and see how much they'll charge (if anything) to evaluate the system.
    I certainly hope this helps.

  • My MacBook Pro hard drive crashed a little while ago and has been replaced.  Is it possible to take tunes from iPod Classic and transfer all of them back to iTunes on computer?

    My MacBook Pro hard drive crashed a little while ago and has been replaced.  Is it possible to take tunes from iPod Classic and transfer all of them back to iTunes on computer?  Is this just for purchased tunes or can I do it for ones that have been burned from CD's as well?  Thanks for any help!

    [Zevoneer's detailed instructions on getting music off an iPod|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9053179]
    [Wired's How To: Get Your Music Off of Your iPod|http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Get_Your_Music_Off_of_Your_iPod]
    [http://www.metaphoriclabs.com/articles/5-ways-to-copy-music-off-your-ipod-window s-mac-os-x/]
    [Topic: Get music off iPhone|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=11512841]
    [Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod or iPhone to a computer|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305465]

  • New 15" Macbook Pro hard drive failure

    It is common for a 15" Macbook Pro hard drive to crash after 3 months?  How does Apple Support generally fix?  Genuis bar seemed overwhelmed by holiday crowds and recommended an $8k 3rd party vendor.

    "Any disk can fail at any time."
    Over a large sample, the drives used are extremely reliable. You did not have a large sample, you had ONE drive.
    Now you are much smarter than you were before this disaster. Apple will not pay for your data recovery. You (and everyone) need a backup solution.
    Apple provides an excelent backup solution called Time Machine, that can do hourly backups to an external drive without disturbing your current work. Buy yourself an external drive at least twice as large as the built-in. Turn on Time machine, make sure it is working, plug it in at least daily, and then don't worry about it any more.

  • My macbook pro hard drive went bad and i bought a new one and installed it. Now i have the old corrupted hard drive in my hand and i am looking to recover my files from it, any suggestions please? too bad i never backed them up.

    My macbook pro hard drive went bad and i bought a new one and installed it. Now i have the old corrupted hard drive in my hand and i am looking to recover my files from it, any suggestions please? too bad i never backed them up.

    After you have installed the OSX on the new HDD in your MBP, install the old HDD in an enclosure and connect it to your MBP via USB.  Then try to drag and drop  your data to the new HDD. 
    If this proves unsuccessful, you may look for data recovery software on the Internet.  There will be free trails to see if it will work or not.  If the trial suggests that it will work, then you will have to purchase the software.
    The last resort is a professional data recovery service that will offer NO guarantees and charge a lot of money.
    As you now can appreciate, backups eliminate such predicaments.
    Ciao.

  • My macbook pro hard drive died.  I only have a windows hard drive and an old powerbook G4 which of course you can't use to create a boot disk for my macbook.  How can I solve this?

    I can't get app store on my old power book to download OS X,  My macbook pro hard drive died and all I have is a windows hard drive, still has windows os  on it, a 500 Gb USB drive and this power book.  How can I get my macbook back up without spending money?  Thanks

    And what happens if the OPs Mac is of a newer version that came with a version of Snow Leopard above the 10.6.3 version that is on that Retail, meant for Upgrade, disc? Like if it came with 10.6.4/.5/.6/.7? That disc you linked to would not work.
    He needs to contact Apple and get a replacement set of Original System Reinstall Discs. That is the only way he can be assured it will work and he would also get the iLife apps which he wouldn't buying that DVD disc you linked to.
    dwb wrote:
    The Snow Leopard DVD is $20 from Apple. You'll just have to wait a few days. BTW this is a full installer that works with any model computer that can run SL. Apple used to ship recovery/installation disks that were tied to specific computer models so that a 15" MBP installer disk coudn't be used on a 13" MBP computer. So you need either full installer or the recovery disks for your specific model.
    And BTW, I have a 2009 13" MBP w/8GB RAM that is running Mavericks. With a 5400 RPM drive I used to experience a bit of beach balling (think hour glassing) but an SSD has given it new life. It feels now slower than the newest MBPs - it obviously benchmarks considerably slower but in everyday use it doesn't feel like a 4 1/2 year old computer at all.

  • Can I Replace my Early 2009 Mac Mini Hard Drive with my Early 2011 Macbook Pro Hard Drive?

    I am replacing my 2011 Macbook Pro Hard Drive with a Solid State Drive.  Instead of keeping the hard drive on an external enclosure I was wondering if I can use it to upgrade my Mac Mini's 160GB hard Drive with the one Im taking out of the MBP.  And if so, is there any special formatting I would need to do?

    It should work fine. No special formatting required. It actuality, I suspect that if you connect the HD, the Mini will boot into the OSX that was on the MacBook.
    When you replace the HD in the Mini just be careful with the antennas and their wires and connections I accidentally disconnected the wifi antenna on mine when I replaced the HD.

  • 2011 Macbook Pro Hard Drive Upgrade?

    Hi. I am looking at upgrading my 2011 Macbook Pro hard drive. I want to get a 7200 RPM hard drive. I have been looking on Newegg and doing some research, and from what I can tell, the 2011 Macbook Pro uses a 3.0GB/s interface. If I were to buy a hard drive that has a different interface, like a 6.0GB/s interface, would it be compatible? Does anyone know the sizing for an MBP hard drive?
    Also, it doesn't matter who the manufactorer is right?
    And finally, does anyone have any recommendations?

    But in my Honest opinion I don't think you'll really notice the difference between the 5400 and 7200 rpm unless your rendering large video files or transfering large amounts of data to an external or USB drive. But again you'll be limited on the speed of the external connections that your transferring too... If you really want to notice a difference, get the SSD with a Sata 3 or 6.0GBs connection speed. But the difference between a 5400 and 7200 rpm drive for normal tasks is almost negligable, you probably won't even notice the difference, but if you get the SSD you'll definately notice a difference in boot time, transfer speed, video rendering speed, copying speed of large files, etc...

  • My Macbook Pro hard drive got locked.  How can I unlock it?

    My Macbook Pro hard drive got locked.  I have replaced the drive with a new drive.  I put the old drive in an external case.  How can I unlock the old drive to get my pictures off and put on the new drive.  I can see the drive but I cannot get to the iPhoto files because it is locked.  Is there an easy fix?

    How did the drive get locked? That doesn't JUST happen for no reason. The only way to unlock it is to put it back in to the Mac it came out of and UN-LOCK it.

Maybe you are looking for