Reoccuring errors with volume file count, directory count, etc...

Question

I'll give a little back story...
I purchased a new MacBook Pro 17" with OS X Lion (10.7.2) preinstalled back in January of this year (2012).  I migrated my user accounts from my old MacBook Pro 15" (2008) running OS X Snow Leopard.  Almost right away I started having issues of all sorts, including Admin accounts that wouldn't allow me admin priveledges, hidden user groups, apps that wouldn't run, multiple obscure error messages and a host of other issues.  After scouring forums like this one I used Disk Utility and not only discovered innumerable permission errors but also disk errors like these:
Invalid volume file count
(It should be 1656658 instead of 1656636)
Invalid volume directory count
(It should be 345764 instead of 345743)
Invalid volume free block count
(It should be 69344839 instead of 69355225)
Volume header needs minor repair
Disk Repair would correct the ACH/permission errors and above-noted disk corruption, but only temporarily.  After repairs I would reboot and be met with all of the same problems in the migrated accounts.  Over the following days I reinstalled OS X Lion at least three or four times, completely wiping the 750 GB hard drive before two of those reinstalls (even doing one-pass reformatting on one of those instances).  After reinstalling the OS, I would reinstall from TimeMachine and be met with all of the same problems again.
I then brought my machine in to the Genius Bar where, after more than two-and-a-half hours they declared it to be an unknown issue that must be related to defective hardware and replaced my entire machine.  But wait - there's more!
After getting home and moving my old accounts back over from TimeMachine all the same issues began reoccuring.  After at least two more OS reinstalls later I discovered that uninstalling Norton Internet Security seemed to fix some problems.  However, running Disk Utility still returned results like those listed above...
Then there were the failed attempts at upgrading from 10.7.2 to 10.7.3 which  hung at the end the first two times and required complete OS reinstalls from the Recovery HD.  Several more headaches later I eventually I managed a sucessful upgrade.
But still I find myself with a machine that stalls on boot-up at least once or twice a week, necessitating a power-off to interupt the process.  After each of these instances I run Disk Utility and get more of the same...
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume file count
(It should be 1656658 instead of 1656636)
Invalid volume directory count
(It should be 345764 instead of 345743)
Invalid volume free block count
(It should be 69344839 instead of 69355225)
Volume header needs minor repair
The volume [...] was found corrupt and needs to be repaired.
And now, this morning, after a month or two of all that... and after installing the Java Security Upgrade last night, I can't get into my accounts at all.  On first boot-up it hung for 20 minutes before I shut it down.  After running Disk Utility from Recovery Drive and repairing the drive I rebooted and got the log-in screen.  I clicked on my user icon, typed the correct password, was shown they white/grey screen for a few flickering seconds then was brought back to the log-in screen.  I rebooted to the Recovery Disk, ran Disk Utility, saw all the same errors again, repaired the disk, rebooted and got the same problems with logging in again.
I've repeated this cycle five times today, as both a normal boot-up and in "Safe Mode" all with the same results.  I've repaired the disk using Disk Utility from Recovery Disk as well as accessing the disk in Target Mode, and always there are the same errors needing to be repaired.
I don't buy that I'm dealing with a hardware issue.  My antivirus and security software are all up-to-date.  What the heck is going on?  Why do I keep having these disk problems?  Why can't I access my accounts anymore?  Why does it keep hanging during boot-up?  Why am I about to throw the machine out my bedroom window?

Answer 1

WithoutID wrote:
I don't buy that I'm dealing with a hardware issue.
You have a software issue carried over from the previous computer likely caused by Norton and perhaps some other issues related to recent malware.
Your going to need to copy your users data folders only to a external drive and disconnect everything,
command r boot into Recovery,
DU erase (with Zero) your Lion partition,
install Lion fresh from Apple,
setup with the same name (important),
Software update,
install all your programs from fresh sources,
and return files from the external drive manually into their respective folders
in that precise order.
and for good performance for a long time, try not to go over 50% of the drive filled, but certainly not more that 75%
Do not use migration or TimeMachine restores.
This is known as a Fresh Install, where everything is brand spanking new and only vetted files are returned.
It's a pain I know, the problem with too much automation, the crap seeps in and ruins everything.
I don't migrate nothing, I like my machines to work perfectly.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3046
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro?view=documents