Repairing disk with disk utility question

hello,
I had a few questions regarding disk utility
1. I have 2 user account on my computer, one admin, one regular
2. run disk utility from regular account...tells me i need to repair disk
3. run disk utility from admin account...tells me the disk is fine
4. I want to run the repair disk function from my boot disk to be safe
5. will it erase my data or corrupt any data at all...I do have backup, just want to be prepared for anything

Hello! You can't repair the boot disk unless booted from the install cd/dvd. It sshould do just fine repairing the hd while booted from the cd/dvd but it's always a good idea to have everything backed up. Personally I use multiple bootable clones. Tom

Similar Messages

Embarrassingly simple disk utility question

When doing verifications & repairs, disk utility often gives a message in red "stopped by user" when I haven't done anything to stop it.
The operation proceeds to some kind of completion (message at end, in green) though it also says the disk has been "partially" verified & corrected.
I haven't done a systematic analysis of this since I'm not even sure it's a problem. Did not find it on a search of this forum... IS it a problem?
sharron s.

Well, I'm no quantum mechanic, but I have just run repair disk and permissions multiple times while booted from the drive containing my clone. I have now abandoned bus power on this drive, and other problems involving drives dismounting seem to have gone away with this maneuver. (see recent thread on this forum "Disc Utility Dismounts Volume, Won't Remount")
Initially the red "stopped by user" message appeared with either repair attempt on the Mac internal drive (at that point it was NOT the boot drive.) It also appeared initially on repair permissions attempts on the boot drive. But after multiple permission repairs on the Mac internal drive, it ran through a complete repair. At one point I was requested to enter a password by disk utility. And then at last, it actually completed a disk repair on the Mac drive. (No repairs were needed on either of the permissions or the Mac disk.)
It all goes along with the picture of constantly changing states you describe. I think I'll just keep an eye on it - I don't usually use First Aid at all unless I have experienced a problem & someone suggests it - or if it's been a long time and I have just backed up the drive & want to test the clone anyway.
My First Aid just seems to work like the Walk/Don't Walk button at the traffic light! :o)
Thanks for helping me try & think this through.
ss

Started to run recovery disc assistant on a backup hard drve-stopped when it said it would erase all data-but now can't inialize the external drive nor repair it with disc utility?

started to run recovery disc assistant on a backup hard drve-stopped when it said it would erase all data-but now can't inialize the external drive nor repair it with disc utility. what to do?

Activity Monitor – Monitor Performance Problems
Performance Guide
Why is my computer slow
Why your Mac runs slower than it should
Slow Mac After Mavericks
Things you can do to resolve slowdowns see post by Kappy
Try running this program and then copy and paste the output in a reply. The program was created by Etresoft, a frequent contributor. Please use copy and paste as screen shots can be hard to read.
Etrecheck – System Information

RAID with Disk Utility question

I've setup a RAID array in disk utility for an external SATA NAS that I have. The Silicon Image Si3132 drivers are not working for Snow Leopard (the SATARAID 5 drivers) so I've installed the base non-raid drivers for 10.6.
I'm using Disk Utility to setup the RAID for now until I get updated drivers from SI. Here's my question:
Let's just say that my Mac Pro one day decides to die and I have to rebuild a new OS on the machine. I will then have this external drive where I've configured a software RAID with Mac OS X. Will I be able to rebuild this RAID and recover the data, or will I lose all of the data if the Mac needs to be rebuilt?
The external enclosure has its own controller, but these silicon image drivers do not seem to want to work as they are kernel panicking.
Will I be able to recover the RAID config with disk utility if I rebuild the machine? My thinking is NO

You have four internal hard drives; ability to boot from FW or USB, and I would include TimeMachine and clone (Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper). Some WHS NAS servers also support TimeMachine and SuperDuper, but I would have local backups. Two minimum.
I would not rely on SI or RAID.
And all you need to boot from, and I'd have at least two, is a basic 30GB partition for Mac OS: a working copy of your system as is, a copy of last version installed also, AND, one "emergency" boot partition for disk maintenance and repairs.
Then use NAS as second line of backup for your data, disk images, etc.

Cany you help me with Installation and Disk Utility questions?

Greetings.
I'm just learning this stuff, so your responses in basic terminology would be appreciated. (Instruct me as you would my grandson). I have two questions.
First, I bought a used dual 450 from a friend, and, as I do not have the disks or license for the OS, I decided to make it legal by purchasing, registering, and installing new Panther DVDs. As I have been running 10.3.9 and the new disks are labeled eMac 10.3.3, is there anything I should or should not do in the process of installing the new disks? Do I need to install 10.3.3 and then download the 10.3.9 update? Will I lose anything in the process? I assume the eMac disks will work OK on a G4 tower.
Second, After power failures (common where I live), when I re-start the computer, it won't progress beyond the spinning spoke thing (I don't know what it's called), so I have to shut the computer down, and, after one or two more attempts to start up, it seems to start up OK.
I was told that, after a situation like this, I should start up with the install disk and run Disk Utility to repair the start-up disk.
The problem is that when I attempted to do this with the new DVD (again, I have not installed the OS from the DVD yet), the computer started up fine, but Disk Utility ran for a minute or so, then gave me the following message: "Disk Utility has lost its connection with the Disk Management Tool and cannot continue. Please quit and relaunch Disk Utility." This happened twice in succession. I quit Disk Utility (although it warned me that I could rended the disk inoperable). The disk seems OK, but I don't know what the problem is with DIsk Utility, or what to do.
Thanks for your help.
G4 Dual 450 Mac OS X (10.3.9) 1 GB RAM

The problem is that when I attempted to do this with
the new DVD (again, I have not installed the OS from
the DVD yet), the computer started up fine, but Disk
Utility ran for a minute or so, then gave me the
following message: "Disk Utility has lost its
connection with the Disk Management Tool and cannot
continue. Please quit and relaunch Disk Utility."
This happened twice in succession. I quit Disk
Utility (although it warned me that I could rended
the disk inoperable). The disk seems OK, but I don't
know what the problem is with DIsk Utility, or what
to do.
Hi Jerry:
Getting back to the problem you're having with Disk Utility, a number of people have encountered this following an update to iTunes. If I understand correctly, when you bought the G4 it came with Panther installed, which your friend had updated to 10.3.9.
In an earlier post, Kappy posted the most succinct work-around I have found for this error:
1. Navigate to the /Library/Receipts/ folder.
2. Locate the iTunes.pkg and iTunesX.pkg files and move them to the Desktop.
3. Run Disk Utility and repair permissions.
4. Move the .pkg files back into the /Library/Receipts/ folder.
Give it a try and let us know how it works. As for your installation DVD, I have to concur with the others who have posted: it's meant specifically for one model of the eMac. It may work on another mac, but odds are it'll be problematic.
Andrew

Strange occurrence with permission repair/disk utility

Aloha all, I'm having a strange problem with disk repair and wonder if anyone else has seen this and/or how to fix it. If I have my external HD used for Time Machine turned off and open Disk Utility to check/repair permissions, none of my drives show up in the column on the left, and Disk Utility just hangs with the little spinning symbol. I let this run for over an hour before I had to force quit it. If however the external drive is on, everything works as normal in Disk Utility. Anyone know what might be causing this? I often eject and turn off my external drives at night, after I turn off Time Machine. I don't really need it backing up every hour during the night, and the drive is getting full so every little bit of space helps. I have deleted the permission file on my main drive and that didn't help. I'd like to be able to turn the external drive off and still be able to use disk repair. Mahalo for any tips, suggestions, or info you can provide. JB

jettyboy wrote:
I have deleted the permission file on my main drive and that didn't help.
Exactly what did you do?

Disk Utility Question? Volume needs repair

Hi ALL, I need some help. My system seems to be running slow, so I did a repair permissions - that was OK then I did a Verify Disk and got the message."First Aid Falled" -"Volume Header needs minor repair
d.",1)
S&M Hard Drive
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair " I have my Tiger Update disk but it will not bootup from it - not sure why? I do have my old install disk form my old iMac Version 10.1 - can I bootup from this disk and try fixing the issue? I would rather download something that's not expensive or free to help fix the issue. Any and all HELP would be GREAT!!!! THANKS Scott

Because the new software is insane. If there is a leading space on a line the line gets deleted. There's more insanity as well, but I would guess that's the problem with your post.
Anyway, your problem is that there is minor damage to your startup disk, which can probably be repaired. However, you can't repair the disk while booted from the disk. Boot from your install disk, then go to the menu and find Disk Utility there and use it to run the repair function, then reboot. If Disk Utility still can't repair the damage you need to buy a copy of Disk Warrior and use it.
Francine
Francine
Schwieder

Older disk utility question

I can't find my installation disks for 10.4. The most recent one I can find is 10.2
I ran verify disk on Onyx and it told me the disk needed repair and that I needed to run disk utility from the cd.
1. is there any difference between the 10.2 disk utility and the newer 10.4 version that might corrupt the system?
2. I ran multiple tests with Tech tool pro and passed everything. Is there something Disk Utility does that tech tool pro isn't doing?

Wow, you do your research in addition to answering everyone's questions! Apple should be paying you. I'll offer some personal comments, which I'm sure you're familiar with. I'm not a Mac specialist; but as one very experienced system programmer once said to me, 'All operating systems are basically the same'.
I discover things by using theory, then discover them wrong in an 'Ars Technica' article, because Mac changed something. The Wikipedia is essential for puzzling terms and even basics.
In addition to Apple's incomparable 'Help System', 'Apple Support', and 'Apple Boards', I can recommend independent forums (though I don't use them). CNET has a list:
http://forums.cnet.com/mac-forums/
Some favorites are
MacFixIt Forums
http://archive.macfixitforums.com/?tag=blankArea.1
MacRumors Forums:
http://forums.macrumors.com/forumdisplay.php?f=78
Printing
My preference has always been HP inkjet printers, if only for their level of support in CUPS for MacOSX and GNU/Linux. Using their inks & papers, I can spend my time on research rather than fiddling with ICC profiles. (I think I had four drivers, three CUPS PDD's and the standard one.) Rather than change my 'presets', I created a different virtual printer for duplex B&W, 4x6 glossy color, &c. Nice for OOUI users.
Debian GNU/Linux has an HP control panel for fine adjustments, ink levels, etc. There are better printers, I'm told; but HP is Mac & Linux friendly:
HP Support Forum for Mac Printing and Scanning
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Mac-printing-and-scanning/bd-p/Macintosh

Repairing Disk Utility more

Ok so I had this question earlier today:
"Ok, last night there was an update for OSx Lion. I installed the 3 items, it said I needed to restart, which I did. When it restarted there was another box, which was checking the updates or something. After that finished, it logged into my home screen, and I shut it off. Today, I tried turning it on and it was stuck. After 10 minutes, I held the power button to shut it off and try again. I did this twice, and on the third time a loading bar showed up at the bottom of the screen, went for a while and almost reached halfway, then it dissappeared. I waited, but nothing happened. What's wrong and how to I fix it?"
I was told to fix the start-up disk with Disk Utility by using command-R. When I tried that, It gave me the options of a 500.11 GB thing, the Macintosh HD, SuperDrive, disk1, and Mac OS X Base System. I tried repairing all the them, and they were all fine except the "Macintosh HD" Heres what the report said exactly:
Checking the system
Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Checking extents overflow file.
Checking catalog file.
Invalid index key (in red)
Rebuilding catalog B-tree.
The volume Hacintosh HD could not be repaired. (red)
Volume repair complete.
Updating boot suppport partitions for the volume as required.
Error: Disk Utility can't repair this disk...disk, and restore your backed-up files.
Also, this box came up:
Disk Utitly stopped repairing "Macintosh HD"
Disk Utitity can't repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.
My question is, what do I do next to get my computer up and running, in simple terms.

...didn't back up anything with time machine, which is what I think is what you mean...
No, I did not mean Time Machine. (FWIW, Time Machine backups should be made to an external drive, not to another volume on the same drive as the primary boot volume. Reason - if you lose the drive, you lose everything inluding the backup.)
The files you need to copy off are the ones you spent time creating - financial files, word processing files, whatever you've spent time making. Software, programs etc., can be replaced simply by re-installing them. But the manhours you've invested in creating documents can never be recaptured if the files themselves are lost.
So, where are they? Unfortunately, the answer is wherever you placed them.
Everyone's work habits are different. For example, I do not use the Documents folder for anything. I make project (like "ABC Club" or "IRS") folders and kind (like "pictures" or "thoughts") folders, place them where they're convenient, and put the files I make or get in those folders as appropriate. The arrangement of those folders, which are in what and where, follow my own personal logic - after all, the purpose of a filing system is not to have a place to put things, it is to have a place to find things.
So, where they are is where you put them.

Disk Utility Questions

In disk utility on the left side i have my OS X drive, it says the Size of the formatted drive and the model number then below it and indented it has the Macintosh HD drive.
do i want to verify and repair permissions and verify and repair disks on both of those or do i just do it with one or the other?
thnx

The outermost description is the physical drive, and the indented ones are the volumes on it (you can have multiple volumes/partitions on a drive). If you have only one volume on the drive, either one will do - you don't have to do both.

Permissions repair/ disk utility

Hello:
I believe I have a permissions repair problem as but I'm not entirely sure.
I'm very untechnical and somewhat shakey on my conclusions and how to
proceed.
My computer slowed down this week after downloading freeware. I dumped all but one program. My space bar doesn't work properly as of last night, It only moves on the sides when hit hard. Most words just run together as I type.
Then today, I suddenly can't open Word documents. I forced quit and then restarted and then couldn't open PDF files either after working on the computer all day. Forced quit on Preview then couldn't open the hard drive as well. I was able to get into it through the applications icon.
Apple help suggests it's a permissions repair problem, but I'm confused. Went to disk utility and it says to install the OS X cd. I only have the PowerBook G4 Software Install and Repair disks. Are these one and the same?
I'd really appreciate any guidance on figuring this out and then how to proceed.
Thanks so much.

Hi Don:
Thanks for your help a couple of weeks ago. Just now attempting to solve.
Have used Mac Janitor and Cache Out X tonight and the inability to open files
on the desk top remains, as well not being able to open bookmarks in Safari in addition to having the same problem using the spacebar.
Wanted to ask some questions about your recommendations:
1) When using Cache Out X, do I want to delete Caches from the User Domain
as well as the Internet?
2) Do I launch all of the icons in Onyx? The help menu was very confusing.
3) I was unable to find Gullivers Link. Can you please explain this as well?
Additionally, while this note is correctly laid out while typing it, the preview page reveals line breaks that are not evident to me. This happens all the time
in emails. Any ideas?
Many thanks--
Beth
Welcome, there are several links available that cover
your issue as well as recommended System Maintnence.
Here they are and, all are good and all will work.
There are a few little differences. Read them and use
the software that is mentioned, they are good and
work well.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1220
21
I personally use Gullivers link and I use Macjanitor,
Cache Out X, and Onyx every week.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=196
61
Here is Apples recommendations.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303602
Good Luck
Don
PowerbookG4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

"Volume needs Repair" -Disk Utility--what do i do?

So, my computer was freezing & I had the insight to run Disk Utility on the Repair part, everything comes up great, but on verify, under "Network"--Volume comes up needing repair. I looked it up under About the Mac & see that Volume is empty of info. Here is the report:
"Checking volume bitmap.
Volume bit map needs minor repair
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume free block count
(It should be 3922629 instead of 3922551)
The volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit"
Don't know if it matters but the indented portions of the report were in red, otherwise, in black.
What exactly am I to do with this information? Thanks!

In this instance, "Volume" refers to the hard drive. (I quizzed my fiancée - she thought of speaker loudness too... )
10.1, 10.2 etc is the Mac Operating System version number. (ie My eMac is running Mac OS 10.4.9)
If you flip down the CD/DVD drive door on the front of your eMac, there is a sticker that has the serial number, a barcode, then a series of information.
In my case:
1.25G HZ/512MB/160GB HD/DVD-RW/CD-RW/56K MDM
Which means
1.25 GHz processor
512MB of RAM
160GB hard disk drive
DVD & CD burner
56k modem
Note that the "160GB" drive actually only holds 149GB of data - and will show up in Disk Utility as such, because of the difference between binary and actual bit sizes... (check out wikipedia...)
When looking at the list of drives to examine in Disk Utility, the internal hard drive will show up as "internal" in the list of attributes at the bottom of the page... (ie when you click on it, it then shows you
Disk Description - ST.......
Connection BUS - ATA
Connection Type - Internal
Connection ID - Device 0
SMART status should "work" (ie tell you if the drive is good/bad) because you're looking at the internal drive, not an external one.
All that said and done... I still strongly suggest looking inside the eMac's inspection hatch on the base of the computer... if your eMac is freezing up for no apparent reason, it's much more likely to be the capacitor issue than an error found by Disk Utility...

Start up issues/ disk utility question

I can't get my iMac to start up past the grey apple screen. I booted off my Tiger disk and ran disk utility. My permissions were ok, but when I try and verify and repair the HD I get the following errors:
'invalid key length
invalid node structure
rebuilding catalog B tree
failure on exit'
Any sugestions. I really don't want to lose my current work by reformatting.
Thanks,
Tyler

Same problem with me. Happened on Monday while I was doing a complete backup (using Backup software) before installing Leopard on my Powerbook G4. The computer took ages to restart (and a significant number of hard restarts). Everything seemed to be back to normal (except the wallpaper which had disappeared).
Then I installed Leopard after a complete reformatting of my hard disk. Leopard seemed to be working OK.
Last night, after a restart (normal restart, after re-installing some software), the problem came back : extremely slow start (more than one hour), and slow response afterwards. No wallpaper, everything extremely slow.
I managed to run Disk Utility and found a "Invalid Node Structure" error.
What are the odds of that happening twice in a week ? Can the problem survive a reformatting of the hard drive ?
Or does it simply mean my hard drive is dying ?

Repair disk utility

I checked my macbookpro with Onyx as usually, result: minor problems and disk needs to be repaired. Cmd + R and this time I can't access to the disk utility, simply the apple logo disappears and a symbol appears, nothing happens.
How can I access to disk utility to repair my Macintosh HD disk?
Thank you very much
Jordi

Hmmm.. a bit late to mention this:
OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery Disk Assistant -http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4848#
Maybe:
OSX: About Lion Recovery - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

AirPort disk 'needs repair', Disk Utility finds nothing wrong...

I have a 640GB hard disk that was just formatted for use as an AirPort disk. I zeroed the disk on my PC and then formatted it in Disk Utility while it was attached to my USB hard disk dock. Because the original partition scheme I tried to do would not format as specified (i.e., Disk Utility decided that since I put free space as the first partition with four partitions, that what I really wanted was just the three partitions), I repartitioned the disk as follows: 64.00GB for HFS+, 32.00GB for FAT32, 512.00GB for HFS+, 32.00GB for FAT32 (using Master Boot Record). After this completed, I ran Windows XP on my PC and diskmgmt.msc with the intention of deleting the first partition 64.00GB HFS+ and replacing that with 64.00GB NTFS. This seemed to work fine on Windows XP, but I could not do it on Windows 7 because Windows 7 automatically makes the last partition on MBR an Extended Partition without asking if you want it to be a Primary/Extended Partition. Next, as I only intended to boot this on my old PC, which I rarely use, I installed Windows XP on to the first partition (now 64.00GB for NTFS). The installation went fine, as well as the software I installed in Windows that will allow me to see the HFS+ partition from a Windows boot. This software recognized the partition and mounted it in Windows. Next, I shut down the PC and put the disk back into the USB dock to see if all was well from the Mac side. Disk Utility did not report any issue with the disk and was able to see and mount all of the partitions correctly; however, when I attached this disk to my AirPort Extreme, the light started blinking amber and, upon further inspection, was told that the "AirPort disk needs to be repaired". I went back to Disk Utility and verified the disk without issue, but no problems were found. To be complete, I also repaired the disk in Disk Utility, but still it seemed to find nothing wrong and the repair had no effect on the AirPort error message. When I attach the disk to my AirPort Extreme, it will only mount the two partitions that are FAT32. The HFS+ partition does not show at all. I understand that the NTFS partition will not show over AirPort, which is why I chose a small size for it. My main reason for creating the NTFS partition is so that if I ever have a problem with my AirPort Extreme or need to work with a large file, I will have faster access if it is on a SATA connection inside my older PC than over WiFi or connected to my USB hard disk dock. Windows XP does not recognize the default OS X partition type, so that was not an option. Any assistance on how to address this issue would be greatly appreciated. The applicable operating systems are: Snow Leopard (my Mac mini), Windows XP Pro SP3 (on the old PC) and Windows 7 (on the newer PC that is attached to the AirPort Extreme).

Hi, i had experienced the same issue. After resetting tc to factory settings and reconfiguration everythings works as before.

Repairing disk with disk utility question

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