Start-up Disk Questions

Hey everybody. As of late my Mom has been having some trouble with her older MacBook (older as in 2006). Her built in memory is 60 GB, but lately she's been getting error messages saying her start-up disk is too full. I checked, and she has just over 1 GB of memory open. Thing is, she's been backing everything up on an external HD so I don't know where the problem lies. What I do to clear up some space and make this thing run as fast as it used to? I've tried Yasu but it had no effect. Anything!

Have the drive replaced with a larger drive. Backing up to an external drive doesn't free up any storage space unless you erase everything you've backed up. The simple solution is a bigger hard drive. 500 GB hard drives are around $100.00. Any 2.5" notebook SATA drive will fit as long as it's not higher than 9.5 mm. installation is non-trivial and requires some disassembly. You can find drives, tools, and instructional tutorials at ifixit.com and OWC.
You didn't mention how much RAM is installed, but I would put in the maximum amount supported by that model: If it's a Core Duo model the maximum is 2 GBs; if it's a Core 2 Duo model the maximum you can install is 4 GBs of which only 3 GBs can be used.

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Start up disk question PLEASE HEL

if i re install mac OS X will i lose all of my files? importantly music?

Of course, before making any kind of significant change, like re-installing Mac OS X, you should have a complete backup of all your important files.
With that said, you can make an "Archive and Install" of Mac OS X and check an option on to preserve users and network settings. This options should allow you to re-install Mac OS X without losing any of your files.
Why, exactly, do you want to re-install Mac OS X?
-Doug

TS1440 I followed all of the directions after seeing that my laptop flashed the folder with the question mark. But when I went to disk utility to repair/ verify issues w/ start up disk it would not allow me to.button to repair/verify is there but cant be

I followed all of the directions after seeing that my laptop flashed the folder with the question mark. But when I went to disk utility to repair/ verify issues w/ start up disk it would not allow me to. The buttons to repair and modify we're there but they were grey and couldn't be pressed.

Were you trying to repair the disk you were booted from? You can't do that - you need to boot from your install disk, and choose 'Disk Utility' from the 'install' menu.

Question Mark on Start Up Disk Icon

What is the meaning of a question mark on start up disk icon in system preferences?
I have clicked on icon, selected my start up disc and restarted but, question mark still appears on start up dick icon.
Thanx in advance for any help.
stewartpaul

Startup – Question Mark
Startup Issues - Resolve
Startup Issues - Resolve (2)

Why is there a question mark on Start up disk?

Hello everyone,
So I turned on my computer and a flashing folder with a question mark appeared. I followed some intructions that I found here such as pressing the pressing the On button when I heard the start up tone but it took me to a I wanna say "back up" disk.. The original start up disk has a question mark in it and I cannot access to any of my original files etc. It's very frustrating. I have thought about taking it to the apple store but I want to know if there's a way where I can fix it myself. As you all know the apple store can be a bit pricey..
Thanks for your time.

Not good in most instances.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac
This can happen when your Mac can't find a System Folder to boot from either because the startup disk is failing or failed.
Try starting up while holding down the Option key. Theoretically, that should prompt the Startup Manager window. Select the startup disk then click Restart.

Question on Start up disk

I was downloading a movie onto my G4 laptop and it stopped about half was through and posted a notice that "start up disk is almost full" and it gave instruction to empty the trash and also delete some files. So I took some TV shows off and emptied the trash. Still the same prompt. What is the solution to this problem? Any ideas?

restart your mac.

Question about Start-Up disk?

On my MacBook Air when I try to download some photographs on it a window appears saying my start-up disk is almost full and I need to delete some files. Does anyone know where I can go/look to find my start-up disk in order to delete some of these files?

Your startup drive is the Macintosh hard drive - and in particular you'll need to look in your own account drive space (your Documents, Downloads, Pictures etc folders) and/or Applications folder.
A temporary fix is to restart your computer, this should set the temporary files back to zero and buy you a little time. You may want to download a program that shows you what files you have and where they are located. Omni Disksweeper is free and pretty good, I like DaisyDisk which happens to be on sale at the Mac App Store right now.
If you have lots of media files (video, music, and digital photos) they are the files that take up the most space. You'll probably want to purchase an external drive if you don't own one to transfer your files to. And don't forget to empty the trash once you've put things into the trash can. Putting files into the trash doesn't automatically delete them.

Imac will not see my hard drive on start up, wants to start from network start up disk that does not exist. How to get rid of it? So there is just one choice / my hard drive.

I have a Intel duo Imac. Everything has been running relatively smoothly for a few years now. All of a sudden my computer will not start. I get the flashing folder with a question mark.
When I go to Start up disk in my system perfernces while the computer is on. I see 2 possible choices. One is my hard drive with the operating system shown. The other is a non-existant Network Start up disk with a question mark in it ( looks like a hard drive with a question mark and it say's its a "network start up disk).
All I think I want to do is get rid of the Network startup with the question mark. I can not find anywhere how one can just remove an old or non existant start up disk without reformatting.
I believe this came from a clients hard drive who had a network system on it. We no longer have that drive. It no longer exists. But a latent icon shows up in start up disk.
When I go to change the start up disk. I can change it to either the hard drive or the network with the question mark. But when I select my hard drive and then got to restart the computer. I get the flashing folder with a question mark on start up. I have also seen the flashing globe a couple times.
When I attempt to run disk utility from may install disk ( holding down "C" on start-up ). Disk utility does not see my hard drive. Just the Apple install disk with the disk utility on it.
What can I do to remedy this short of re-installing? Will a program like Disk Warrior or Tech Tool help?

Thank you. That's what I thought will need to happen.
One more question. I tried using the Apple install disk that came with the computer. It's an OS 10.5.6 disk. It does not see my 10.6.8 system internal hard drive to repair. All it see's is itself 10.5.6 disk. Do you think I can use a 10.8+ disk utillity since that is a higher system it will see the 10.6.8. Where the 10.5.6 does not?
I don't want to turn the computer off for fear I'll get the question mark again. P-Ram got me going last time but for how long I don't know? It would be nice to be able to turn the computer off for the night and startup as usual to give it a rest and try to reset itself.
Thanks for your help, I know I will eventually need to re-install. But I am in the middle of a project with tight deadlines and all I can do right now is back-up. Trying to migrate to another computer temporarily to finish the job. That's a lot of extra work in the short time also.
Just trying to put a band-aid on it for another couple weeks.

Start Up Disk and iMac

Hi Experts,
I bought iMac in Nov '12 & it did not come with a start up disk.
If for a question, my hard disk crashes & requires a new start up disk or requires reinstallation of the Lion OS - how do I do this?
Thanks

Actually, the "start up disk" is the hard drive. The iMac does not come with an installation disk. Instead, you can hold down cmd-R when you reboot to use the Recovery partition:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
Edited: pipped!
Matt

How can I clean up my start up disk

I keep getting a pop up telling me that my start up disk is almost full what does this mean and how can I fix it?

Great article here:
Freeing space on your Mac OS X startup disk
It would help us if you say what model iMac you have (G3, G4, G5, or Intel) and the version of the Mac OS you are running. Not so important for your current question but can be critical for other inquiries

Startup disk question/problem

Should the startup disk always be at the top of the list of disks upon startup? Or is it now the case, with 10.5 on a MacBook, that the internal disk is at the top of the list whether or not it is the startup disk?
Situation: New MacBook Mac OS 10.5.8, new Western Digital Scorpio Blue WD3200BEVT 320GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache 2.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Notebook Hard Drive in an external MacAlly SATA FW/USB case. I erased (formated) the external drive, and, using Restore in Disk Utility, made what I expected to be a clone of the MacBook's internal drive.
Problem: After repairing permissions, using Start Up Disk preferences I selected the new drive as the start up drive. Upon restart I get mixed signals as to which is the startup drive. The original (internal) drive is at the top of the list on the right of desktop but, in the Start Up Disk Preferences list, the new drive is highlighted. (Further: I am able, after right clicking on the internal disk, to select it, to eject it.)
Questions: Have I bought a drive that won't work as a start up drive or doesn't Disk Utility Restore in 10.5.8 create a bootable drive as in 10.4 or does the internal disk always show up at the top of the list on the desktop in 10.5.8? When I swap the drives, putting the new drive in the MacBook, will it boot?
This procedure for swapping new drives has always worked with my Macs thru Mac OS 10.4.11.

Check with Western Digital (the FAQs on their website) whether that hard drive is bootable on your Mac. Not all of them are.
Quote from a Western Digital FAQ:
While it may be possible to boot your computer to an external hard drive, Western Digital does not provide technical support for booting your computer using an external hard drive. If you intend to make a copy of your boot drive, or install your operating system, please use a second internal drive (EIDE or Serial ATA), rather than an external drive.
And their list of bootable drives:
The following external hard drives are bootable on Intel-based Macintosh computers systems through USB:
• My Book Essential Edition
• My Book Essential Edition 2.0
• My Book Home Edition
• My Book Mirror Edition
• My Book Office Edition
• My Book Premium Edition
• My Book Premium Edition II
• My Book Premium ES Edition
• My Book Pro Edition
• My Book Pro Edition II
• My Book Studio Edition
• My Book Studio Edition II
• My Passport Studio
The following external hard drives are bootable on Intel-based Macintosh computers systems through FireWire (1394a/b):
• My Book Home Edition
• My Book Mirror Edition
• My Book Office Edition
• My Book Premium Edition
• My Book Premium Edition II
• My Book Pro Edition
• My Book Pro Edition II
• My Book Studio Edition
• My Book Studio Edition II
• My Passport Studio
The following external hard drives are bootable on Power PC based Macintosh computers systems through FireWire (1394a/b):
• WD My Book Premium Edition
• WD My Book Pro Edition
The following external hard drives are not bootable on Power PC based Macintosh computers systems through USB/FireWire 1394(a/b):
• My Book Essential Edition
• My Book Essential Edition 2.0
• My Book Home Edition
• My Book Mirror Edition
• My Book Office Edition
• My Book Premium Edition II
• My Book Pro Edition II
• My Book Studio Edition
• My Book Studio Edition II
• My Passport Studio
• My Passport Elite
• My Passport Essential
• WD Passport
• WD Passport (Silver)
You will find a more up to date list on their website.

Can my start up disk be an external - forever

This one may seem like a duffus question but I wanted to be sure!
Can my start up disk where I have OS X installed be an external drive? Not as a back up but my permenant start up drive.
I ask as my Cube only has a 20GB internal (bless it) which is straining under the weight of OS X plus all associated filage.
So was thinking could have my 60GB external HD as my Start Up drive and use the Cubes 20GB internal as just storage - can I do this?
Thanks
Rob

Thanks guys.
Right have forgotten about my 60 GB external as it is old an slow, but I also have a Lacie Big disk 250gb external which is connected via FireWire 400:
- Rotational Speed (rpm): 7200
- Interface Transfer Rate: FireWire 400 up to 400Mbits/s (50MB/s)
- Average Seek Time (Write): <10 ms
- Buffer: 8MB minimum
The internal drive on my cube is as follows:
- Rotational Speed (rpm): 5400
- Interface Transfer Rate: 66 mega-bites per second.
- Average Seek Time (Write): <9.0 ms
- Buffer: 2MB
So...I am thinking that my external is better than my internal and should improve things?
Thanks also for the advice about the upgrade - I would love to and "I would if I could but I cant" - just dont have the cash so am trying to make things better with what I already have.
Rob

Warning on my HD start up disk for the core service remote management

i keep getting this "volumes needs to be repaired when i run Onyx telling me i need to do "command r" at start up to fix permisions. When i go into System Preferences the actual icon of the "start up" disk has a ? mark on top of it.
So i go into start up "command r" and run verify permissions on the Macintosh HD and this is what i am getting.
SUID File" System/library/coreservices/remotemanagement/ARDAagent.app/contents/MacOS/ARDag ent" has been modified will not be repaired.
i am uncertain what this is.. or what needs to be done. i would love any help with this one.

one more question if you do not mind , when i clicked the unhide a programn called easy suite popped up with an app for "go bridge" when i treid to find it it said that it was a windows application and not supprted by Mac... i tried to delete it but it will not delete.. any help with this?

Want to erase HD but don't have start-up disk

I'm in Disk Utility, have selected the disk on left but Volume Format dropdown and Erase buttons are greyed out so I cannot complete the erase function.
I've noted similar questions that direct the user to boot from the start-up disk but I cannot find mine :-(
Thanks in advance for your help.

Or...
Open System Preferences>Accounts, unlock the lock, click on the little plus icon, make a new admin account, log out & into the new account.
In the same pref pane highlight your old account, click the little minus icon, then use Disk Utility to Secure Erase Free Space.

Migrating Leopard Server software to new Start-up disk

I have a new Xserve that I had configured with 3 -15K drives and the internal raid card and striped all 3 drives into one datapool for max performance. I am running the OS on this raid pool along with our rip software that loves lots of disk space and speed, thus the reason for the striped 15k drives. Lately I have noticed that while this software is running, it basically locks out access to a lot of the Finder functions or mounted drives on our network as well as clients have some hiccups to the shared out folders from this Xserve as well as the folders that are mounted locally on their machines. You basically have to either stop the software or wait until there is not activity before you can even access anything on the machine.
I would like to migrate the O.S. to an external 1tb firewire 800 drive I have and boot from there as I believe the issues are coming from the amount of disk activity that our rip software is causing, basically gagging the O.S. from doing it's job to it's fullest being on a shared raid volume.
So my question finally is, what is the best way to migrate my O.S. as it is set up now to the external drive and then just change start up disks and be back in business. I will break up the raid if I have to and go down to a striped volume of just 2 - 15K drives and leave the other for the O.S. if needed but I wanted to give the rip software as much spool space as possible.
Sorry for being long winded but any help would be appreciated.
thanks,
Dan

It sounds like you've setup a RAID 5 array using the three internal disks, right?
RAID 5 is great for data protection against a failed drive, but it has an overhead for any writing (every write requires a read from all disks in the array so the controller can recalculate the parity data). Therefore is is not a good choice for disk-intensive loads.
If your RIP software is using the drive as spool space there's no advantage in RAID 5 because the files are temporary, anyway (if a drive fails you just restart the job and move on - there's little or no loss of data).
Even so, it should have to do a significant amount of activity to stall other processes, so I'm not sure it's your problem.
For best write performance, RAID 0 is your best bet - you get to drive all disks at their full speed and there's little or no delay in waiting for other drives in the chain.
RAID 1 offers good read speed (reads alternate over the separate disks to increase throughput), but has a write overhead (data has to be written to both disks simultaneously), so it might not be a good option for temp files.
what is the best way to migrate my O.S. as it is set up now to the external drive and then just change start up disks and be back in business?
Yes. That's your best bet for the OS, but it doesn't fix the data on the RAID 5 array.
If you don't want to depend on an external drive, you could also use one drive for OS/applications and stripe the remaining two drives for scratch/data.

Start-up Disk Questions

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