Volume structure, surface scan

I have a new imac, it's been with me for about 2 months total. I noticed some silly little things happening occasionally....so I used tech tools and did a scan. The volume structure failed....and the surface scan has 2 errors.
What's the significance of this? What should I do?

Probably nothing. If you used TT Deluxe I would not rely on it's results. The standard repair tool is Disk Utility which is in your Utilities folder. If you need to repair your drive do this:
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 and 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.

Similar Messages

Directory Scan and Volume Structure Failure

My imac (white, 24") has been running slow and freezing up while attempting to preview files. Ran Disc Utility and OnyX, which gave me the following permission issues:
Permissions differ on "usr/share/derby", should be drwxr-xr-x , they are lrwxr-xr-x
Repaired "usr/share/derby"
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/
But otherwise, both said the disk was fine.
Ran TechTools failed the Directory Scan, Format Scan, and Volume Scan. I restarted from a second partition on the same HD. This partition passed all tests.
I repeated all three tests on the original partition. This time, Disk Utility could not verify or repair the original partition and no longer recognized it as a valid startup disk. I erased the partition and restored from a Time Machine backup. Now, I get the following permission errors:
Permissions differ on "usr/share/derby", should be drwxr-xr-x , they are lrwxr-xr-x
Repaired "usr/share/derby"
ACL found but not expected on "Library/Preferences/Audio"
Repaired "Library/Preferences/Audio"
ACL found but not expected on "Library/Preferences/com.apple.alf.plist"
Repaired "Library/Preferences/com.apple.alf.plist"
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/
And while once again OnyX and Disk Utility says the disk is fine, Tech Tools still reports a Directory Scan failure and Volume Structure failure. A subsequent Surface Scan passed.
Ideas? Is this a software failure or a hardware failure? Both partitions are running 10.6.3. This is the second HD on this imac, the previous 750GB failed completely and could not be restored.

Kyle W wrote:
It says permissions are repaired on those items, but when I verify permissions, they are still not right.
See Mac OS X: Disk Utility's Repair Disk Permissions messages that you can safely ignore. It isn't that the permissions themselves are wrong but that the database of correct permissions on your hard drive the utility refers to has not been updated to reflect the permissions settings & directory structure changes in the most recent OS updates. This is a known issue that affects everyone, but as the article says, you can ignore it.
Mac is not experiencing the same slow down on routine items as it was before, but TechTools is still saying there's a problem.
What version of TechTools are you using? If it is not a current one it may not recognize the recent changes in the file system structure made in Snow Leopard.

Taking a stab at live help from a pro - disk volume structures

I'm taking a stab at getting some live help on an a 1-month old iMac 24". I'm using my Mac mini right now because the imac is undergoing a TechTool Deluxe Surface Scan at the moment.
Specs:
1 month old Intel iMac 24 2 GB RAM 500GB Seagate HD...
Everything's been fine. I added a firewire 800 external 500GB HD the first week, bought the registered version of Superduper, and have been making bootable images since. They work fine and the iMac is booted from it as we speak.
System froze today quitting Firefox I believe. Had to manually boot with the power switch. Got grey screen, spinning circle (NOT the colored one), nothing else.
Booted to OS X startup disk, ran disk utility, got error on disk repair. (Sorry, I don't remember what it was, but I don't think you'll need it after you hear the rest of the story).
Booted to external Firewire 800 drive, ran disk utility again, same error, wouldn't fix it.
I have Applecare on it, put Techtool Deluxe CD in, ran all the test except Surface Scan, everything passed except Volume Structure.
Told it to repair, confirmed it, Wait a few minutes and Techtool Deluxe program acts like it's working, seems to unmount the internal HD, and just quits with no error message.
bring up disk utility, same error when disk repair tried.
windowsrefugee takes deep breath
Now I reran TTD with Surface Scan checked, it's half-way through with no errors.
Keep in mind, the only problem reported by TTD is with Volume Structure but it CAN'T fix it.
Now, while it's in the middle of a surface scan that's looking good, here's my critical decision path question to any late-night guru's out there:
Should I wait til morning and call Applecare, or download Disk Warrior for $99 and fix it myself (I'm new to Macs but a DOS and Windows old-timer with a high level of expertise).
I'm boiled it down to those 2 options, simply because I don't think there is anything physically wrong with the HD, based on disk utility AND TTD telling me it's a volume structure problem (that neither one can fix).
Plus, something tells me Disk Warrior is gonna come in real handy sooner or later (looks like sooner to me
Do I have this right? What are the chances there is nothing physically wrong with the HD and what are the chances of Applecare fixing it over the phone without me having to take it to repair shop (or get a home visit if they do that-which is gonna be a hassle if I have to take in to shop as I'm disabled.
windowsrefugee inserts a big PERIOD and thanks anyone in advance for their help.
PS---I love the iMac, my Mac mini, OS X and all things Apple. My MS-based OS machines strewn all over the shop are getting very lonely for human interaction, but they're not getting any from me.

nothing wrong with HD.
I 'd suspect the third party applications. If you have the time and energy why not do a clean install and see what happens. You could run Apple Disk Utility to check that HD.
One thing in the Mac world is always check version and compatibilty with the OS system version you are running. I've run Macs since 1986 and don't use any sort of Disk Utility. No sense in it. I've owned all the ones you mentioned and still waiting for the DEFINITIVE FIX.

Tech Tool Deluxe Volume Structure test query

Hi,
Sorry if this is elsewhere, but my searches have not supplied a definitive answer.
As part of my regular maintenance routine on my iMac (mid 2010 i7 quad core) that I purchased just before Christmas, I have run the AppleCare Tech Tool Deluxe scans at regular monthly intervals with no problems, until about a month ago.
When the program does it's stuff, all tests pass, except the volume structure one (in the window showing the image of the volume structure, it says fail! above the "icon"). The final report that Tech Tool Deluxe comes out with says everything has passed. What's going on?
Because of this, I''ve also done a surface scan in the program and it was OK, as was verifying the disk in Disk Utility from the Snow Leopard DVD. I've repaired permissions and even reformatted the Macintosh HD and done a complete reinstall of the OS (not from backup), all of which come up with the same result in Tech Tool Deluxe - volume structure fails, but final report passes.
The version of Tech Tool Deluxe I have installed from the AppleCare disc is 3.1.3, which according to Micromat is the current one, but this is from 2009.
So my question is this:
Has the updated Snow Leopard (10.6.6) changed it's volume structure slightly meaning that Tech Tool Deluxe thinks there's a problem as it's scanning, but then ignores it for the final report, or is my HDD failing?
I've not noticed any issues whatsoever with the iMac and I have both Time Machine and bootable SuperDuper backups, so I'm not worried about my data.
Would you guys recommend ignoring it for now, or should I get Diskwarrior to check it out further?
Thanks for any help, or light that can be shed on this issue.

Hi Den,
Thanks for this, I emailed them and they are giving the usual story of "this product was developed for Apple, so you'll need to speak to them".
I've bit the bullet and purchased DiskWarrior 4.3 and by installing it onto my SuperDuper backup drive, I was able to check out the iMac's internal HD.
DiskWarrior was able to find errors in file structure and permissions etc (it didn't give details) and was able to repair them. After rebooting into the internal HDD, I ran TechTool Deluxe 3.1.3 again, and this time it said that it failed the volume structure during the test and then in the final report. It tried to get me to download the repair version of the software, but the web page that opened had nothing to do with TechTool's download. As a little self test, I ignored it and ran the test again. This time, it failed during the test (as normal) and then said that it passed in the final report.
I have therefore come to the conclusion that if Disk Utility AND DiskWarrior say that it's fine, then the issue must be with TechTool Deluxe. At least it doesn't seem to be an issue with the actual drive.
I admit that I was getting suspicious of TechTool when a fresh install on a reformatted HDD said that the volume structure failed and then passed. There must be something different about the current version of Snow Leopard comared to that at the time of release of version 3.1.3 of Tech Tool Deluxe.
Thanks for all your help guys.
Obviously, if someone can prove me wrong, that would help me ascertain as to what is going on.
Message was edited by: pdscott

TechTool Surface Scan 1000+ Errors. Replace Drive or Reformat?

My computer recently began freezing whenever I tried to open certain files. I found that each time the computer locked up, a Disk0s2 error flashed in the Console. After checking the SMART Status of my drive (Verified) and running Disk Utility (Repair Disk and Permissions), the problems persisted today. I ran a TechTool Surface Scan and found that my hard drive has over 1000 errors. My question is, should I take the time to reformat the drive and zero over it or should I replace my 3.5 year old hard drive?
Thanks!

jbend32 wrote:
Thanks for your response. I was afraid that the writing was on the wall with this one.
Methinks you're correct.
When I ran Repair Disk, it found two errors, one about a discrepancy in the volume of files and another in the volume directory count. It told me that 1 HFS Volume had been repaired. I'm not sure what this really means.
Always run RD repeatedly until you get two "clean" runs in a row. Each time RD fixes something, something else may be affected, or may not show up until the first thing is fixed.
RD attempts to fix the directory structure, basically the locations of every bit of millions of bits of data scattered across the HD platters. If this directory becomes corrupt, then the data cannot be located/accessed, even if it is still "intact" (would require data recovery software).
As far as an HD replacement goes, it looks like the Seagate Momentum XT might be a good option. Any thoughts?
If 5 people respond to that question, you could easily get 5 different opinions. For my preferences, Seagate has slipped over the last year or two, and although I like the idea of their hybrid drive, I will not buy one until I see reviews reflecting consistent quality. That is my recommendation to you; take a look at some reviews (Tom's hardware, newegg, Amazon, xlr8yourmac, etc.) and see what looks good to you. Another thought, I like to compare it to car brand loyalty. Is a Chevy or a Toyota or a Ford or a Honda, etc. "better?" My current favorite is Hitachi.
Message was edited by: tjk

10.5.8 update corrupted the Volume Structure of my MacBook Pro and iMac

After installing the 10.5.8 update on my Macbook Pro AND my iMac, BOTH computers refuse to boot up. If I boot from a TechTool Deluxe DVD and run the system scan, It fails both the Directory Scan and the Volume Structure test. The only common application on these computers is the Fusion PC emulator. I was reading that the newest update fixed problems with this application. PLEASE HELP!!!

Some general advice on updating:
It is worth noting that it is an extreme rarity for updates to cause upsets to your system, as they have all been extensively beta-tested, but they may well reveal pre-existing ones, particularly those of which you may have been unaware. If you are actually aware of any glitches, make sure they are fixed before proceeding further.
So before you do anything else:
If you can, make a full backup first to an external hard disk. Ideally you should always have a bootable clone of your system that enables you to revert to the previous pre-update state.
Turn off sleep mode for both screen and hard disk.
Disconnect all peripherals except your keyboard and mouse.
1. Repair Permissions (in Disk Utility)
2. Verify the state of your hard disk using Disk Utility. If any faults are reported, restart from your install disk (holding down the C key), go to Disk Utility, and repair your startup disk. Restart again to get back to your startup disk.
At least you can now be reasonably certain that your system does not contain any obvious faults that might cause an update/upgrade to fail.
3. Download the correct version of the COMBO update from the Apple download site.
The Combo updater of Leopard 10.5.8 can be found here:
http://support.apple.com/downloads/MacOS_X_10_5_8_ComboUpdate
If you prefer to download updates via Software Update in the Apple menu (which would ensure that the correct version for your Mac was being downloaded), it is not recommended to allow SU to install major (or even minor) updates automatically. Set Software Update to just download the updater without immediately installing it. There is always the possibility that the combined download and install (which can be a lengthy process) might be interrupted by a power outage or your cat walking across the keyboard, and an interrupted install will almost certainly cause havoc. Once it is downloaded, you can install at a time that suits you. You should make a backup copy of the updater on a CD in case you ever need a reinstall.
Full details about the 10.5.8 update here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3606
More information on using Software Updater here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24901?viewlocale=en_US
Using the Combo updater ensures that all system files changed since the original 10.5.0 are included, and any that may have been missed out or subsequently damaged will be repaired. The Delta updater, although a temptingly smaller download, only takes you from the previous version to the new one, i.e. for example from 10.5.7 to 10.5.8. Software Update will generally download the Delta updater only. The preferable Combo updater needs to be downloaded from Apple's download site.
Now proceed as follows:
4. Close all applications and turn off energy saving and screensaver.
5. Unplug all peripherals except your keyboard and mouse.
6. Install the update/upgrade. Do not under any circumstances interrupt this procedure. Do not do anything else on your computer while it is installing. Be patient.
7. When it ask for a restart to complete the installation, click restart. This can take longer than normal, there are probably thousands of files to overwrite and place in the correct location. Do nothing while this is going on.
8. Once your Mac is awake, repair permissions again, and you should be good to go!
If your Mac seems slightly sluggish or ‘different’, perform a second restart. It can’t hurt and is sometimes efficacious!
9. Open a few of your most used applications and check that all is OK. In this connection please remember that not all manufacturers of third party applications and plug-ins, add-ons, haxies etc, will have had time to do any necessary rewrites to their software to make them compliant with the latest version of your operating system. Give them a weeks or two while you regularly check their websites for updates. This applies particularly to plug-ins for Safari 4.
N.B. Do not attempt to install two different updates at the same time as each may have different routines and requirements. Follow the above recommendations for each update in turn.
Lastly, Apple's own article on the subject of Software Update may also be useful reading:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106695
If you are updating Safari (or just have):
Input Managers from third parties can do as much harm as good. They use a security loophole to reach right into your applications' code and change that code as the application starts up. If you have installed an OS update and Safari is crashing, the very first thing to do is clear out your InputManagers folders (both in your own Library and in the top-level /Library), log out and log back in, and try again.
So, disable all third party add-ons before updating Safari, as they may not have been updated yet for the new version. Add them back one by one. If something goes awry, remove it again and check on the software manufacturer's website for news of an update to match your version of Safari.
Most errors reported here after an update are due to an unrepaired or undetected inherent fault in the system, and/or a third party add-on.
Additional tips on software installation here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106692
To reiterate, Input Managers reach right into an application and alter its code. This puts the behavior of the affected application outside the control and responsibility of its developers: a recipe for problems. That's not to say that issues absolutely will ensue as a result of Input Managers, but you, as a user, must decide. If the functionality of a specific Input Manager or set thereof is really important to you, you may well choose to assume the associated risk.
Again, the advice is to remove all Input Managers from the following directories:
• /Library/InputManagers
• ~/Library/InputManagers
especially prior to system updates (they can always be added back one-by-one later).

Volume structure

Hi. I'm new to the mac world. I just got my 1.83ghz 1gb ram white macbook today and i'm very happy with it apart from one thing. It came with a cd that has a program called Techtool delux on it. I let it run and it said that i have a problem with the volume structure. This is what the report said:
"Volume Structure
Failed
TechTool Deluxe can scan volumes for problems related to the numerous structures that are necessary for the volumes to operate correctly. If problems are found, TechTool Deluxe can attempt to repair the damage to help reduce the chance of future problems.
If TechTool Deluxe has discovered problems with the volume structure of a volume, allow the program to repair the problem. Quite often these issues are minor, but sometimes they can be indicative of a more serious problem. If the problem persists, consider backing up the device, reformatting the media, replacing the data, and then testing again."
Can anyone tell me what this actualy means and what i can do about it?
Thanks
AON
EDIT: problem solved. sorry for the waste of a thread.

Hi, Soundgord.
I suspect the version of TechTool Deluxe (TTD) you have is incompatible with your Intel-based Mac. This may explain the result you received.
Micromat has just released TechTool Pro 4.5.1 (TTP) for Intel-based Macs. In the past, Micromat has offered inexpensive upgrades from TTD to TTP.
For PPC-based Macs, the only Tiger-compatible versions of TTD are 3.0.4 or later. See "Mac OS X 10.4: Don't use Tech Tool Deluxe 3.0.3's Volume Structure repair."
Meanwhile, I recommend instead you I suggest you run the Procedure outlined in my "Resolving Disk, Permission, and Cache Corruption" FAQ. Perform at least Steps 1-3 therein in the order specified.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
Note: The information provided in the link(s) above is freely available. However, because I own The X Lab™, a commercial Web site to which some of these links point, the Apple Discussions Terms of Use require I include the following disclosure statement with this post:
I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

Volume Structure Failed message

When I run the Techtool Deluxe software on both hard drives, the original hard drive from Apple and another WD 320 drive I bought and installed I get the Volume Structure Failed message on both and Techtool Deluxe cannot repair either. Anyone have ideas on what is causing this problem and what it means?
Volume Structure
Failed
TechTool Deluxe can scan volumes for problems related to the numerous structures that are necessary for the volumes to operate correctly. If problems are found, TechTool Deluxe can attempt to repair the damage to help reduce the chance of future problems.
If TechTool Deluxe has discovered problems with the volume structure of a volume, allow the program to repair the problem. Quite often these issues are minor, but sometimes they can be indicative of a more serious problem. If the problem persists, consider backing up the device, reformatting the media, replacing the data, and then testing again.

Disk First Aid's repair process only works on a single pass basis. That is, it will make a pass, and attempt to repair the first problem it encounters, then exit. In order to successfully use Disk FirtAid's repair process, you must perform the repair numerous times, until no error message is displayed.
When Disk First Aid completes without any error message, then any repairs were performed successfully. If the error messages always continue, then it was unable to make the needed repairs.
The only problem with this process is, how many times to try the repair process before giving up, since the process doesn;t give you any idea of many more passes will be needed. You know a message, like, "Hey, almost done, maybe two more passes" would be helpful.
Instead you just need to guess, and if it takes more then four or five passes, it is probably beyond the ability of Disk First Aid to repair. However, it is still possible that fsck (file system check) may be able to complete the repair that Disk Utility was trying to fix. Actually Disk Utility uses the fsck program, but fsck when run from the single user mode can be more effective, since the file system can be completely unmounted and checked.
To run fsck from single user mode, restart your Mac and hold down the Command key plus the S key (apple key and the S key held at the same time while restarting). The screen should show lines of text flowing by ending with a command prompt. at the command prompt, enter /sbin/fsck -fy and hit return.
If problems are encountered an repaired, a message saying FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED will appear. Like Disk First AId, you need to run fsck multiple times until the above message is not displayed and instead a message says the volume xxxx appears to be OK appears. When this happens, or when you decide that no amount of running fsck will work, then at the command prompt enter reboot and hit return.
Good luck.
Tom N.

Help with disk repair: "Volume Structure" failed

Hello all:
For the sake of full disclosure let me state right off that I am new to the world of MAC and my not have all the "MAC language" correct - so, if I misspeak (or miss-write) something I apologize.
I have recently purchased an iMac (21.5" - 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo - 4 GB 1067 MHz RAM - 1 TB harddrive) with OS X 10.6.2 installed. I have to say that after over 20 years with MicroSoft I am enjoying the stability and quality of the MAC.
Anyway, as part of my education in the care and feeding of a MAC I ran the TechTool app yesterday. I had no indication that anything was wrong with the computer - but, I would like to become familiar with the various utilities for the care of the machine "before" a problem occurs.
As the app ran I was pleased to see that all the tests passed (Processor, RAM, Video RAM, etc...). However the computer failed the last test: Volume Structure.
Here are the directions I was given at the end of the test:
Volume Structure
Failed
TechTool Deluxe can scan volumes for problems related to the numerous structures that are necessary for the volumes to operate correctly. If problems are found, TechTool Deluxe can attempt to repair the damage to help reduce the chance of future problems.
If TechTool Deluxe has discovered problems with the structure of a volume, allow the program to repair the problem. Quite often these issues are minor, but sometimes they can be indicative of a more serious problem. If the problem persists, consider backing up the device, reformatting the media, replacing the data, and then testing again.
I was also instructed to access the Apple site and download the most recent version of TechTool Deluxe that can perform repairs.
I downloaded the software and followed the instructions to open the file in the Disk Utility app and burn a CD. Following the directions I then booted up on the CD by restarting the computer while holding the "C" key.
The computer booted up on the CD and loaded TechTool Deluxe. I ran the same tests as above and once again the Volume Structure failed. When I clicked on repair it seemed as though the program was trying to fix the problem - then it abruptly stopped and stated that the Volume Structure could not be repaired.
I removed the TechTool CD, rebooted the computer, installed the TechTool Deluxe that I downloaded from Apple, and ran the Disk Utility. When I tried to "Verify" the disk this is what appeared:
Disk Utility stopped verifying "Macintosh HD"
This disk needs to be repaired. Start up your computer with another disk (such as your Mac OS X installation disc), and then use Disk Utility to repair this disk.
Following these instructions I rebooted the computer using the Mac OS X installation disk - and the only option I found was for an installation of the OS.
OK.... I give up. Where do I go from here? Is this a serious problem? What the £$%& is going on??!!
Any assistance would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Mike

Don't worry - volume structure issues are not serious at all. Follow These Apple Instructions on how to repair your HD using Disk Utility on your installation discs.
You might also consider acquiring a good 3rd party Utility app as there are many things they can do that Apple's DU cannot. DiskWarrior and Drive Genius are my favourites. I use them as part of my routine maintenance schedule. Prevention is better than cure. I believe one should be in every Mac user's arsenal.

Tech Tool Deluxe 'Surface Scan Failed-'

Surface scan repeatedly failing, no recent change to iBook settings, I suspect that this problem may have been caused by m-audio software, however I believe it has been properly uninstalled. Advice?
Error message reads;
'Surface Scan Failed - 212 errors
The Surface Scan test will scan the disk for bad blocks.
Media defects cause this test to fail. You should consider backing up the device, reformatting the media, replacing the data, and then testing again.'
I am unsure as what this report is prompting me to do. What does the term 'media' mean in this context? Which data should I be trying to replace?
Please forward any tips on how to resolve this issue.
<Post Relocated by Moderator>

When I use the disk utility application the volume passes verification, is this contrary to Tech Tools or are they analyzing different elements of the drive?
Yes, different, DU is just basically checking part of the drive, where Directory info is stored & such.
Laptop drives are generally a lot shorter lived than regular drives, which now seem to last 3 to 5 tears.
Although these errors are present it doesn't seem to be effecting my day to day running of things at the moment...
There's a Train Wreck coming up ahead though, you can avoid it, or wait 'till it hits!
Not certain which iBook G4 you have, but here's some ideas on HD replacements...
http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgrades.cfm?sort=pop&model=198&type=DataStorage&TI=5904&shoupgrds=ShowUpgrades

Persistent surface scan error on techtool- please help

My Powerbook started running slower than usual, so I decided to run the Techtool Deluxe cd I got with my Apple Care plan. I ran all the tests. My result: 5 errors in the Surface Scan test.
I didn't know what to do, so I took my Powerbook to the Apple store Genius Bar. The guy just said I needed to reformat my HD. So, I did the "erase and install" reformat at the store.
But, the genius bar guy didn't seem to know what he was talking about, so after I did all the software updates at home, I decided to run the Techtool Deluxe cd again. Again, the results showed I had 5 errors in the Surface Scan test, even after I had completely reformatted my hard drive.
I had the 3.0.4 version of Techtool, and just to be safe that it wasn't out of date, I installed it on my computer and updated it to version 3.1.2.
With the updated 3.1.2 Techtool Deluxe program, I ran all the tests again.
And STILL I have 5 errors on my Surface Scan test.
Here is a copy of my results (every thing else passed).
Surface Scan
Failed - 5 errors
The Surface Scan test will scan the disk for bad blocks.
Media defects cause this test to fail. You should consider backing up the device, reformatting the media, replacing the data, and then testing again.
Please help! What am I supposed to do???? (I don't think reformatting my HD will help, because I already did, and still have this problem)
Thank you!

Welcome to the Apple discussions.
When you reformatted the hard drive, did you do an erase and write zero's? That's important because that's what remaps the bad sectors of the hard drive. After booting from the OS X CD, choose disk utility, choose the hard drive, and on the erase tab, choose security options and write zero's. If you don't do this step, a plain erase or erase and install only deletes the index or catalog of the disk contents.

G4 mini has a problem with its volume structure

My G4 mini has a problem with its volume structure according to Tech Tools Deluxe. One that the application can't seem to repair. Ran it 3 times and it always hangs before it completes the fix. Never hangs in exactly the same place in the repair routine, but always hangs.
Ran these tests because for the longest time the mini would accelerate (panic) and shut down. Installation on a new system hangs before it completes the install of all the upgrades. Any help would be appreciated.

I realize it was not clear from the original post whether or not DiskUtility had been tried yet to fix the hard drive.
To use DiskUtility to repair the drive, you have to boot from the original install disc that shipped with your Mini.
1) Insert the Install disc and the shutdown the Mini.
2) Restart the Mini and hold down the C key as soon as the startup chime or beep is heard. Hold it down until you see the "gear" spinning on the screen.
3) Select your language, but don't proceed any farther with installation. Use the Utilities menu at the top of the screen to run DiskUtility.
4) In DiskUtility, click once on the hard drive in the left panel, then click on the Repair Disk button in the right panel.

Using techtool pro found problem with "volume structure". What to do?

Using techtool pro found problem with "volume structure" and this was not fixed by TECHTOOL PRO. What do you suggest I do?

I would boot from my gray install disk (put the disk in the drive and restart holding down the C key). Then choose Utilities and run Disk Utility and click Repair Disk. As always, be sure you have a back up of your data first.

IMac btree or volume structure problem?

When I turn on my 8 year old iMac I get a gray screen with the Apple logo and a narrow horizontal bar just above the logo. I tried doing a Safe Boot, but after a few minutes it restarts itself. I started it up from various CDs that came with it, and these are the results:
Apple Hardware Test CD shows no hardware problems.
OS 9.1 CD got me to the System 9 desktop. I ran Disk First Aid from the CD. The last item it checked was catalog BTree. Right after that it said unable to read from disk. I was able to copy items from the System 9 desktop to my laptop. But when I opened the Users folder on the HD to copy items from the OS X side, all I found were .localized documents. I was hoping to get to my pictures.
OS 10.0.3 CD Disk Utility - First Aid said "Reserved fields in the catalog record have incorrect data. Keys out of order." When I click Repair, it does not fix the problem.
I then downloaded Tech Tool Deluxe for Power PC and started up from that CD. It says Volume Structure failed. If I choose to rebuild, it will make some drastic changes to the original directory data, such as total files going from 193,111 to 8,595 and volume content size going from 18.6 GB to 12.1 GB. I was afraid I might lose something important, so I did not do the rebuild.
I feel like I might be in over my head. Should I take it to the Apple Store and let them deal with it? Any ideas about how to get to my pictures so I can copy them onto my laptop?
Thanks!
April

+Keys out of order+, in my experience and others here, can only be repaired with the following utility and only if it's not too far gone. It repaired that issue for me.
If Disk Utility can't fix it, you'll need a more robust utility for the repair. I would recommend DiskWarrior. It is the best at directory repairs. It rebuilds then actually replaces your old directory. I feel every Mac owner should have a copy. Make sure you get the disk so you can boot up on it to run repairs. You can also install it on another drive and run it from there to repair this one. DW works faster that way.
TechTool is just not a robust enough repair utility to fix your very serious directory corruption.
I use DW once a month to try and catch errors in my system from getting too far out of hand.
If you have a good backup, hopefully a clone of your system before you had issues, an Erase and Install will also rid you of this issue. But, beware! You will lose everything on the drive with this procedure. Let us know if you need help with that!
Cheers! DALE
p.s. Here's a rewiew of DiskWarrior 4.

Error -694 Volume Structure???

Ran tech tool cd and it could not fix volume structure error and showed error -694. Does anyone know what this means?
Just archived and reinstalled OSX yesterday to fix a boot up problem, which it did. But now after doing the needed updates - whenever I try to type something in firefox a gray screen with the power button logo pops up and says I have to restart - and when I try to open multiple documents into photoshop it won't open them - only individually.
So I figured something must be wrong - and ran the apple hardware test, disk utility and then the tech tool deluxe. Then I got the volume structure error which tech tool could not fix. Could it have something to do with permissions errors? I was trying to fix permissions and everytime I do, I get the same corrections which seems weird. Anyone got any suggestions?
I have an imac G5 with OSX version 10.3.9. 1.8 Ghz with 768MB Memory.
Here's the permissions errors I am having :
: for architecture i386 object: ./Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunes malformed object (unknown flavor for flavor number 0 in LC_UNIXTHREAD command 27 can't byte swap it)
: for architecture i386 object: ./Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/MacOS/iT unesHelper malformed object (unknown flavor for flavor number 0 in LC_UNIXTHREAD command 13 can't byte swap it)
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Displays. New permissions are 16893
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./Library/ColorSync/Profiles. New permissions are 16893
We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./System/Library/Filesystems/cd9660.fs/cd9660.util. New permissions are 33261
We are using a special uid for the file or directory ./private/var/at/jobs. New uid is 1
We are using a special uid for the file or directory ./private/var/at/spool. New uid is 1
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume
Verify/repair finished permissions on disk disk0s3 Macintosh HD
Any help would be great. I can still use my computer - but I want to get this fixed before bigger things happen...

"I can still use my computer"
STOP, you should not!
"The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume"
The information you seek is in the details!
There is nothing wrong with your permissions repair, which should be being done from the Disk Utility version located within your hard drive's Applications>Utilities folder, and not while booted from the install disc.
HOWEVER - The problem is when you boot from your grey-labeled install disc and then run Disk Utility>First Aid>Repair Disk - apparently it is not able to make any progress at all and simply reports an error -694, is that correct? I would call AppleCare and give them that error code information along with the fact that you are seeing the grey restart screen. After you ran the Repair Disk procedure, did you look in the space below for the "S.M.A.R.T. status:" which should have showed "Verified" next to it? You should also report what that shows to AppleCare.
I would not use the TechTool Deluxe CD for making repairs, except if Apple requires it, which I doubt they will. They will care much more about the results of Apple Hardware Test and the other symptoms that you are seeing.
The grey screen that pops up demanding a restart is a kernel panic, caused by either hardware or software. Combining this with your Apple Hardware Test's error code about your hard drive, I think you should be prepared for the possibility that you may, at any moment, lose the use of your hard drive forever. Back up anything important, and do not store anything new on it.

Volume structure, surface scan

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