help please... how do I fix this/what do I do with this?

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help please... how do I fix this/what do I do with this?

I used disk utility after a software update... After verifying and repairing the disk permissions, I verified the disk.

When I first verified the disk, it prompted me for my admin. password.

I got a little scared, so I verified it again. This time, it didn't ask for my password. It basically said:

*Verifying volume “Hardisk”*
*Checking HFS Plus volume.*
*Checking Extents Overflow file.*
*Checking Catalog file.*
*Checking multi-linked files.*
*Checking Catalog hierarchy.*
*Checking Extended Attributes file.*
*Checking volume bitmap.*
*Checking volume information.*
*Volume Header needs minor repair*
*The volume Hardisk needs to be repaired.*

*Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit*

*1 HFS volume checked*
*Volume needs repair*

I want to click the 'repair disk' button on disk utility but it's always disabled.

How do I fix this? Should I just say goodbye to my beloved iBook of 4 years???

I hope not... This laptop is like an extension of me... **sniff, sniff**

thanks so much!

P.S.
Sorry if this question has been asked before...

iBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Dec 24, 2007 9:29 PM

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Answer 1

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solar servant

Level 1

75 points

Dec 24, 2007 10:18 PM in response to minasha_lee

You can try to repair the disk by booting from the OSX cd that came with the computer and then running the disk utility repair function on the computers internal drive.

Insert the CD, restart, and then press and hold down "C" as soon as you hear the startup chime. The computer will boot from the CD and then you can run disk utility. Once this has (hopefully) been successful, you can go to system preferences/startup disk and select the internal hard drive and then restart.

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Answer 2

Dec 25, 2007 4:16 AM in response to minasha_lee

The results you are getting are because you are trying to run Disk Utility's repair on the disk it is actually running on: you can't do this. As solar servant says, you need to start up from your install disk and run Disk Repair from there.

An alternative is to download Applejack and install it. When you start up in single-user mode (command-S while booting) it will give you options for disk repair, premissions repair etc. It's quite safe: it simply provides a friendly way of accessing the Disk Repair facility in the Unix base that OSX runs on.

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Answer 3

Dec 25, 2007 4:24 AM in response to minasha_lee

I always seem to lose my OS X DVDs so what I do is I go to System Preferences > Startup Disk and select Target Disk Mode. This reboots the machine and makes it behave like an external hard disk. You can then connect it via Firewire to another machine and use Disk Utility on the external disk.

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Answer 4

minasha_lee Author

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Dec 25, 2007 5:09 AM in response to solar servant

My original installer disks are for Mac OS version 10.3.5.

But I upgraded to tiger (10.4.11) because I changed my hard disk from 30GB to 80GB.

Will that still work?

Now, my mom has a MacBook and her installer disks are for Mac OS version 10.4.10.

Can I use that instead? Thanks so much! C:

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Answer 5

minasha_lee Author

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Dec 25, 2007 5:13 AM in response to minasha_lee

thanks so much for all your inputs! I'm eternally grateful! C:

thank you for helping me 'save' my iBook... C:

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Answer 6

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Dec 25, 2007 5:24 AM in response to minasha_lee

You are running 10.4.x. You need a Tiger 104.x installer disk. You shouldn't use your 10.3.5 disk. You shouldn't use your mom's MacBook installer disk in as much as that is machine specific. Where is the disk you used to install Tiger? If you don't have it and/or it is not available then do the following:
Boot Mac OS X in single user mode, by holding down Command + S.
Do a filesystem check: type,
fsck -yf (hit return.)
If fsck reports repairs performed repeat the process until it doesn't for two consecutive times then,

Shut down the mac: type,
shutdown -h now (hit return.)

Now boot your Mac. If fsck cannot repair then you will need a stronger disk repair utility like DiskWarrior. In any case you want to have your Tiger installer disk.

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Answer 7

minasha_lee Author

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Dec 25, 2007 9:25 AM in response to sig

The disk belongs to the installer guy...

Someone suggested AppleJack... I might try that one.

Unfortunately, you have to buy DiskWarrior. Sadly I don't have the funds for that.

Thanks for the info. I'll try it out soon... C:

Again, thanks so much! Happy holidays!

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Answer 8

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Dec 25, 2007 10:32 AM in response to minasha_lee

"...The disk belongs to the installer guy... "
The disk should belong to you. How else can you repair the boot drive? How else can you reinstall the OS? You need to repair the directory. So without the Tiger installer disk follow:
Boot Mac OS X in single user mode, by holding down Command + S.
Do a filesystem check: type,
fsck -yf (hit return.)
If fsck reports repairs performed repeat the process until it doesn't for two consecutive times then,

Shut down the mac: type,
shutdown -h now (hit return.)

Now boot your Mac. If fsck cannot repair then you will need a stronger disk repair utility like DiskWarrior. If you cannot afford DiskWarrior then your other option is to do an Erase & Install of the OS. So, back up your files and get the installer disk.

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Answer 9

minasha_lee Author

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Dec 25, 2007 9:51 PM in response to sig

sig wrote:
The disk should belong to you. How else can you repair the boot drive? How else can you reinstall the OS?

* Sigh... * Yeah, I know... I'm kind of screwed. But I'm hoping AppleJack (because it's free... and I don't want to pirate) can solve this. Anyways, my mom and I are thinking of updating to Leopard... Which means, new installer disks. :P

thanks so much for telling me what to do...
because if you didn't... well, let's not think about that. Happy holidays!

😉 -- ooh... cute! I didn't know they had emoticons here...! 🙂

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Answer 10

Dec 26, 2007 12:21 AM in response to minasha_lee

my mom and I are thinking of updating to Leopard...

Note that Applejack is not yet compatible with Leopard: don't use it if you do upgrade (of course you will have Disk Utility on the install disks as you say).

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Answer 11

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Dec 26, 2007 4:43 AM in response to minasha_lee

AppleJack won't repair directory problems. Just be aware.

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Answer 12

minasha_lee Author

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Dec 26, 2007 6:10 AM in response to sig

sig wrote:
directory problems.

uhmmm... what are those? c:

thanks. 🙂

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Answer 13

Dec 26, 2007 8:10 AM in response to minasha_lee

The check that Applejack runs is exactly the same as Disk Utility's repair. I'm not sure what sig is saying - my understanding was that this check made the directory conform to the files - sometimes, for example, the director might show a file to the incorrect length, and the check would correct this. Alsoft's DiskWarrior actually completely rebuilds the directory by reading the contents of the disk, and so corrects errors and optimises the directry at the same time: it will sometimes catch things that Disk Utility/Applehack won't. The advantage of Applejack is that you have a list of things it will do, and you hit one key to start them (disk repair, permissions repair, cache clear, etc) instead of having to type obscure Unix commands.

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Answer 14

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Dec 26, 2007 10:27 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

"...The advantage of Applejack is that you have a list of things it will do, and you hit one key to start them (disk repair, permissions repair, cache clear, etc) instead of having to type obscure Unix commands."

As long as you know what you're doing.

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Answer 15

minasha_lee Author

Level 1

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Dec 26, 2007 11:15 PM in response to sig

oh...
*uhmmm... I already tried AppleJack... and I guess, so far so good...?*
*I verified my disk a while ago and this was what it said:*

Verifying volume “Hardisk”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
%)
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
The volume Hardisk appears to be OK.
Mounting Disk

1 HFS volume checked
Volume passed verification

*so I guess... everything worked out...*
*although, right after I used it, it was kind of slow when it was booting up (as in getting to the log in window...)*
*but so far, so good... I have yet to shut down though... I guess I'm kind of scared of doing that...*
*I mean, what if it doesn't 'wake up' or something?*

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