Disk error: invalid volume file count & directory count message

True, the last time I had a bad card it took three runs to discover it.

Allan

No problems reported by Rember after 3 runs.

Please note Rember cannot test all rhe memory, just the memory not being used by OS X. I suggested using Rember becaue it does not involve using the command line. To test more of your memory, boot into single user mode and run MEMTEST from the command line if you know how to do this (i don't). The best way to test your RAM memory is from the command line in single user mode since it can test more of your memory.

Bad memory may not always fail. Sometimes it will work and another time it will fail. Set rember to run its tests several times and leave it to run overnight.

Rember is based on MEMTEST. In single user mode more memory will be freed up to test. As an alternative you can boot into SAFE Mode by holding the shift key at the start-up chime. SAFE mode loads the minimum OS X componets to start up. Make sure when testing the memory you have selected the option to test all available memory.

Once again my google searches led me to believe that there may be more than one cause for this disk corrption. Many hypotheses but few solutions. If you are sure that your memory is correctly working another solution I found in my google searches is to try rebuilding the Spotlight Index. There is a theory that the file structure of Hard Disks in 10.6 (Snow Leopard) may be relying on the indexing done by spotlight. If the spotlight index is corrupt it may lead to a corruption on the hard disk. Before I realized my RAM was not functioning correctly I rebuilt the spotlight index and this reduced the frequency of the re-occurence of the HD corruption.

You can easily rebuild the Spotlight index with the utility OnyX. Launch OnyX. Under the Tab Automation check under Rebuilding->Spotlight Index. This will force Spotlight to rebuild its index.

Rebuilding the Spotlight Index may solve the corruption issue. For me it reduced its frequency.

I believe bad Ram was the cause of the corruption for me. If your RAN is functioning correctly, there may be more than one cause for the corruption. Please be sure your memory is working by running the test multiple times before you claim it is working.

RAM passes 4 runs of Memtest without any errors. So something else is causing recurrent corruption of Spotlight file, leading to the recurrent errors in volume file count and directory count. I have become to re-index Spotlight (using Alfred which is running all the time on my machine rather than Onyx or similar program).

I'll try running Rember on one of my machines today, but don't you think with my findings listed earlier that this is a 10.6 issue. 3 different types of machines with the same error, possibly all having a RAM issue?

I doubt that RAM defects are the major cause of this issue. Too many people have reported it and some have cured it by identifying responsible software. I tested my RAM on my MacBook Pro (which is only 9 months old with 8 GB of Apple RAM) with Memtest in single user mode: no errors after 4 repeat checks.

I had this identical problem on my MacBook Core 2 Duo prior to getting the MacBook Pro, both using OS X 10.6.8.

When I was using Crashplan and reported this problem to Crashplan Tech Support, they suggested that since Crashplan uses the Spotlight database to determine what files need backing up, corruption of the Spotlight File could be problem. Re-indexing Spotlight eliminated the errors without having to run Disk Warrior or Applejack to fix them.

I don't know what Software is causing the problem now on my MacBook Pro. I could turn off Spotlight, but then I would not be able to use Alfred or HoudaSpot, both of which rely on Spotlight. I could go back to using LaunchBar and FindAnyFile, neither of which use Spotlight index, but I prefer Alfred.

So far, even when I detect the Directory and Volume File errors, I have not noticed any problems with any the applications, either on the MacBook or current MacBook Pro.

I'm sorry if this is completely irrelevant, but maybe there's a chance...

I know that AppleWorks is not supported anymore, but we install it for users in our building just so they can read and convert cwk files. Does anyone else still use that/could this be a key to this problem?

I have never used Appleworks and have not used any PPC applications on my MacBook Pro other than Eudora 6.2.4.

Something has happened, either as a result of 2012 Security Updates 001 or 002 or fixes in various applications that make use of Spotlight, but my MacBook Pro has not experienced any of the disk errors since April 24th. Prior to that time, it has developed errors every 24-48 hours.

Third party Aps I use which involved Spotlight database are Alfred, Houdah Spot.

I've had this same corruption issues with my iMac for years. I have an iMac running snow leopard 10.6.8 and I've had these "Invalid volume file count" and "Invalid volume directory count" errors for over 3 years. Nothing I have done to try and fix this has worked. I've replaced RAM, I've replaced the logic board, I've replaced the graphics card, I've repalced the HD, I've replaced the power supply, I've gone through every software uninstall, reinstall, reset, recreate accounts, re-whatever imaginable and I still get these errors regularly. There is not one solution imaginable I have not tried short of throwing my Mac out the window. I would say I've had as many problems with my iMac as I had with my Dell prior to switching to Apple.

I know the corruption problem and freezing is coming when I start seeing weird lines running across my screen or weird font distortions. I often get the Mac's version of the blue screen of death - everything freezes and the beach ball starts spinning after a while. I've contacted Steve Jobs and Tim Cook about this and although they had senior techs call me to try figure it out, no one could resolve the issue for longer than a week or so. I have to repair my disk about 2 or 3 times a week. Apple can make up every excuse in the book but in the end they have not been able to fix my computer for well over 3 years and they still won't admit it's a manufacturers defect and they're not willing to do anything about it. They were just waiting for the Applecare protection to run out so they could get rid of me. Quite unbelievable!

Lance I believe the disk corruption to be a bug in Snow Leopard and I have found a solution. Since I upgraded to Lion 10.7 I have yet to encounter this bug. I have had no disk errors with OS X 10.7.4. You bet bet in dealing with the disk corruption may be to upgrade your OS to either Lion (10.7) or Mountain Lion (10.8). Its inexpensive only $20.00 and well worth it. If you are thinking of Mountain Lion you may want to wait unti, 10.8.1 and Apple has released an update to deal with the bugs the early adopters have encountered.

I think you might be right Paul. Did you have any issues upgrading from snow leopard to Lion? I'm worried that something will go wrong and it will costs me hours of downtime, which I can't afford. Any words of advice on upgrading if I decide to do it? Have you heard of anyone having issues upgrading?

Maybe this is ignorance on my part...but I haven't really noticed the problem for awhile. I thought that Apple maybe put out an update that resolved this.

So the question is...have I had my head in the sand for the last few months, or did Apple actually resolve this? @Lance000, have you run all of the Software Updates?

They definitely have NOT solved this yet on an iMac. All my software is up to date and I've run hardware tests.

No problem upgrading tp Lion. Everthing went smoothly. My iMac has been basically bug free (except for the rare bug in non-Apple software). If you are unable to live with the disk error bug in 10.6 i highly recomend upgrading. One thing though is that I have heard that Apple has removed the link at the Apple store to Lion (users who have previously installed Lion can still reinstall Lion if they run into difficulty. So your upgrade option may only be to upgrade to Mountain Lion 10.8. Sadly my iMac (late 2006) is unable to be upgraded to Mountain Lion. If you want Lion they may be able to help you at an Apple store.