Need help with an error message: Can't repair volume.

Question

Level 4

1,556 points

Need help with an error message: Can't repair volume.

Hi, folks.

While checking my HD with Disk Utility, I found a message error. It says that I have to repair the disk but the button "Repair Disk" is not available.

The message is copied below... if anyone can read it and help me, I'd appreciate.

Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1022303 /Applications/Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004/Dreamweaver MX 2004/Contents/MacOS/Dreamweaver)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1034457 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/HTTPMail-jpellery@hotmail.com/INBOX.mbox/Messages/16 143.emlx)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1034472 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/11/05/1521797044-3222719574.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1035396 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/HTTPMail-jpellery@hotmail.com/Junk E-Mail.mbox/Messages/16148.emlx)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1035401 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/HTTPMail-jpellery@hotmail.com/Junk E-Mail.mbox/Messages/16149.emlx)
Overlapped extent allocation (file Overlapped extent allocation (file s/DisplayPictures/paulina_vasconcelos@hotmail.com/VnRhV1J0dXR3eG41aG04T3UxOXIrU lZWZ3AwPQ==.png)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1042618 /Users/Johnny/Mercury/MSN/Resources/DisplayPictures/cristina_frota@hotmail.com/ R3FDbDlPNllTRGhhUmNXd3p2Sm55clQ0aUx3PQ==.png)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1049904 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/HTTPMail-jpellery@hotmail.com/Sent Messages.mbox/Messages/16257.emlx)
Overlapped extent allocation (file Overlapped extent allocation (file ail/02/12/4236346157-3219157957.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1050553 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/HTTPMail-jpellery@hotmail.com/Drafts.mbox/Messages/1 6261.emlx)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1050558 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/HTTPMail-jpellery@hotmail.com/Drafts.mbox/Messages/1 6262.emlx)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1050573 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/HTTPMail-jpellery@hotmail.com/Drafts.mbox/Messages/1 6263.emlx)
1050573 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/HTTPMail-jpellery@hotmail.com/Drafts.mbox/Messages/1 6263.emlx
@)",1)
1054976 /Users/Johnny/Mercury/MSN/Resources/CustomEmoticons/patinhodeborracha22@hotmail .com/NUxYOXd5ZkZiRjR0Wm5Ob3NZY0p6K09oWWFnPQ==.gif
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1055000 /Users/Johnny/Mercury/MSN/Resources/DisplayPictures/patinhodeborracha22@hotmail .com/TzNFcmEzTWxaMmV4L0NOelVEUllsaEJjd1BRPQ==.png)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1057743 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/POP-joaopaulo@yazigi.com@pop3@yazigi.com/Sent Messages.mbox/Messages/16313.emlx)
1057743 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/POP-joaopaulo@yazigi.com@pop3@yazigi.com/Sent Messages.mbox/Messages/16313.emlx
t allocation (file %@)",1)
1057789 /Users/Johnny/Documents/Yazigi/Events/OFICIO_SDUMA.doc
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1057880 /Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Clipart/Yázigi)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058044 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/04/11/2078440011-2247275449.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058045 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/10/07/0272707744-3809369458.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file Overlapped extent allocation (file ny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/15/2244060425-1075118591.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058051 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/09/11/0695285650-1820972980.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058052 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/11/0589583874-0597952182.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058053 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/05/12/0478257501-4274710467.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file Overlapped extent allocation (file Mail/00/01/0993945094-0587616530.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058055 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/05/0791764484-0602406228.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058056 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/15/1220797701-0859034105.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058057 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/07/1625158921-0865946749.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file Overlapped extent allocation (file 179-0596073421.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058060 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/11/1196125704-0590536112.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058062 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/11/1422978311-0856115643.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058063 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/04/12/2763023681-0835402695.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file Overlapped extent allocation (file he)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058065 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/03/1827339531-0863388223.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058066 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/07/03/3539577467-0911802683.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058067 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/04/1321888006-0860911682.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058069 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/02/1726249226-0867834918.cache)
1058069 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/00/02/1726249226-0867834918.cache
extent allocation (file %@)",1)
1058070 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/05/01/0121999446-2569076246.cache
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058071 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/Mail/12/14/3415372742-4138529506.cache)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1058076 /Users/Johnny/Library/Application Support/Skype/joaopaulo_yazigi/chatsync/19/19e520537f725be8.dat)
Overlapped extent allocation (file Overlapped extent allocation (file nc/d5/d5f85bf4508148d5.dat)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1074308 /Users/Johnny/Library/Caches/com.apple.AddressBook/MetaData/2A56AA5D-FD59-4B78- BF65-25589E601017/ABPerson.abcdp)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1083386 /Users/Johnny/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/Podcasts/NEWSWEEK On Air Podcast/NEWSWEEK On Air 10 92005.mp3)
Overlapped extent allocation (file Overlapped extent allocation (file XlSOE96L2VJPQ==.png)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1094018 /Users/Johnny/Library/Application Support/Skype/joaopaulo_yazigi/chatsync/15/150fcbaa76a7fb93.dat)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1120553 /Users/Johnny/Documents/Yazigi/Events/PRELISTA ECOLOCICA2005.doc)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1182160 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/POP-joaopaulo@yazigi.com@pop3@yazigi.com/Sent Messages.mbox/Messages/17264.emlx)
Overlapped extent allocation (file Overlapped extent allocation (file /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/POP-joaopaulo@yazigi.com@pop3@yazigi.com/Sent Messages.mbox/Messages/17267.emlx)
Overlapped extent allocation (file 1182217 /Users/Johnny/Library/Mail/POP-joaopaulo@yazigi.com@pop3@yazigi.com/Sent Messages.mbox/Messages/17269.emlx)
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.

Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Volume Bit Map needs minor repair_
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume free block count_
(It should be 3677631 instead of 3677630)
The volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired.

Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit

1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair

Thanks in advance.

JP

iBook G4 12 1.33GHz 1GB RAM, Mac OS X (10.4.4), iPod Mini 4GB, Sony Cybershot P41

Posted on Jan 21, 2006 10:47 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jan 21, 2006 11:05 AM in response to JP Ellery

You will need to try and repair the drive with Disk Warrior. Otherwise, the only option is to reformat the drive. Note that DW may not be successful in fixing all the errors, and you may end up having to reformat anyway.

It may be possible to fix the problem manually, but it's quite involved. Here's the info:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25770

Manually fix Overlapped Extent Allocation Errors without Disk Warrior

Overlapped overlapped extent allocation errors can be the bane of any Mac user's existence. Often, these errors go unnoticed until the problem becomes visible: your Mac might refuse to boot, crash unexpected, or worse, critical data might disappear from the Finder. Disk Utility can detect, but not fix overlapped extent allocation errors, and certain third-party utilities, such as Alsoft Diskwarrior, can fix them, but generally without reporting the consequences.

Overlapped extent allocation error occur when the file system thinks that two files are occupying the same area on the hard disk, hence overlapping on the same "inode," which is the structure which holds the location of the data blocks the file occupies, and also file permissions and flags.

Clearing the "overlapped" or "overallocated" extent allocation essentially means that you'll have to lose some data, because the only way to remove the overlap is to delete the file that's occupying the inode. So, if you suspect, or find out, that the guilty file is a critical system file that resides in one of the hidden system directories such as /etc /var /usr/ or visible system directories such as /System or /Library, and you don't want to reinstall the whole OS (which might not fix the overlapped extent allocation anyway), it's good to have another disk available to copy the files back to your original disk if necessary: a second bootable hard drive or a firewire drive connected to your Mac when you remove the misbehaving file. Just make sure that when you copy the file back to your boot disk that the permissions are correct, so it's best to use the "ditto" command, so that all sticky bits, flags, and permissions are preserved.

In case you didn't know, you don't have to boot from an install CD in order to check for overlapped extent allocations. All you need to do is restart your Mac, while holding down command + S to boot in "single-user mode."

At the command prompt that appears, type:

$ fsck -fy

If you have an overlapped extent allocation, you'll see:

"Overlapped Extent Allocation" (File 123456d)

No matter how many times you run fsck -fy, you'll never be rid of the error.

So, simply issue the following command:

find / -inum 123456 -print

Note the "d" was dropped, or any extra letter that appears after the inode number.

The find will return a file name that matches with the inode number, and the path to that file. If you remove the file then the fsck will not return this error next time you run it.

However, before you can delete the file(s) in single-user mode, you'll need to mount the file system. Type:

$ mount -uw /

When done, issue the "sync" command, and that will flush the write cache so that all pending writes are written from memory to the disk. Also, since most OS X 10.3 Macs use the HFS+ Journaled file system, it might be a good idea to disable the journal before booting into single-user mode by typing:

$ sudo diskutil disableJournal /

then re-enable it when done fixing the overlapped extents and rebooting normally:

$ sudo diskutil enableJournal /

Chris Anderson is a long-time Linux propellerhead who just got his first Mac, an ibook G4, and can't keep his hands off of it. He currently works as a "The Architect" and general visionary for a maker of world-class collectibles.

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Answer 2

JP Ellery Author

Level 4

1,556 points

Jan 22, 2006 6:47 AM in response to Kappy

That's great but, is that correct?

Hi Kappy,

When I read your post I got really scared, but then, I took a deep breath and started following your procedures.

The problem (I mean, solution) is that when I ran fsck for the first time in single-user mode, it repaired my disk.

At first, it did return overlapped files as you predicted, actually, it returned about 30 files that were overlapped. Most of them were in library/chace/mail, others in application support/skype and just 1 was in a folder I would consider critical data for me, my Mail Inbox.

But before fsck allowed me to type anything else, it started fixing the disk by itself and in the end, it told me "data was modified" (or something like that, I can't remember.

Since it asked me to reboot, I did but, in single-user mode again, and ran fsck again. This time it returned the message telling me my disk was ok. I found it weird and ran it again. Same message. I rebooted in normal mode and ran disk utility and got this message:

Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”
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 Macintosh HD appears to be OK.
Mounting Disk

1 HFS volume checked
Volume passed verification

I hope this is really true and that my disk is really ok. I was wondering if this is a new feature of 10.4.4, since all documents I found would refer to 10.4.2 or 10.4.3.

Anyway, everything seems to be ok here and I do hope it IS ok. 🙂

Your post was greatly helpful. Thank you very much.

JP

BTW, I found the first error message while doing some maintainance on my iBook. I deleted lots of duplicated files (thanks iTunes for this 😟 ), deleted useless printer drivers (backed the up in CDs first), organized some messy folders, cleaned it (iKlear is really good) and repaired permissions. Would you suggest any other precautions? Any other regular maintainance procedure I should do?

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