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Files are disappearing from the computer repeatedly

starting last week, randomly all the files will be gone. all applications installed will still be there, but every file the user has ever created will disappear completely. We have Crashplan running backup constantly, so we are able to restore the files, but a few days later, all the files will be gone again and we have to restore again. by gone I mean completely gone. search for any file and it doesn't exist. eerything on the desktop or in any folders (the folders are gone too.) all the programs will be there and be unable to find any recent saves.


What is causing this and how do I fix it? This is a computer at the office with a single user, no one is logging in as a guest. I think it's running snow leopard - unsure of the version.

iMac

Posted on May 29, 2012 11:40 PM

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Posted on May 30, 2012 7:03 AM

Repair the drive with Disk Utility


Try Disk Utility

  1. Start from your Mac OS X Install disc: Insert the installation disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
  2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
    Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
  3. Click the First Aid tab.
  4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
  5. Select your Mac OS X volume.
  6. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.

Tip: Always start up your computer from an Install or Restore disc when using Disk Utility to verify or repair your startup volume. Otherwise, you might see some disk error messages.


http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417


Get the free demo of SMART Utility to check the drive, which sounds like it might be failing.


http://www.volitans-software.com/smart_utility.php


(You're in the older iMac PPC area. Your Mac, if it's running Snow Leopard, must be a newer Intel, not PPC)

4 replies
Question marked as Best reply

May 30, 2012 7:03 AM in response to firefly51

Repair the drive with Disk Utility


Try Disk Utility

  1. Start from your Mac OS X Install disc: Insert the installation disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
  2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
    Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
  3. Click the First Aid tab.
  4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
  5. Select your Mac OS X volume.
  6. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.

Tip: Always start up your computer from an Install or Restore disc when using Disk Utility to verify or repair your startup volume. Otherwise, you might see some disk error messages.


http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417


Get the free demo of SMART Utility to check the drive, which sounds like it might be failing.


http://www.volitans-software.com/smart_utility.php


(You're in the older iMac PPC area. Your Mac, if it's running Snow Leopard, must be a newer Intel, not PPC)

May 30, 2012 3:08 PM in response to WZZZ

thank you!

it's an iMac a few years old, it says its running version 10.6.8 - and an intel core duo if that helps.

our last IT person said they installed snow leopard but we don't have any disks. Things went missing after they left.

Is there a way to fix it without inserting a disk?


I ran the smart utility and it says the drive is fine.

May 30, 2012 5:20 PM in response to firefly51

I spent a bit of time at the Crashplan website - which one do you use? Do you back up to external hard drives, other Macs, or to a server online? I could not find anything regarding the system requirments - are you sure what you have is compatible with Snow Leopard?


And, out of curiosity, why would you not be using either Time Machine (built in) or a cloning utility such as Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper? All are fully compatible with SL and Lion and work well.

Files are disappearing from the computer repeatedly

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