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Volume Macintosh HD could not be repaired using fsck -fd

Help please! I do not know anything about macs. I have a Windows pc and am somewhat knowledgeable about fixing them but I'm trying to help my son with his Mac Power Book G4 laptop. Its a 1.25 ghz 80gb super drive with 512 mb and 80 gb hd. His computer boots up to a command screen only. I hear the music tone when it boots up and see the grey apple but it then goes to "-sh: /etc/profile: is a directory" on first line and "-sh-2.05b#" on second line. I don't know anything about the commands but I found the only 2 disks he had and did the software install and restore with both the "c" and the "option" boot. I ran the test on the hardware and everything came back ok. I tried to reinstall saving the files (he has a lot of music) but it errors out. I tried booting from the .mac disk but still only get to the command screen. I found the fsck command and when I run it with the -fd I get the following:
/dev/rdisk0s9
Root file system
Chgecking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Keys out of order
(4, 398)
Rebuilding Catalog B-tree
The volume Macintosh HD could not be repaired.
volume type is embedded HFS+
primary MDB is at block 2 0x02
alternate MDB is at block 156299654 0x350f186
primary VHB is at block 11986 0x2ed2
alternate VHB is at block 156298086 0x950eb66
sector size = 512 0x200
VolmeObject flags = 0x1F
total sectors for volume = 156299656 0x9950f188
total sectors for embedded volume = 156286104 0x950bc98
-sh-2.05b#
I don't have access to another mac to download anything and don't know if the mac would even let me backup anything. Like I said I don't know the commands to use to check anything else. Aside from reformatting and losing all his data does anyone have any assistance you can give this struggling Mom? I'm not even sure what the OS is. I just know it's different from what's on the install and restore disk. He says it's 10.something.
I would appreciate any help you can give.

Power Book G4 15", 1.25 ghz, 512 mb 80gb super drive

Posted on Sep 18, 2006 9:53 AM

Reply
4 replies

Sep 18, 2006 4:43 PM in response to bwbmom

if it is 1.25 GHz processor it could be "FireWire 800" model, that came out with OS 10.3

http://support.apple.com/specs/powerbook/PowerBookG4_15-inchFW800.html

sometimes running fsck -fy repeatedly may fix drive issues, but not always.

fsck commands described here:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214

if the dsik is badly corrupted DiskWarrior as mentioned by Templeton Peck is probably the best recovery software.

Sep 19, 2006 8:42 AM in response to arnie

if it is 1.25 GHz processor it could be "FireWire
800" model, that came out with OS 10.3

http://support.apple.com/specs/powerbook/PowerBookG4
15-inch_FW800.html

sometimes running fsck -fy repeatedly may fix drive
issues, but not always.

fsck commands described here:

ttp://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214

if the dsik is badly corrupted DiskWarrior as
mentioned by Templeton Peck is probably the best
recovery software.


Thanks. I think his was older than that. Do you know where I can find the model number? Also, is there a command line way to find out the operating system version? And, do you know why when I work my way down to a subdirectory and I try to cd to another one that I can see in the "ls -l" is a directory I get an message that it's not? Specifically the iTunes Music folder under his user/music/itunes/iTunes Music

Sep 19, 2006 3:33 PM in response to bwbmom

PowerBook specs are on the sticker inside the battery bay.

i don't use UNIX command line, but even if you get to anywhere on the drive it will not fix the problem - you'd need either to run recovery software or to copy files to another location.

another way to access the files on PowerBook is to use FireWire external hard drive, install the OS onto it and boot the PowerBook from the external hard drive.

if you have access to another Mac with FireWire port, PowerBook can be connected to it and you may be able to copy the files over.

Volume Macintosh HD could not be repaired using fsck -fd

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