Can't restore files from damaged hard drive in Disk Utility

Question

KateMadeline Author

Level 1

8 points

Can't restore files from damaged hard drive in Disk Utility

Questions

1. Can I save my files/fix this issue without having to restore via Disk Utility?

2. What am I doing wrong/can I do to correctly restore to an external hard drive via Disk Utility?

Background

Last week when I turned my 2012 MacBook Pro on I got stuck on the grey login screen. The progress bar moved very, very slowly and when it finished my laptop spontaneously restarted and repeated the same thing over and over. Here's what I've tried to do so far:

-Boot in Safe Mode: doesn't work

-Apple Diagnostics/Apple Hardware Test: Extended Test Results: No trouble found

-Disk Utility (recovery and Internet recovery): Mac hard drive (Apple HDD) and Recovery HD (partition) are not damaged, but partition disk0s2 is (created after a failure about a year ago; not Journaled- if that matters) and when 'verifying' and 'repairing' the latter I receive inconsistent error messages.

Disk Utility Error Messages

Most often I get this error:

The volume disk0s2 was found corrupt and needs to be repaired. Error: This disk needs to be repaired. Click Repair Disk.

Disk Utility stopped verifying “disk0s2”

The volume disk0s2 could not be repaired after 3 attempts.

Error: Disk Utility can’t repair the disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your packed-up files.

I also received this error message once:

Incorrect number of extended attributes (it should be 730585 instead of 730589)

Incorrect number of access control lists (it should be 1364 instead of 1368)

Save Files to External Hard Drive?

Prior to this I had not yet used/accessed Time Machine. I have a new external hard drive, formatted for a Mac. I created two partitions: Backup and Time Machine (so I can start using it once I figure this current issue out). When I try to restore disk0s2 to the external hard drive I get a Restore Failure error message (252 or 254, I think).

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)

Posted on Sep 7, 2016 6:42 PM

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Answer 1

KateMadeline Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 9, 2016 1:01 PM in response to KateMadeline

Small update -- this is what appears in the Installer log when I receive the Installer error:

localhost Install OS X Mavericks(444): Can not connect to /var/run/systemkeychaincheck.socket: No such file or directory

localhost Unknown(373):...Install OS X Mavericks(444:8b0f) NSURLConnection/CFURLConnection HTTP load failed (kCFStreamErrorDomainSSL, -9815)

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Answer 2

Sep 7, 2016 7:27 PM in response to KateMadeline

When you drive is damaged, it is extremely difficult to make progress.

I recommend you taker a spare drive in an external enclosure, and install MacOS on it anew. Then boot from that, and you are back in business. You can use the full power of Mac OS AND additional Utilities to attempt to salvage your files.

Over 350,000 of the files on your damaged drive are Mac OS -- and those can be installed in prefect replicas by a new Install on a new Drive. You cannot make a Brute-force "everything" copy of a damaged drive. What you want back from the damaged drive is not the files from Mac OS X -- you want YOUR files. They are stored in the /Users directory in a folder with your User-Short-name. with additional Utilities, you may be able to copy just that directory, or use a salvage program like Data Rescue to obtain individual files.

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Answer 3

KateMadeline Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 9, 2016 10:19 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I am trying to install MacOS on my external drive. I get the same error message over and over, after pressing 'continue' on the initial page: An error occurred while preparing the installation. Try running this application again.

Any advice?

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Answer 4

Sep 9, 2016 10:29 AM in response to KateMadeline

The drive should be GUID partition Map, and the Volume should be Mac OS Extended (journaled). These are the defaults if you ERASE the drive and deliberately specify <nnn> partitions, and do not use "as currently partitioned".

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Answer 5

KateMadeline Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 9, 2016 12:58 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I've erased the entire drive - it was and is GUID and Mac OS Extended (journaled). I don't understand what you mean by specifying <nnn> partitions. I erased the previously created partitions and only one exists now, I assume by default, named "untitled." What am I doing wrong?

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Answer 6

Sep 9, 2016 1:11 PM in response to KateMadeline

You are doing nothing wrong. You chose <nnn> = 1 which is just fine.

How are you doing this Install? with a USB-stick? with recovery on your old drive? with Internet recovery? Using your damaged drive? something else?

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Answer 7

KateMadeline Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 9, 2016 2:45 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Booting in Internet Recovery. I am trying to reinstall Mac OS to the external drive (from main menu options: Restore from Time Machine Backup (I don't have), Reinstall Mac OS X, Get Help Online, Disk Utility).

I'm able to select "Reinstall Mac OS X" and press "continue." A pop up indicates, "to download and restore Mac OS X, your computer's eligibility will be verified with Apple." I say okay and I receive the Installer error.

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Answer 8

Sep 9, 2016 7:37 PM in response to KateMadeline

I am not sure what is happening, but your Recovery_HD may be damaged as well as the other parts of your Drive. It is certainly worth a few more tries to see if you can get around it.

If those log messages really are from this recovery Install attempt (correct date&time) I could not find /var/run/systemkeychaincheck.socket anywhere in Recovery_HD to take a look at it.

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Answer 9

KateMadeline Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 12, 2016 8:55 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I was finally able to install Mac OS on the external drive! It's in process now. If it's successful, what are my next steps to recover my files?

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Answer 10

Sep 13, 2016 9:29 AM in response to KateMadeline

You want YOUR files off the old drive. They are stored in the /Users directory in a folder with your User-Short-name.

The Finder may be able to copy them all in one pass. If not, it may be able to copy most of them in several groups.

If there are essential damaged files in any group, then stronger tools may be required. Data Rescue has a very good reputation for salvaging files off damaged drives. You may also need a tool like that if the drive refuses to mount.

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Answer 11

Sep 12, 2016 9:56 AM in response to KateMadeline

If you choose to during MacOS setup, you can attempt to have setup Assistant try to copy your old files off the damaged drive. This may or may not work.

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Answer 12

KateMadeline Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 13, 2016 4:59 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Booting from the external drive was successful. Using Disk Utility I'm able to "see" my files in /User but they are greyed out. I can right click and "quick look" at them all. But I cannot select them to either burn them to a cd or restore images of them. What next?

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Answer 13

Sep 13, 2016 9:29 AM in response to KateMadeline

if your GetInfo of your old User folder, what is shown for Permissions on that folder?

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Answer 14

KateMadeline Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 13, 2016 8:57 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

For my /User file -

Name // Privilege

MacBookExternal (external drive I'm booting from): Read & Write

staff (?): Read only

everyone (?): Read only

I can click on the padlock icon at the lower right corner and "unlock" but that doesn't appear to impact my ability to change permissions.

In subfolders like /documents or /pictures the permissions are:

MacBookExternal: Read & Write

everyone: No access

Get Info for all indicates 'Shared folder' as an option for selection (but currently not checked) and 'Locked' as greyed out and not selected/available for selection.

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Answer 15

Sep 13, 2016 9:39 AM in response to KateMadeline

I am not following what you are saying. I want to be sure we are talking about the old, damaged drive.

I wanted to know what the permissions on the files inside the folder:

/User/<your-old-id>

... folder were. There should be

(single-person-Icon) account-owner-name | permission ... this is the Account Owner

(two-person-Icon) group-username | permission ... this is the Group that has direct access to this file

(many-person-Icon) everyone | Permission ... this is the rights of Everyone (regardless of user-ID)

In the folders above, you did not report what is listed for the file Owner. This is sometimes reported as the word "You" when your current logged-in Account is the Owner, and sometimes System or another User-name.

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