/sbin/fsck -fy

Question

Level 1

9 points

/sbin/fsck -fy

I have no disk utiliyies other than that supplied with my Mac. I like using and have had great success with starting up holding the CONTROL S keys and then typing the command "/sbin/fsck -fy". I haven't done it in a while and my Mac is acting up. Apple's Disk Utility cannot repair permissions. Nore can if finish checking my system. When I try the command line method described above, I get the following:

diskOs3: I/O error.
Invalid key length
(4,6507)

I have tried looking up this message and it's parts here on the Apple site with no luck. I have everything backed up but I feel I could be on the eve of disaster. Please help!

PowerBook 17" 1.67 GHz G4, Mac OS X (10.4.8), 1.5 GB DDR SDRAM

Posted on Jan 24, 2007 10:46 AM

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Answer 1

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Jan 24, 2007 10:48 AM in response to bjpoole

You should be booting from your Tiger install disk and using Disk Utility from there to repair your disk, rather then using fsck. Disk Utility does more than fsck. Try that and see if it fixes your problem.

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Answer 2

bjpoole Author

Level 1

9 points

Jan 24, 2007 10:56 AM in response to thomas_r.

THank you! I will try this when I get back home to my disk and will let you know if I was successful. Gotta love being mobile!

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Answer 3

bjpoole Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 6, 2007 12:03 AM in response to bjpoole

OK, I found my original disks. (We moved recently). Tried booting from the CD and running Disk Utility. Repair Permissions stalles out near the end and When I try to repair the volume I get an error that stops the repair. INVALID KEY LENGTH.

?????????????????????????????????? Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Answer 4

Feb 6, 2007 12:31 AM in response to bjpoole

That is a problem that the OS X utilities themselves may not be able to fix. I have had a look at this using Google, and several posters on different sites say that Disk Warrior may well be the solution you need.

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Answer 5

bjpoole Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 6, 2007 8:23 AM in response to Graham K. Rogers

Thank you! I will look into the purchase of Disk Warrior. Norton Utilities used to be the defacto utility. Do they even make that anymore? Is Disk Warrior the best one... in your opinion. Don't worry, I do not hold anyone responsible for making recommendations. I am familiar with the product and know it is good. I was just wondering what you thought of it as compared to others on the market.

Thank you again!!!
BJP

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Answer 6

Feb 7, 2007 6:44 AM in response to bjpoole

Bjpoole, please be careful. Norton Utilities, which (Yes) we would havebeen happy to have used on earlier systems, is like the kiss of death to OS X.

In my opinion, Disk Warrior is what I would (I do) go for, although some others have had good things to say about TechTool Pro.

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Answer 7

bjpoole Author

Level 1

9 points

Feb 7, 2007 9:54 AM in response to Graham K. Rogers

Thank you! I will give Disk Warrior a try and stay away from Norton. I guess I will consider this matter closed. Hopefully this will take care of my permissions problem and let me install the update to Entourage that Microsoft cannot help me with and that is now several months old.

Thank you again!
BJP

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Answer 8

Feb 7, 2007 9:20 PM in response to bjpoole

I am glad the query was solved for you.

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