Disc repair didn't work, and now I'm stuck!

Hey everybody, I've had a pretty big heap of problems spring up with my 24'' I-mac lateley.

I was setting out to make my windows partition larger, so I removed it via bootcamp no problem. When trying to re-partition, however, bootcamp had an error and said I had to repair my disc before I could re-partition.

So I open up disc utility and notice the repair disc button is grayed out, so I verify my disc permissions etc.. but still can't repair the disc. After a little research I decide to boot from my leopard installation disc and try disc utility from there. The repair disc feature ended with and error, and now I can't get back into mac osx! I've tried those different keyboard commands at startup, and none of them seem to help. I'm running out of ideas, anyone have any pointers?


Thanks a bunch!

Hmm. Try doing an FSCK check, it sounds like the file structure is damaged.
Search here for info on how.

Ok, I entered single-user mode and used /sbin/fsck -fy. Here were my results:

** /dev/rdisk0s2
** Root file system
** Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
** Checking Extents Overflow file.
** Checking Catalog file.
disk0s2: I/O error.
Invalid node structure
(4, 4196)
** Volume check failed.
/dev/rdisk0s2 (hfs) EXITED WITH SIGNAL 8
:/ root#


So I'm not sure what's wrong at the moment. Thanks for the quick reply though!

Ok. That's a sign of a failure of the OS. I think your only option is to make a clean install, or use Disk Warrior to try and repair the directories (if you have it/access to it).

Ahh, is there any way for me to recover my old files? Or are they already gone?

Your old files are not gone, but I'm not sure why you didn't have a backup before doing all of this. Do you use Time Machine? If so, you have a backup.

If not, I think your only hope is to connect the drive to another Mac (via Firewire target mode) and make a backup that way. You might also try Disk Warrior to help solve the original issue, that could get you back to the point where you can reboot into the Mac side.

There are only three rules for saving important files on any computer:-

1. Back Up.

2. Back Up.

3. Back Up!!!

harryb2448 said:

There are only three rules for saving important files on any computer:-

1. Back Up.

2. Back Up.

3. Back Up!!!

Click to expand...

Do you have one of the warning bleepers for when you reverse

Sadly I didn't have any of my stuff backed up. I suppose I've learned my lesson!

It's been tough trying to get the target mode thing to work... I wasn't able to find my HD from my friend's macbook. (He's running tiger, and I'm running leopard. Would that cause problems?)

Now I've got to go out and buy a new firewire cable to try from another friend's new macbook pro. (Darn those mini firewire ports!.)

Thanks for all of the help everyone!

There would be no issue with the different OS's no.
I suspect the HD may be the issue if it didn't show up at all.

You could try a program called DiskWarrior to rebuild the directories on the hard drive, but at $99.00 it may be cheaper to cut your losses and invest in a new hard drive. It is tough when you lose material, however you may be able to use Google to find a program to access that information.

Disc recovery programs are not cheap alas.

I had I/O errors on a new hard drive I bought just over months ago - tried everything - reformatted 4 times - zeroed out the drive, used Super Duper to duplicate drive worked fine on external drive - but not on the new hard drive.

Use the replacement warranty, and replaced the drive - everything works fine now. Some drives fail - I guess the general rule is most last 5 years plus, but if they are going to fail, they will do so in the first few months.

Cut your losses - buy a new drive. Then buy an external drive and, like other uses have said "BACK UP!" every week! I cannot recommend Super Duper enough - the free version will do all you need to do - the paid version ($25 or so) is well worth it for regular backups.

My general experience is though, if you are getting I/O errors even after reinstalling the OS - your drive is likely failing.

I found this link elsewhere in your forums, and it worked for me.
A possible fix for invalid sibling links on a hard drive - Mac OS X Hints

Here is the discussion I found it in:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/apple-notebooks/108780-my-hd-dead.html

My Disk Utility would not repair the internal HD in a MacBook Pro, and it wouldn't mount on another computer when it was in Target Disk mode either. I was getting the I/O and Exited on Signal 8 errors and thought I was doomed. I had to boot from a Leopard disk, and run the commands in Terminal. It was important that I unmount the internal HD, and run the fsck_hfs command a couple times for it to work, and it took awhile.