Hard Drive First Aid failed, Volume needs repair. Uh-oh. :(

Firstly, sorry if this is in the wrong subforum..
I have encountered an apparently serious problem here. I've done some research about it though i'd like some personal advice on what to do.

I'm on an iMac OS X Version 10.4.11 (Tiger) from 2007.

It had been running a little slow lately and occasionally freezing. The day i decided to finally try to fix the problem, it only got worse, to the point where it would be freezing for like 10 seconds every 5 minutes. I backed up my files and ran Onyx. It encountered a problem (i forgot what it said, but i can run it again and look for the error if you need it). So i just went to Disk Utility.

I verified and repaired permissions. I verified the disk, and said the following:
(In a Popup window: )
-----
First Aid Failed

Disk Utility stopped verifying "Macintosh HD"
because the following error was encountered:

The underlying task reported failure on exit
-----
(In the First Aid window: )
-----
Verifying volume "Macintosh HD"
Checking HFS Plus Volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Invalid node structure
The volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired.

Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit

1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair.
-----
Okay? My startup disk needs repair i guess. So I rebooted from the install disk and ran Disk Utility again.
-----
Verifying volume "Macintosh HD"
Checking HFS Plus Volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Invalid node structure
Volume check failed.

Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit.

1 HFS volume checked
1 Volume could not be repaired because of an error.
-----
It seems like my hard disk is damaged. :O What can I do now?
From my research I have found two possible solutions - Buy "Disk Warrior" (~$100), or reformat the computer.
I'll be getting a new external HD soon, so I'm thinking about just reformatting the computer. Will that really work? And what other solutions are there?

Also, what could have caused the problem? I suspect it's because i only had about 10GB left of space on this 150GB computer... Or maybe it's from constantly using it all the time. I use my computer almost every single day for at least 6 hours. I also almost never shut it down (only Sleep mode), though i heard that isn't supposed to be bad for it?

Oh yeah, and it's weird... Ever since I TRIED to fix it and got that error, my Mac has been working pretty fine. It almost never freezes anymore and it's not slow at all. I am really confused with my dear Mac. )_)

If you have read this far and can offer any help, I am most thankful.

Shutting down your computer every day or just letting it sleep is a hotly depated topic. And what I have got from that debat is both options are just fine if you otherwise look after your Mac.

And only having 10GB left of space might be your issue. As OS X tends to run slower when it does not have enough free space for virtual memory. I think 20GB should do you fine.

And also have a look ay Onyx.
Titanium Software
That is a very nice Mac mantainance application and might help you out.

And yes reformating your hard drive after a full erase (with one pass of zeros would be nice) would fix all of your issues. But the downside is you have an erased hard drive then. So just back everything up and then you can erase and re-install OS X and only copy what you want back from the backup, thus fixing the issue .

My advice: Make a backup of that drive as soon as you can. I don't know if you have an external USB or Firewire drive, but if you do, use something like SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner to make the backup. Or, any other means of backing up you have on hand.

Then, be prepared to replace that drive because it's failing or getting ready to fail. Erasing the drive and reinstalling Tiger is just going to cause you extra work. Buy a new drive. Get one that's faster and larger.

Regards.

Get ready with another drive, as chscag advises and backup, back up, back up. It may well be worthwhile investing in DiskWarrior, but at US$99 may well be cheaper just top bite the bullet and get a new drive.

@ the8thark -
Well, i already tried OnyX like i said (too much to read i guess, lol). Thanks though. I've freed up space already, and i'll try to keep it that way. >_>

@ chscag -
Yeah, I have most of my stuff backed up already. So.. reformatting really won't help the drive? There seem to be conflicting opinions on this. I don't know how erasing a disk can repair it really, but I guess I'll see... I plan to reformat it next week when i have time and see what happens. =/ Thank you.

I will buy a new drive if that is the best solution. I don't know how to though... I have an Apple store nearby, can they replace it for me, or do i have to mail my computer into the company? I have no idea how i would open the Mac and replace it myself, or if that's even possible with Macs. :'D

@ harryb2448 -
Yeah, I'd rather not have to buy disk warrior, just replace the drive altogether.. Thanks.

Kitxune said:

So.. reformatting really won't help the drive?

Click to expand...

If the drive is physically damaged and failing then no. A physically damaged hard drive should really be replaced to prevent headaches in the future when it suddenly fails on you. If this is really a case of a damaged hard drive then you are lucky you are catching it early and can do something about it. It's more expensive to recover data from a dead hard drive.

Kitxune said:

I will buy a new drive if that is the best solution. I don't know how to though... I have an Apple store nearby, can they replace it for me, or do i have to mail my computer into the company? I have no idea how i would open the Mac and replace it myself, or if that's even possible with Macs. :'D

Click to expand...

An Apple store can replace it for you but you have to pay the labor fee. A lot of people replace it themselves but it sounds like you are not comfortable doing it yourself. Make sure to backup your hard drive before you bring it in.

EndlessMac said:

An Apple store can replace it for you but you have to pay the labor fee. A lot of people replace it themselves but it sounds like you are not comfortable doing it yourself. Make sure to backup your hard drive before you bring it in.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind trying to fix it myself. I've replaced a hard drive on a Windows and tried to repair an Xbox 360 before.. Do you think i'd be able to fix my iMac myself? Lol. I'm wondering if it's simple enough or i shouldn't risk it to void the warranty.

A quick google search shows plenty of tutorials on replacing the hard drive. Is there any one that is particularly recommended? I might even take the opportunity to replace my RAM, as what i have now is only 1GB...

Kitxune said:

I wouldn't mind trying to fix it myself. I've replaced a hard drive on a Windows and tried to repair an Xbox 360 before.. Do you think i'd be able to fix my iMac myself? Lol. I'm wondering if it's simple enough or i shouldn't risk it to void the warranty.

A quick google search shows plenty of tutorials on replacing the hard drive. Is there any one that is particularly recommended? I might even take the opportunity to replace my RAM, as what i have now is only 1GB...

Click to expand...

iFixit is a really good site. The iMac is harder than other computer designs to upgrade but read the guides and see if you are up for it.

For the iMac I don't know if it will void the warranty. For Mac laptops I know it doesn't void the warranty. If that is a concern then you should talk to Apple to get a definitive answer.

Because I hate waste, I tend toward what Harry says as the second option, ie. Disk Warrior. Sure, it's expensive, so why not try seeking out a technician who has DW to use, that might be cheaper. If/once repaired though, I'd replace it.

Why do both? For the sake of having a spare external (used) drive for ..... whatever!