Question:When do I need to test and repair my Hard Drive?

If you see a message reporting that a disk is "damaged" or unreadable, the directory on your hard disk may have become corrupted. The directory can be corrupted

• any time the computer is not shut down properly, using the Shut Down command
• when your computer freezes or crashes.
• if you're using SCSI devices that are not properly connected and terminated.
• if you're using SCSI devices that are properly connected to your computer but not on when the computer starts up.

Repairing the Directory on your Hard Drive/Running Disk First Aid:

Most problems with your hard disk's directory can be fixed easily with Disk First Aid. Macintoshes running Mac OS 8.5 or later will automatically check for errors using Disk First Aid during startup. If your computer does not, you can enable this check by turning on "Warn me if computer was shut down improperly" in the General Controls Control Panel from the Apple Menu (if you are running Mac OS 9.1 or later, this option changed to "Check disk if computer was shut down improperly"). If you are running an earlier system, or need a more thorough check:

1. Make sure the Caps Lock key is not engaged.
2. Start up your computer from the software install CD. (See Starting Up From a CD)
   
3. Locate the Utilities folder on the CD and double-click it to open the folder.
4. Double-click the Disk First Aid icon to open the program.
5. Click the icon of the disk you want to test.
6. Click Repair to begin testing and repairing the disk directory.

On Mac OS X follow these steps:

1. Make sure the Caps Lock key is not engaged.
2. Start up your computer from the Mac OS X CD. (See Starting Up From a CD)
   
3. When the Install screen comes up, from the File menu, choose Disk Utility.
4. Click the icon of the disk you want to test.
5. Click Repair to begin testing and repairing the disk directory.

If Disk First Aid Cannot Correct the Problem

• Try running Disk First Aid a second or third time. Sometimes repeating the process corrects the problem.
• Use the Drive Setup utility to update the driver. See Updating the Hard Disk Drivers.
• Use another disk repair or recovery program such as Norton Utilities, Tech Tool Pro, or Alsoft DiskWarrior. These programs can often fix more than Apple's included Disk First Aid. They are available for purchase from the Cornell Campus Store. Each program has its strong points so one can fix a problem another did not see, on occasion.

Note: Before using software from a manufacturer other than Apple, see the documentation that came with the software or contact the software manufacturer to make sure the program is compatible with your computer and the version of Mac OS installed on your computer. Apple and the CIT HelpDesk cannot guarantee the performance of software from manufacturers other than Apple.

• If that doesn't work, you may need to reinitialize the hard disk (see Initializing a Hard Disk).

If you have further questions, or if any of the above steps do not work, contact the CIT Helpdesk at 255-8990.