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Disk First Aid
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<h2 id="situations-to-use-the-tool">Situations to use the tool</h2> <p>One source suggests that disk utility should be used when there are: </p> <ul><li>Frequent <a href="/facts/Crash_(computing)/I8yn65yt">system crashes</a>,</li> <li>Disappearing files,</li> <li>Files changing size,</li> <li>Problems copying files from one place to another,</li> <li>Problems saving files,</li> <li>Cryptic error messages,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></li></ul> <p>as well as for general maintenance every 6 months.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="analysis">Analysis</h2> <p>Disk First Aid has built-in capabilities to check for damage to: </p> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Apple_Partition_Map/JR3Tewee">Partition Map</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Device_Driver/rDYnHU1G">Device Driver</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Boot_Sector/YubeSECp">Boot Blocks</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchical_File_System_(Apple)/FVv6r1pe">Master Directory Block</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchical_File_System_(Apple)/FVv6r1pe">Volume Bitmap</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchical_File_System_(Apple)/FVv6r1pe">Catalog File</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchical_File_System_(Apple)/FVv6r1pe">Extents File</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchical_File_System_(Apple)/FVv6r1pe">Finder Attributes</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchical_File_System_(Apple)/FVv6r1pe">Disk volume</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchical_File_System_(Apple)/FVv6r1pe">Extent B-tree</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchical_File_System_(Apple)/FVv6r1pe">Catalog B-tree</a>,</li> <li><a href="/facts/Hierarchical_File_System_(Apple)/FVv6r1pe">Catalog Hierarchy</a>,</li> <li>Volume Info,</li> <li>and to search for locked volume name.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></li></ul> <p>After analyzing the disk directory, Disk First Aid determines whether it is able to repair any damage that was detected. The utility can commonly only fix problems associated with the catalog/extents files and the volume bitmap.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> Commonly, the program reports that there is an error, but cannot fix it.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_data_recovery_software/KvNG11I1">List of data recovery software</a></li></ul> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Watson, Andrew (2008-02-07). "Disk First Aid Utility in Mac". Archived from the original on July 8, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-12. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080708023048/http://www.buzzle.com/articles/disk-first-aid-utility-in-mac.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20080708023048/http://www.buzzle.com/articles/disk-first-aid-utility-in-mac.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Stauffer, Todd (2004). How to Do Everything with Your iMac. McGraw-Hill Professional. p. 456. ISBN 0-07-223188-2. Retrieved 2008-01-12. <a href="0-07-223188-2" target="_blank">0-07-223188-2</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Breen, Christopher (2002). Mac 911. Peachpit Press. pp. 104–5. ISBN 0-201-77339-2. Retrieved 2008-01-12. <a href="0-201-77339-2" target="_blank">0-201-77339-2</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Breen, Christopher (2002). Mac 911. Peachpit Press. pp. 104–5. ISBN 0-201-77339-2. Retrieved 2008-01-12. <a href="0-201-77339-2" target="_blank">0-201-77339-2</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Landau, Ted (2000). Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters: And what to Do about Them. Peachpit Press. pp. 805–11. ISBN 0-201-69963-X. Retrieved 2008-01-12. <a href="0-201-69963-X" target="_blank">0-201-69963-X</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"In OS X, what is First Aid, and when and how should I use it?". University Information Technology Services Knowledge Base. Indiana University. 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2009-01-12. <a href="http://kb.iu.edu/data/adhu.html" target="_blank">http://kb.iu.edu/data/adhu.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Landau, Ted (2000). Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters: And what to Do about Them. Peachpit Press. pp. 805–11. ISBN 0-201-69963-X. Retrieved 2008-01-12. <a href="0-201-69963-X" target="_blank">0-201-69963-X</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Landau, Ted (2000). Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters: And what to Do about Them. Peachpit Press. pp. 805–11. ISBN 0-201-69963-X. Retrieved 2008-01-12. <a href="0-201-69963-X" target="_blank">0-201-69963-X</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"In OS X, what is First Aid, and when and how should I use it?". University Information Technology Services Knowledge Base. Indiana University. 2008-12-18. Retrieved 2009-01-12. <a href="http://kb.iu.edu/data/adhu.html" target="_blank">http://kb.iu.edu/data/adhu.html</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"Disk First Aid for Macintosh". IT Service Desk (8help). Ohio State University. 1999-06-04. Archived from the original on 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2009-01-12. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090317063952/http://8help.osu.edu/33608.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090317063952/http://8help.osu.edu/33608.html</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Landau, Ted (2000). Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters: And what to Do about Them. Peachpit Press. pp. 805–11. ISBN 0-201-69963-X. Retrieved 2008-01-12. <a href="0-201-69963-X" target="_blank">0-201-69963-X</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Mac OS 9 - How to Use Disk First Aid". Computing@UW-MADISON KnowledgeBase. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 2001-02-09. Retrieved 2009-01-12. <a href="http://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=907" target="_blank">http://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=907</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Landau, Ted (2000). Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters: And what to Do about Them. Peachpit Press. pp. 805–11. ISBN 0-201-69963-X. Retrieved 2008-01-12. <a href="0-201-69963-X" target="_blank">0-201-69963-X</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Breen, Christopher (2002). Mac 911. Peachpit Press. pp. 104–5. ISBN 0-201-77339-2. Retrieved 2008-01-12. <a href="0-201-77339-2" target="_blank">0-201-77339-2</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>