[PookJP]

Disk Warrior is unable to fix the problems with my Powerbook G4's internal drive, so I'd like to wipe it entirely and start anew. I've never done this before and naturally want to avoid trouble after the wipe, so I'd like to know how you suggest I do this. Ideally I'd like to reinstall all my applications, registrations, and preferences after the wipe. Basically, I want my system back just the way it is right now, minus the disk issues, with as little hassle as possible.

Thanks!

J

[OreoCookie]

One thing you should not do is a byte-by-byte clone as that would clone your problems as well.

So here are a few easy steps:

1. Identify data you want to have backuped. Don't forget about your library. That does not include applications that you can either download or whose installation cd you have!
2. Look for all registration codes you might need to install the apps. Get all installation cds you might need. Make sure you write down all your network settings, etc. as well.
3. Backup your data, e. g. by copying the appropriate files to an external harddrive or burning them onto CD or DVD. If you have essential data, back them up separately again. A DVD-R costs roughly 50 cents. You can use tools such as Silverlining or SuperDuper to copy the relevant directories to an external harddrive or just Toast some DVDs.
4. After having completed the backup, insert the OS X install disc. With Tiger, there is a menu item `Utilities' (after choosing the language), choose Disc Utility. If you use any OS prior to 10.4, you will find Disc Utility someplace else (I think under the bold `Installer', although it's been a while since I installed Panther). Select the option to zero your drive.
5. Go and have a coffee. Depending on the size of your drive, this might take 30 minutes or longer (it took roughly 45 with my 5.4k 80 gig notebook drive).
6. Proceed with the installation as usual.
7. Start by creating a new unprivileged user (your user).
8. Install all necessary applications as admin. Set up your network connection, etc.
9. Copy your data, import your mailboxes, etc.

[PookJP]

Thanks for the response, Oreo.

I was afraid that it would be a relatively complex process like that instead of a simpler CCC clone.

Before I go ahead with that, do you have any suggestions beyond running DiskWarrior for how I can perform repairs? Disk Utility says the drive checks out and is just fine, so that's not helping at all.

[OreoCookie]

What do you want to accomplish by cloning a drive with a broken directory structure?

It's not as complicated as it seems, by the way. It takes half a day at most.

[PookJP]

Well it's a bit more annoying than that. There are all those preferences that I'll need to reset, all those setting that will need tweaking, all that stuff.

And more of what I was asking in the second post was if there was a program or way that I could fix the broken directory structure. Disk Warrior has failed, but is there anything else you suggest?

[OreoCookie]

Disk Warrior is the best app out there to fix a brokem filesystem. If Disk Warrior fails, you should reinstall. Maybe I should have said this explicitly. By the way, all your application preferences will be `rescued' by backing up your Library.

[romeosc]

If you make a clone onto an external drive and format and install Tiger on internal then use migration assistant, it should solve most problems, since it copies files one by one versus bit by bit clone.

Worth the chance to save time, if it still has problems, you can then use the original installers as described above.