[dsquared]

I was prompted by Onyx (the system maintenance software) to reboot my Mac with the Mac OS X Install Disc, activate Disk Utility from there and "Repair Disk".

However when I did so, Disk Utility popped a box that stated this:

First Aid failed
Disk Utility stopped repairing "wallpaper*" because the following error was encountered:
The underlying task reported failure on exit.

On the Disk Utility window itself, the process report read something like this:

Repairing disk for "wallpaper*"
Mounting disk (S,"reading HFS Plus volume," 0)
(some other stuff and then)
Keys out of order
Rebuilding Catalog B tree
The volume "wallpaper*" could not be repaired.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit. (-9972)

wallpaper* is the name of my hard drive by the way.

(Didn't know how to get a screenshot in the CD boot mode, hence the low tech reproduction here.)

What gives? I'm a little disturbed. Don't want something nasty to happen.

FWIW my machine's a first gen iMac G5, 1.6Ghz, 17" model.

Mac gurus please advise!

[chris v]

DiskWarrior is made of stronger stuff, and should be able to fix that. Should.

[Sethro]

Well what I would do is try Repairing Permissions when the disk is not mounted.
Here's what to do:

- Boot into the installation disk / restore disk that you got with your Mac and click on "Utilities"
- Click on Disk Utility, the app should open up, showing all of your partitions and available disks
- Click on "Wallpaper" from the left menu
- Repair both the disk and System Permissions

Good Luck!

[msuper69]

Originally Posted by Sethro 

Well what I would do is try Repairing Permissions when the disk is not mounted.
Here's what to do:

- Boot into the installation disk / restore disk that you got with your Mac and click on "Utilities"
- Click on Disk Utility, the app should open up, showing all of your partitions and available disks
- Click on "Wallpaper" from the left menu
- Repair both the disk and System Permissions

Good Luck!

He already tried that. Didn't you even read his post?

[Moonray]

Originally Posted by msuper69 

He already tried that. Didn't you even read his post?

(People post a „repair permissions will help you“ nowadays as overhasty as they did post „reset your pram helps you“ once. Both have usually no effect on the problem.)

To dsquared: The “Keys out of order” error is the most common error on HSF volumes that Apple‘s Disk Utility can’t repair. The only option (that I know of) you have is the above mentioned DiskWarrior (shame on Apple). You might want to complain to Apple about that. Interestingly I got this “Keys out of order” now and then on my old G3 but never on my new machine. I wonder why.

–

[reader50]

Permissions repair will not help with this issue. Nor will Disk Utility, unless you are willing to back the volume up and reformat.

DiskWarrior or TechTool Pro will fix this issue. If you have a copy of Norton, throw it out. Doing so won't fix the problem, but it will save you from a lot of new disk problems.

[dsquared]

Thanks for all the pointers peeps! Really appreciate it. Looks like DIskWarrior or TechTool Pro are the best solutions for the moment. I guess I'll buy either one some time very soon and try it on my mac.