[Salazar]

So the hard drive on my computer (iBook late 2001, OS 10.2.6, 640 RAM, 600mhz G3) has been doing funky things, including making clicking noises. I have had to run DiskWarrior on it pretty regularly, like about twice a week.

So messing about on Dreamweaver and I get the spinning wheel. No problem I think, I'll just force quit. Nothing happens. I try to switch to the Finder. Spinning wheel. Ah crap. So I give it a hard restart. Starts up, can't find the system disk (flashing folder icon).

Great. So I plug in DiskWarrior and start up from that. According to DiskWarrior, the hard drive is located on the desktop and it can be rebuilt. So I try and rebuilt it. DiskWarrior hangs on step 5, locating disk directory data (or something to that effect). I think that it is just going wicked slow like it did the first time we started that party. So I leave it all day (6 hours at work) and overnight. Come in next day, still hanging. I quit the rebuild.

I then check out the Hardware diagnostic on DiskWarrior. According to it, there is an error detected by the S.M.A.R.T. Software on the hard drive that indicates either a loss of data or a potential loss of data. I freak a little. I startup from the BootCD I made that has both DiskUtility and DiskWarrior. Run DU, it tells me that I have "an invalid node structure". I ask it to repair it and it says it did. But then I verify the disk and the node structure is still invalid.

I try to reset the PRAM - no effect. I try to start up in OS9 on the iBook - same flashing icon.

About now, I'm thinking, I should backup right quick. So I use the BootCD and start copying items to the server. However, when I copy certain files, I get an error message. Type -36. Below is the official error message from Apple.

Type -36 error (I/O Errors (bummers)

This file is having difficulty while either reading from the drive or writing to the drive. The file
may have been improperly written data to the drive or the hard drive or disk may be damaged.
This is almost always indicative of a media error (hard error on the disk). Sometimes (rarely) it is transient.

The fact that Apple calls the error a bummer freaks me out a lot. I start scanning the forums. Apparently, the only time anyone has had DiskWarrior hang on step 5 has been when the hard drive is damaged.

All these clues lead me to the conclusion that *my hard drive is totally hosed*! I can access it when I boot up from another CD, but I cannot run any applications from it and I cannot boot into it. I�ve also tried attaching a external La Cie drive, but it is not found when I�ve booted up through the CD.

So at this point I�m just backing up as much as possible. I think that I will likely have to get a new hard drive for my iBook. Why am I telling you guys all this?
1. Suggestions about how I can save my baby?
2. Any insider tips about good, cheapish sources for iBook hard drives? The nice thing is that I can do the installation myself, but I�m trying to find a drive under $170. Any ins?

Thank you for listening to my sob story,

Salazar

[cc_foo]

IMHO, once a HD does the "funky things" that you are describing earlier, then it's time to copy everything off, and find a new HD. I find that with HD's, it's all or nothing. Either it's working 100%, or is unacceptable.

But that's just me.

[CharlesS]

What version of BootCD did you use to burn that CD, by the way? Just curious.

I'd also like to know how much free space is on the RAM disk when you boot from it.

Charles

[Salazar]

I believe that I used version 0.5. The RAM disk had 6.3 MB available.

Originally posted by CharlesS:
What version of BootCD did you use to burn that CD, by the way? Just curious.

I'd also like to know how much free space is on the RAM disk when you boot from it.

Charles

[CharlesS]

Originally posted by Salazar:
I believe that I used version 0.5. The RAM disk had 6.3 MB available.

Rats... that rules out something that I thought might have been the cause of your external hard drive not mounting...