Bigger problems now- HD giving out?

[dmann]

Ok, after the problems outlined here:
http://forums.macresource.com/read/1/549235

I enjoyed a few hours of beachball free operation and then I started having problems again. Once again, I booted off the Tiger install CD, repaired permissions and verified and repaired my disk (no problems found in either case).

I was getting nervous and wanted to do a backup (last one was done Wednesday of this week). Backup failed and I sent the report to Super Duper who advised me there was something bad with the Mozilla cache- sitting on a bad sector of my drive.

I tossed the cache, reran permissions and disk repair using the Tiger CD as the boot volume, once again, no problems found.

Is my HD dying? Anything else I should try? I'm getting nervous here. I can dump everything from the laptop onto the QS I have sitting around so if the backup fails I do have another option. Should I do that now?

TIA-
DM

[mattkime]

bad sectors are very common. i don't think you have anything to worry about. that said, you really should have an automated backup system in place running every night.

[MacMagus]

Make your backup(s), then do this...

Download the 10.4.11 combo updater from Apple.

Remove the .pkg file for the 10.4.11 update from /Library/Receipts.

Safe boot (restart and hold down the shift key until you see the swirly thing below the Apple-startup-screen).

Re-install the 10.4.11 update from the combo updater.

[PeterB]

DiskWarrior. It is your friend. It finds (and repairs) things that Disk Utility doesn't.

[dmann]

mattkime, you're right!

MacMagus, on the advice from my thread yesterday, I downloaded and installed the 10.4.11 combo updater. Should I do it again or just remove the .pkg file that is there now?

Peter B, thanks for the reminder. Honestly, it has been such a long time since I have had any problems at all that I have forgotten about all this stuff.

DM

[Black Landlord]

If you do decide it's your hard drive, I still have the original 60 GB drive from my iBook kicking around, and would be happy to help you install it in the G4.

[dmann]

BL, you're a lifesaver. I just may take you up on that.

Ok, found my Disk Warrior Disk and it is version 3.0 which apparently will not start my iBook (I already tried and was greeted with a kernel panic). I need to upgrade to 4.0 which is NOT available for download and according to the Alsoft site, could take 3-4 weeks to arrive via US Mail.

Any other suggestions?

DM

Edit: I forgot to do what MacMagus said. I'm going to try that now.

[MacMagus]

> MacMagus, on the advice from my thread yesterday, I downloaded and installed the
> 10.4.11 combo updater. Should I do it again or just remove the .pkg file that is there now?

Just to be clear:

My understanding is that you were running 10.4.11 before you installed the security update. Correct?

You then re-installed the 10.4.11 update from a combo update subsequent to the emergence of these problems?

[dmann]

Yes, I was running 10.4.11 and installed the security update that came up on Software Update automatic notice. That was on the 22nd.

Based on the advice from yesterday's thread, I downloaded the 10.4.11 combo updater from Apple's site and reinstalled it.

Can I just remove the .pkg file from the security update on the 22nd? Will that help anything?

Right now I am worried because I still can't get SuperDuper to complete a backup and I am surrounded by so many beach balls I feel like I am at a Jimmy Buffet concert. Clearly, something is wrong despite the a-ok from Disk Utility.

DM

[btfc]

"Ok, found my Disk Warrior Disk and it is version 3.0 which apparently will not start my iBook (I already tried and was greeted with a kernel panic). I need to upgrade to 4.0 which is NOT available for download and according to the Alsoft site, could take 3-4 weeks to arrive via US Mail.

Any other suggestions? "

Do you have a bootable external hard drive? If so, install DW, update it, and run it.