Alsoft DiskWarrior - 2.0 Instruction Manual
DiskWarrior
™
Alsoft, Inc.
P.O. Box 927
Spring, TX 77383
Sales: 281-353-4090, Fax: 281-353-9868
E-Mail: Sales.Info@Alsoft.com
Support: 281-353-1510
E-Mail: Tech.Support@Alsoft.com
World Wide Web: www.Alsoft.com
Copyright
This manual and the software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved. Under the
copyright laws, this manual or the software may not be copied, in whole or part, without written
consent of Alsoft, Inc., except in the normal use of the software or to make a backup copy. The
same proprietary and copyright notices must be affixed to any permitted copies as were affixed
to the original. This exception does not allow copies to be made for others, whether or not sold
to another person. Under the law, copying includes translating into another language or format.
Limited Warranty
Alsoft warrants the program to perform substantially in accordance with the manual and the disk
on which the program is recorded to be free from defects in materials and faulty workmanship
under normal use and service for a period of ninety (90) days from the date the program is purchased. If, during the 90-day period, a defect in the program or the disk should occur, Alsoft will
replace the disk and the program at no charge to you, provided you return the disk with proof
of purchase to Alsoft. Alsoft’s entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be replacement of
the disk and its contents as provided above. If failure of the disk has resulted from accident,
abuse or misapplication of the disk, then Alsoft shall have no responsibility to replace the disk
under the terms of this limited warranty.
All implied warranties on the program and the disk, including implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, are limited in duration to ninety (90) days from the
date of the original retail purchase of this product.
IN NO EVENT SHALL ALSOFT NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION,
PRODUCTION, DELIVERY, OR SUPPORT OF THE PROGRAM OR THIS MANUAL BE LIABLE FOR
ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT
OF THE USE, THE RESULTS OF USE, OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM OR MANUAL EVEN IF
ALSOFT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIM. In particular,
Alsoft shall have no liability for any programs or data used with the program, including the costs
of recovering such programs or data.
©1998 - 2001 by Alsoft, Inc. All rights reserved. DiskShield is a trademark of Alsoft, Inc., and
Alsoft and DiskWarrior are registered trademarks of Alsoft, Inc. All other names are trademarks
of their respective companies.
Portions ©1989-99 Apple Computer, Inc.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome to DiskWarrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Alsoft, The Utility Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
What is DiskWarrior? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
What is the Directory?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
What Is Directory Damage and How Does It Affect Me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
How Does Directory Damage Occur? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
How Does DiskWarrior Prevent Disk Damage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
When Should I Rebuild My Directory with DiskWarrior? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
What is Directory Optimization? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Why Alsoft DiskWarrior is the Only Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
We put the state-of-the-art technologies you expect from Alsoft in DiskWarrior. .13
Basic Terms You Need To Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior
Installation of DiskWarrior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Copyright Notice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Before You Install. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
If You Received DiskWarrior Electronically. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
If You Received DiskWarrior on a CD-ROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Installing DiskWarrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
If the Loaded, On Icon Appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Loaded, Protection Turned Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Loading Problems, What Went Wrong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Deinstalling DiskWarrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Flashing DiskWarrior Icon in the Menu Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Opening DiskWarrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
How To Get Even More Out Of DiskWarrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Quitting DiskWarrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Strategies for Rebuilding with DiskWarrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Using DiskWarrior as Preventative Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Using DiskWarrior When There Seems to Be a Problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Using DiskWarrior to Recover Data from Malfunctioning Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
What to Do If Your Computer Has a Malfunctioning Internal Disk. . . . . . . . . . . .28
What to Do If You Used Another Utility First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Running DiskWarrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Rebuilding Your HFS and HFS Plus Disks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
What to Look for in the DiskWarrior Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
What to Look for During Preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
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DiskWarrior Shortcuts - AppleScripting and Drag and Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Rebuilding Your Startup Disk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Rebuilding Your Startup Disk Using a CD Drive and a Rewriteable Disk . . . . . . .38
Rebuilding Your Startup Disk Using One Removable Media Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Rebuilding Your Startup Disk Using the DiskWarrior CD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Rebuilding Your Startup Disk Using a CD Drive and a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Graphing a Disk Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
About DiskWarrior’s Directory Optimization Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Graphing a Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Understanding the Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Configuring DiskWarrior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
DiskShield Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
DiskShield Prevented/Existing Damage Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
DiskShield Exceptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Chapter 3: Troubleshooting and Error Messages
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Disk Status Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Error Messages and Notifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
DiskShield Prevented/Existing Damage Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
DiskWarrior Report Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Summary Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Detail Messages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
iv
v
DiskWarrior Credits
DiskWarrior written by
Manual written by
vi
Al Whipple and Rusty Little
Al Whipple, Rusty Little, and Joe Muscara
Chapter 1
Introduction
Welcome to DiskWarrior
Alsoft, The Utility Company
At Alsoft, we have been writing software for Mac OS computers since 1984. Our expertise is in
providing powerful, useful, and safe utilities that enhance the Mac OS user experience while
maintaining the ease-of-use that Macintosh owners expect. Some of these utilities include DiskExpress®, MasterJuggler®, PlusMaker™, and PlusOptimizer™.
When we introduced DiskExpress in 1986, it was the first and only disk optimizer for the Macintosh. It has always been the safest, most reliable, and most powerful disk optimization package
available for Mac OS computers. Our MasterJuggler Pro is the most comprehensive font management utility package on the market today. In January 1998 Apple introduced their new disk format, known as Mac OS Extended format or HFS Plus, for Mac OS computers with the release of
Mac OS 8.1. Simultaneously, Alsoft introduced PlusMaker to let you effortlessly convert your older HFS disks to the new format. Later that year when Alsoft shipped PlusOptimizer, it was the first
disk optimizer compatible with Mac OS 8.1 and HFS Plus. You can expect to find the safest and
most powerful disk directory damage prevention and elimination utility for Mac OS computers
only from Alsoft.
What is DiskWarrior?
DiskWarrior is a utility designed from the ground up with a totally different approach to preventing and resolving directory damage. DiskWarrior’s exclusive DiskShield™ prevents disk damage
by checking the validity of any data being written to the directory to prevent errant programs
from destroying your directory. It also checks the validity of any directory data read from your
disks to alert you of any existing directory damage and to prevent the damage from escalating.
Furthermore, DiskShield keeps the directories on your disks updated so that a crash or loss of
power won't cause a loss of data. With DiskWarrior’s nonstop disk protection, you may never
experience disk damage again.
DiskWarrior resolves existing disk damage by rebuilding your disk directory using data recovered from the original directory, thereby recovering files and folders that you thought were lost.
The directories DiskWarrior creates are also optimized for maximum directory performance.
DiskWarrior is not a disk repair program in the conventional sense. It does not attempt to solve
all of the possible problems that can occur with a disk. It specializes in eliminating directory errors. Directory errors are the most common problems Mac OS users have with their disks. DiskWarrior rebuilds your disk directories making them error-free, eliminating any problems the
errors would have caused, and recovering lost files. It fixes any problem with master directory
8 Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome to DiskWarrior
blocks and alternate master directory blocks (HFS), volume headers and alternate volume headers (HFS Plus), volume bit maps, catalog trees, and extents trees.
This approach has a significant advantage that the others overlook. Other products attempt to
repair your directory one step at a time, ignoring the big picture of what is truly wrong with your
directory, and risking file information that could be saved. Too often, they will incorrectly begin
to “repair” your directory, and then give up when they realize that they have modified the directory to an irreparable state. At Alsoft, we know that the most important thing when you are attempting to repair your disks is getting your data back. That's why the first thing DiskWarrior
checks is your directory data, and that’s what it uses to create a replacement directory. DiskWarrior continues its rebuild operations unless no directory data can be found.
What is the Directory?
The directory is an area of a disk used by the Mac OS to “map” all the information stored on the
disk. Some of what is stored in the directory is the numbers, names, locations, types, and sizes
of files and folders saved on the disk. When any software wants information from a disk, the Mac
OS must go to the directory to find out where the information is located. Also, when any software
wants to save information to a disk, the Mac OS must go to the directory to find out where the
information can be placed. All the necessary information about where the data was saved is then
recorded in the directory.
The directory consists of two parts, the structure and the data. The directory data is the information such as the numbers, names, locations, and sizes of files and folders saved on the disk. The
directory structure is the organization of this data in the directory (the directory structure is not
the folder organization you see on your disk, nor is it organized as such). The Mac OS uses the
structure to quickly access the data and thus find out where in the directory the data is located.
This structure can be thought of as analogous to a telephone directory, where the data are the
names and phone numbers, and the structure can vary depending upon which method for finding the data is more convenient. The names and numbers can be organized alphabetically or can
be organized by category (automotive, computers, physicians, etc.).
What Is Directory Damage and How Does It Affect Me?
When any of the information about the numbers, names, locations or sizes of files and folders in
a directory (the directory data) or the structure of the directory is either incorrectly updated or
not updated at all, that directory is considered damaged. This damage is normally limited to only
a specific area of the directory. So, it’s quite common for directory damage to remain undetected
Welcome to DiskWarrior
Chapter 1: Introduction 9
until long after the damage actually occurred. Also, if any portion of the directory is overwritten
by an errant program that inadvertently writes its own data, the directory is damaged.
When the Mac OS attempts to use the incorrect directory information to read or write information on a disk, an error will occur. This error may be very minor and go unnoticed. It might cause
an instantaneous System bomb or crash. Or, worst of all, the entire contents of your disk could
become inaccessible!
Note:
Many people mistakenly think that the invisible desktop files are a part of the
directory. They are not. The truth is that the desktop files are maintained by the Finder. They
contain a list of your applications and the folders in which they are located (for quick
opening), and the icons and “Get Info” comments of all files. DiskWarrior does not “check”
or rebuild the contents of the desktop files. Rebuilding the desktop files will not repair any
directory damage.
How Does Directory Damage Occur?
The continued accuracy of information in the directory depends on the ability of the Mac OS to
perform ALL of its update and maintenance operations without any unexpected interruptions. Also, to help speed up many Mac OS computer operations, important pieces of information are
temporarily cached in memory instead of being immediately saved to the disk.
Common types of unexpected interruptions are System bombs and crashes, power loss (lights
flicker), turning your Mac OS computer off without using the proper “Shut Down” procedure,
and pressing the “RESET” button. Depending upon the exact moment of the interruption, you
stand a good chance that your directory was either not updated correctly and/or some information had not been saved to the disk. You now have directory damage and/or information loss.
Another way that your directory can be damaged is if an errant program inadvertently writes its
own data to the portion of the disk that is reserved for the directory. If this occurs, then your
directory data has been overwritten and may be permanently lost.
How Does DiskWarrior Prevent Disk Damage?
DiskWarrior’s exclusive and innovative DiskShield provides nonstop protection for your disks. It
makes sure that your directories are both updated and error-free.
DiskShield checks the validity of any data being written to the directory to prevent errant programs from destroying your directory. It also checks the validity of any directory data read from
your disks to alert you of any existing directory damage and to prevent the damage from escalat-
10 Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome to DiskWarrior
ing. Furthermore, DiskShield keeps the directories on your disks updated so that a crash or loss
of power won't cause a loss of data during a disk operation. With DiskWarrior’s nonstop disk
protection, you may never experience disk damage again.
When Should I Rebuild My Directory with DiskWarrior?
Obviously, you should run DiskWarrior when you suspect that there is directory damage on one
of your disks. Directory damage can result in the disk not mounting (not appearing on the desktop when the computer is started), missing files or folders, or crashes when files are used. You
will also find DiskWarrior useful when another program such as DiskExpress Pro or PlusOptimizer reports directory damage.
But the best use of DiskWarrior is for preventative maintenance of your disks. Many forms of directory damage do not manifest themselves until long after the damage has actually occurred.
You can prevent this damage from escalating by running DiskWarrior on your disks regularly.
DiskWarrior will rebuild your disk directory, eliminating all existing directory damage. The directory DiskWarrior creates is also optimized for maximum directory performance, and this will
speed up the performance of your disk. You will find doing this regular maintenance of your directories more useful than rebuilding your desktop.
What is Directory Optimization?
In a directory, there is a logical order and a physical order of the file and folder information that
is stored. The logical order is based on the name of the files and the creation order of folders.
The physical order depends upon the available free space on the disk and space within the directory made available as files are deleted and added. Creating and deleting files makes the physical order less like the logical order as files and folders are added to the directory where space
is available. Directory searches are performed using the logical order of the directory. As the
physical order becomes less like the logical order, the drive mechanism must move more to follow the logical order.
Nearly everything uses a search based upon logical order to find files, including Find File/Sherlock, the Finder, applications that search for their preference files, applications that build font
menus, and open dialogs (whether Standard File or Navigation Services). DiskWarrior optimizes
the directory, improving the speed of all of these activities and many more. Other programs don't
provide the true directory optimization provided by DiskWarrior.
Welcome to DiskWarrior
Chapter 1: Introduction 11
Why Alsoft DiskWarrior is the Only Answer
Only DiskWarrior includes its exclusive DiskShield to provide nonstop protection for your disks,
keeping your directories updated and error-free. No other product helps to
damage before it ever occurs.
When you use DiskWarrior to rebuild your directory, it focuses on what you care most about on
your disk–your data as it is stored in your files. DiskWarrior rebuilds your directory based upon
the data it finds in the original directory. It uses this information to build an entirely new replacement directory structure. This approach is similar to that taken by FileMaker with its databases
and the Finder with desktop files. If you crash or otherwise close a FileMaker database improperly, the next time you open that database, the first thing FileMaker does is rebuild the database
indexes (the database structure) using the data in the database. When you rebuild your desktop,
you are rebuilding the structure of the desktop database. DiskWarrior takes these processes a
step further. When directory data is severely damaged, DiskWarrior scavenges the directory, finding all the salvageable data. It then uses this data to build a new error-free replacement directory,
recovering lost files and folders as well as making it possible for the disk to appear on the desktop.
When other utilities attempt to repair your directory, they attempt to do so by “patching” the directory structure. This method can result in sections of the directory being patched over and deleted. Since whole sections of the directory can be deleted, this attempt at repair can cause loss
of directory data and thus loss of access to your files. This is why you should always use DiskWarrior first when you suspect directory damage on your disk. Otherwise, you risk losing directory data (and thus access to your files). Successful directory rebuilding, repair, and recovery
by DiskWarrior is based on the quality of the directory data present.
prevent
directory
If you have used another utility to repair your directory and you now have a directory with no
errors but missing data, you can make DiskWarrior scavenge the directory to find the lost data.
Note that this is the same scavenge procedure DiskWarrior uses to recover your data when it
finds directory errors, but it normally skips the scavenge procedure when the directory has no
major errors.
With DiskWarrior, there is never a risk of losing directory data and thus never a risk of losing
access to your files. DiskWarrior uniquely verifies the replacement directory before it can be
written to disk to ensure that it is completely error-free. This also ensures that the disk will have
no problems when rebuilding is complete.
DiskWarrior compares the original directory with the replacement directory and determines if
there have been any changes to the number or contents of your files and folders. It then lists any
12 Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome to DiskWarrior
differences found in the DiskWarrior Report. You'll know right away what files and folders are
affected by directory damage. You can use this information to see what items you need to test or
inspect in the preview (see below).
DiskWarrior’s patent pending preview feature lets you examine your disk in the Finder as it will
appear after the directory is rebuilt, allowing you to test files, folders, and applications before
any directory changes are written to disk. You can use the results of the comparison shown in
the DiskWarrior Report to find out which files and folders you should inspect first because they
may have been affected by directory damage. This assures you that you will get the expected results before any changes are made permanent.
Even though they are not part of the directory, DiskWarrior also will repair damaged boot blocks
and rebless the system folder if it is necessary to do so on your disk. This ensures that your disk
will properly start your Mac OS computer once the rebuilding is complete. DiskWarrior also
checks System and Finder files for damage, eliminates a common cause of system crashes by
checking custom icon files for corruption, and repairs the wrapper System file damage recently
disclosed by Apple, allowing Macs with these disks to start up.
We put the state-of-the-art technologies you expect from Alsoft in
DiskWarrior.
• Prevents disk damage with nonstop disk protection
• Verification of replacement directory ensures data integrity
• Comparison of original directory with replacement directory tells you what files and
folders may have been affected by directory damage
• Preview feature to view what the disk will look like after the directory is rebuilt, allowing
you to test files, folders, and applications before any directory changes are written to
disk
• Repairs damaged boot blocks and blesses system folder to ensure that the computer will
start from the repaired disk
• Checks System and Finder files for damage
• Checks custom icon files for corruption, eliminating a common cause of system crashes
• Repairs problems with wrapper volume System files caused when HFS Plus disks are
initialized under Mac OS 9 - 9.0.4
• Uses directory data to quickly rebuild the directory structure
• Eliminates risk of losing access to files – other disk “repair” utilities attempt to fix the
directory by patching the directory structure and risk deleting sections of the directory
• Scavenges directory to find all salvageable file and folder data, even data contained in
damaged nodes
Welcome to DiskWarrior
Chapter 1: Introduction 13
• Eliminates unseen directory errors, preventing minor directory errors from escalating
into major problems
• Recovers lost files and folders
• Optimizes directory for maximum directory performance, speeding up overall disk
performance
• Safely permits interruptions of any kind, including power outages
• Advanced “Verify Reads and Writes” technology protects your data
• Supports bad block sparing software
• Rebuilds directories on disks as large as 2,000 gigabytes (2 terabytes)
• Safely rebuilds directories on Mac OS X Extended disks
• Accelerated for Power Macintosh
14 Chapter 1: Introduction
Welcome to DiskWarrior
Basic Terms You Need To Know
This section explains some terms and concepts that are used throughout this manual.
Application
An application is a tool your computer uses to manipulate information and perform a
useful function for you. Applications include such products as AppleWorks.
Block
The physical surface of a disk is comprised of many 512 byte storage areas called
physical blocks. The larger the disk, the greater the number of physical blocks on the
disk. An allocation block is a group of one or more physical blocks treated as a single
storage area by the Mac OS. The older Mac OS Standard format, or HFS, can only keep
track of 65,535 allocation blocks per disk. Therefore, the larger the size of a disk, the
greater the number of physical blocks in each allocation block, so that the total
number of storage areas on the disk does not exceed the maximum of 65,535. The
newer Mac OS Extended format, or HFS Plus, can keep track of over 4 billion allocation
blocks per disk. HFS Plus uses allocation blocks sizes ranging from 0.5 KB to 4 KB. The
Macintosh filing system stores files by breaking them into allocation block-size pieces
and writing them into unused allocation blocks wherever they are available.
Directory
The directory of a disk is a group of allocation blocks set aside by the Mac OS to store
the number, name, location (which allocation blocks), and size of each file and folder
stored on the volume.
Directory Data
The directory data includes the information about the numbers, names, locations,
types, and sizes of files and folders saved on the disk.
Directory Structure
The directory structure is how the directory data is organized within the directory. The
Mac OS uses the directory structure to quickly access the directory data. Its structure
is an indexed database, similar to that used by the Finder in the desktop database, as
well as by FileMaker with its databases.
Disk
A disk is the medium on which information is stored. There are many types of disks
including floppy disks, hard disks (like the one that is probably inside your Mac OS
computer), and removable disks. A disk must be initialized before it can be used.
Document
A document is a type of file that you create with an application. Documents include the
information you enter, modify, view, or save to a disk.
Basic Terms You Need To Know
Chapter 1: Introduction 15
Driver
This is the software that translates requests from the Mac OS into the commands that
the disk hardware itself understands. It is usually supplied by the vendor of the disk
drive mechanism. In the case of the internal disk that was supplied with your
Macintosh, Apple provides the driver.
Eligible Disk
To be eligible to be rebuilt by DiskWarrior, a disk must have been formatted as a Mac
OS Standard (HFS) or Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus) disk. In addition, an eligible disk
must be locally attached to a computer on which DiskWarrior is running, and it must
not be write protected. The disk must have a valid partition map and disk driver. Also,
an eligible disk cannot be a disk that is shared (see definition below) between Classic
and Mac OS X.
Note:
A copy of DiskWarrior running on your computer will not rebuild any disk that you
must access via a network. These disks are only eligible to another copy of DiskWarrior
running on the computer to which they are locally connected.
File
A file is a collection of information stored on a disk. Files can be system files,
application files or document files.
File Server
A file server is an application designed to allow many users to share common files via
a network. Examples of AppleTalk network file server applications are AppleShare and
File Share.
Free Space
The free space encompasses all the unused allocation blocks on a disk. As free space,
these blocks are available to be allocated to files or to the directory. Once a file is
deleted, the blocks previously occupied by the file will be returned to the free space.
Mac OS X System Disk
A disk that contains the files and information necessary to run Mac OS X.
Partition
Many disks come with management utilities which allow you to divide a disk into
additional disks called partitions. There is also independent system software, such as
MultiDisk™ from Alsoft, which allows you to partition a disk.
16 Chapter 1: Introduction
Basic Terms You Need To Know
Partition Map
The partition map is a section of the disk that contains the information for each
partition on the disk. Most Mac OS disks are set up as one partition, but if you set up
your disk as multiple partitions, each partition will behave as a separate disk (each
partition can be unmounted individually, and files dragged between partitions will be
copied instead of moved).
Root level
The root level of a disk is the lowest level of the disk. When you double-click a disk
icon on the desktop, the window that opens shows you all of the files and folders at the
root level of that disk.
Shared Disk
A shared disk is one that can act as a file server and can be seen, or “shared,” by
multiple computers. Under Mac OS X, disks are shared between Mac OS X’s Classic
environment and Mac OS X to allow access by applications running under each.
Startup Disk
The startup disk is the disk which contains a group of special files stored in the System
Folder. Your computer cannot operate without the information in these files. The
startup disk icon appears at the top-right corner of the desktop.
Wrapper Volume
An HFS Plus volume may be contained within an HFS volume (wrapper volume) in a
way that makes the volume look like an HFS volume to systems without HFS Plus
support. Embedding an HFS Plus volume within an HFS volume also allows a Mac OS
computer to start up from an HFS Plus volume if it has built-in support for HFS but not
HFS Plus.
Basic Terms You Need To Know
Chapter 1: Introduction 17
18 Chapter 1: Introduction
Basic Terms You Need To Know
Chapter 2
Using DiskWarrior
Installation of DiskWarrior
Requirements
To rebuild the directory on a Mac OS Standard (HFS) disk, DiskWarrior requires a 68020,
68030, 68040, or PowerPC based Mac OS computer running Mac OS 7.1 through Mac OS 9.x.
To rebuild the directory on a Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus) disk, DiskWarrior requires a 68040
or PowerPC based Mac OS computer running Mac OS 8.1 through Mac OS 9.x. If you plan to
rebuild the directory on your startup disk, you need another disk from which you can startup
(such as the DiskWarrior CD or a Mac OS system CD; refer to
page 38 in this chapter). The disk to be rebuilt must be locally connected, must not be write protected, and must have a valid partition map and driver.
To build a graph for the directory of a disk, all of the following must be true.
1)The disk must appear on the desktop.
2)The disk must be an HFS (Mac OS Standard) or HFS Plus disk (Mac OS Extended).
3)The disk must be locally attached.
4)There must not be any detected hardware problems with the disk.
5)If the disk is an HFS Plus (Mac OS Extended) disk, you must be running Mac OS 8.1
through Mac OS 9.x.
Note:
DiskWarrior cannot graph or rebuild a shared disk. Since all disks in Mac OS X’s
Classic environment are shared with Mac OS X and DiskWarrior is a Classic application, you
will not be able to rebuild disks while running under Mac OS X. You will need to restart
under Mac OS 9.x in order to rebuild Mac OS X Extended disks with DiskWarrior.
Rebuilding Your Startup Disk
on
In order to load the DiskWarrior Extension and use the DiskShield technology incorporated
within it, you must be running Mac OS 8.1 through Mac OS 9.x. The DiskWarrior Extension will
load in Mac OS X’s Classic environment, but it will not protect any disks that are shared between
Classic and Mac OS X.
Copyright Notice
As stated in the copyright notice in this manual, each Mac OS computer that will or could run
DiskWarrior will require a separately purchased copy of DiskWarrior.
20 Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior
Installation of DiskWarrior
Before You Install
First make a backup
DiskWarrior is not copy protected, so the Finder can be used to create a backup of the
DiskWarrior package that you received.
Be sure to register your purchase
If you received DiskWarrior electronically, then you have already registered your
purchase with us. If you received DiskWarrior on a CD-ROM, then you should perform
the following steps:
1) Note your DiskWarrior serial number on the CD packaging or the CD itself.
2) Completely fill out the product registration card and mail it to Alsoft. Be sure to
include the serial number. You can also register your product on the Web at <http://
www.Alsoft.com/registrationform.html>.
Note:
Your DiskWarrior serial number is required for proper registration of your purchase
so that you may receive Technical Support, updates, and future product special offers.
If You Received DiskWarrior Electronically
It is recommended that you put the folder containing the DiskWarrior application and the other
files on another hard disk, a floppy disk, or a third-party removable media disk so that you have
a copy of DiskWarrior available even if you cannot access your startup disk. You can also put this
folder on a RAM disk; refer to
on page 39 in this chapter.
Rebuilding Your Startup Disk Using One Removable Media Disk
Record the serial number you received in the e-mail that confirmed your purchase of DiskWarrior. You will need this serial number the first time you run DiskWarrior.
If You Received DiskWarrior on a CD-ROM
DiskWarrior can be run directly from the DiskWarrior CD, and your Mac OS computer can be
started from this CD-ROM. This will allow you to rebuild the directories on any HFS or HFS Plus
disks that DiskWarrior can rebuild as described in this chapter, including your normal startup
disk.
Installation of DiskWarrior
Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior 21
Installing DiskWarrior
Follow these steps to install DiskWarrior.
Note:
If you suspect that there is directory damage on your disk, then you should proceed
to
Running DiskWarrior
disk. Alsoft recommends that you run DiskWarrior on your disk before installing
DiskWarrior.
1) Double-click to open the Install DiskWarrior® icon that came with the
DiskWarrior software that you received.
The Installer window will appear.
on page 30 in this chapter before installing DiskWarrior on your
2) Make sure that the Destination Folder indicated in the Installer window is
the one in which you want to install the DiskWarrior application and its
support files.
If the wrong folder is indicated, click the Select Folder button to select the folder in
which you wish to install the DiskWarrior application and support files. The
DiskWarrior Extension will be installed in your Extensions folder. No other changes will
be made to your System Folder.
22 Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior
Figure 2-1
The DiskWarrior Installer Window
Installation of DiskWarrior
3) Choose Easy or Custom Install
To Easy Install
• Choose Easy Install from the Installer pop-up menu.
• Click the Install button. The complete DiskWarrior package will be installed.
To Custom Install
• Choose Custom Install from the Installer pop-up menu.
• The Custom Install screen appears, showing a list of installation options.
• Select the DiskWarrior components that you wish to install.
• Click the Help button for additional Installer assistance.
• Click the Install button to install the selected DiskWarrior components.
4) Choose Restart from the Special menu to allow the DiskWarrior Extension
to load into memory.
Look for one of the DiskWarrior icons in Figure 2-2 below to be displayed momentarily
in the lower portion of the screen during start up.
5) Make a complete backup of your disks.
6) Turn on DiskShield.
Installation of DiskWarrior
Loaded, On
Not LoadedLoaded, Off
Figure 2-2
DiskWarrior icons displayed at startup
Before using a new utility for the first time it is a good idea to back up your disks to
safeguard against any unforeseen incompatibilities with other programs running on
your Mac OS computer.
To enable DiskWarrior’s default DiskShield protection, open the DiskWarrior
application, switch to the DiskShield tab, and click the On radio button near the top of
the window.
Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior 23
If the Loaded, On Icon Appears
As your computer restarts, DiskWarrior should display the Loaded, On icon shown to the left. If
so, the installation is successful. You can then proceed with the rest of this chapter knowing that
DiskWarrior will now perform the following operations on all eligible disks.
DiskWarrior Will Now Perform:
1) Directory Validity Checking
DiskWarrior will automatically validate the data being written to and read from each
eligible disk, and notify you of any errors. This prevents errant programs from
destroying your directory as well as preventing existing damage from escalating.
2) Directory Updating
DiskWarrior makes sure that the copy of the directory on the disk is updated
immediately when the copy of the directory the Mac OS caches in memory is updated.
This prevents a crash or loss of power from causing a loss of data.
Loaded, Protection Turned Off
If, when your computer restarts, DiskWarrior displays the Loaded, Off icon shown to the left, then
the DiskWarrior Extension loaded correctly but protection is currently turned off for all of your
disks. To enable DiskWarrior’s default DiskShield protection, open the DiskWarrior application,
switch to the DiskShield tab, and click the On radio button near the top of the window.
Loading Problems, What Went Wrong
If the Not Loaded icon (solid X) is displayed, try the following:
1) Make sure that System Software version you are running is Mac OS 8.1 or
later.
2) Make sure that you do not have more than one DiskWarrior Extension file
in your System Folder.
3) Reinstall DiskWarrior.
4) Restart your computer.
If the Error is still displayed at startup, refer to
bleshooting and Error Messages."
24 Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior
Troubleshooting
Installation of DiskWarrior
on page 54, "Chapter 3: Trou-
If none of the icons are displayed at startup, then the installation was not successful and you must
repeat steps 1 through 4 of the Installation section. The DiskWarrior Extension icon was not installed in the active System Folder. The System Folder is the folder that contains the System file
and the Finder file.
Deinstalling DiskWarrior
If you ever have a need to deinstall DiskWarrior, you can use the DiskWarrior Installer application and choose Custom Remove from the Installer pop-up menu or follow these easy steps:
1) Drag the DiskWarrior Extension icon out of the Extensions folder of your
startup disk (located within the System Folder) onto the Desktop. Do not
drag the DiskWarrior Extension icon to the Trash.
2) Choose Restart from the Special menu.
If desired, you may now drag the DiskWarrior Extension icon, the DiskWarrior icon and the contents of your DiskWarrior Folder to the trash.
Your deinstallation is now complete.
Flashing DiskWarrior Icon in the Menu Bar
A flashing DiskWarrior icon displayed at either end of the menu bar is an indication that DiskWarrior has a message to display. When you see this icon, you should open the DiskWarrior application to allow the message to be displayed.
Opening DiskWarrior
To open DiskWarrior double-click the DiskWarrior icon in the DiskWarrior folder that you installed in step 2 of the Installation section.
How To Get Even More Out Of DiskWarrior
At this point you could simply let DiskWarrior automatically take excellent care of your disks.
But we highly recommend that you learn how to work with all the powerful yet easy-to-use features of DiskWarrior. To learn how to use these advanced features, continue reading.
Installation of DiskWarrior
Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior 25
Quitting DiskWarrior
To quit the DiskWarrior application choose Quit from the File menu. This closes the DiskWarrior
application window but any automatic DiskWarrior features you have enabled will still take
place.
26 Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior Installation of DiskWarrior
Strategies for Rebuilding with DiskWarrior
Caution: If you suspect there is directory damage on your disk, it is recommended that you
run DiskWarrior before other disk repair utilities. Other disk repair utilities may render the
directory damage irreparable even to DiskWarrior. As you will see in the next section,
DiskWarrior shows you your rebuilt disk before finalizing the repairs. This allows you to
preview what your rebuilt disk will look like before you decide to finalize the rebuild. The
other utilities may perform actions on your disk that result in a “repaired” directory
structure but with missing or damaged data, or they will incorrectly begin to “repair” your
directory and then give up when they realize that they have modified the directory to an
irreparable state (for more information on directory structure and directory data, refer to
What is the Directory? on page 9, "Chapter 1: Introduction."). These cases may prevent
even DiskWarrior from recovering all of your files.
Using DiskWarrior as Preventative Maintenance
The most basic use of DiskWarrior is as preventative maintenance for your disks. Many forms of
directory damage do not manifest themselves until long after the damage has actually occurred.
You can prevent this damage from escalating by running DiskWarrior on your disks regularly.
DiskWarrior will rebuild your disk directory, eliminating all existing directory damage. The rebuilt disk directory will also be optimized for maximum disk performance. You will find doing
this regular maintenance of your directories more useful than rebuilding your desktop. Simply
follow the instructions in Running DiskWarrior on page 30 in this chapter on a regular basis
and you will be able to prevent minor directory errors from turning into major catastrophes!
Using DiskWarrior When There Seems to Be a Problem
As you use your computer, particularly after crashes, you may believe there to be missing files or
folders, or there may be crashes when files are used. You may have another program such as
DiskExpress Pro or PlusOptimizer reporting directory damage. You can use DiskWarrior to rebuild your disk directories, and thus recover the missing files or folders, reduce the likelihood
of crashes, or allow your disk optimization program to optimize your disk. Just follow the instructions in the next section, Running DiskWarrior on page 30 in this chapter. If you believe
the problem is with your startup disk, refer to Rebuilding Your Startup Disk on page 38 in this
chapter.
Using DiskWarrior to Recover Data from Malfunctioning Disks
Occasionally, due to a mechanical malfunction, a disk becomes unusable. Unfortunately, you
usually still have data you need on the disk when this happens. Although a malfunctioning disk
Strategies for Rebuilding with DiskWarrior Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior 27
cannot be repaired, DiskWarrior can allow you to recover as much data as possible from such
a disk, even if it is a disk to which data can no longer be written. Follow the directions in the next
section, Running DiskWarrior on page 30 in this chapter. At step 8) Test the replacement di-
rectory. on page 32 in this chapter, use the DiskWarrior replacement directory to access the
damaged disk and copy as many files and folders as possible to another hard disk, removable
media, floppies, etc., using the Finder. You may need to copy the original files to several disks,
depending upon the amount and size of the files on the source and the size of the disks to which
you are copying the files. Another option is to copy only the files that you absolutely need, such
as those that have changed since your last backup, or only your data files if you are planning to
reinstall your system and applications. In either case, with this type of damaged disk, it is possible that the Finder will not be able to copy all of the files you select. If the Finder displays such
an error, select “Continue” to continue copying the remainder of the files you selected. When the
copy operation is complete, you may want to attempt to copy the skipped files again in case the
error is intermittent and the copy operation can be performed for those files.
What to Do If Your Computer Has a Malfunctioning Internal Disk
The easiest way to rebuild your normal startup disk, whether you are having problems with it or
not, is to use the DiskWarrior CD. Just follow the directions in Rebuilding Your Startup Disk
Using the DiskWarrior CD on page 41 in this chapter.
If you do not have the DiskWarrior CD, there are several options depending upon the type of Mac
you have and if you are having problems accessing the normal startup disk.
If you are not having problems accessing the normal startup disk, you can follow the instructions
in the section Rebuilding Your Startup Disk Using One Removable Media Disk on page 39 in
this chapter.
If you are having problems accessing the normal startup disk, what you do will depend upon the
type of Mac you have and if you have access to a Mac network or more than one Mac.
For Macs that have a CD drive and a rewriteable disk that can be read while started from a Mac
OS CD (such as another hard disk, a floppy disk, or a third-party removable media disk), follow
the procedure described in the section Rebuilding Your Startup Disk Using a CD Drive and a
Rewriteable Disk on page 38 in this chapter.
For Macs that only have a CD drive (besides the internal disk) and have access to a Mac network,
follow the procedure in the section Rebuilding Your Startup Disk Using a CD Drive and a Net-
work on page 42 in this chapter.
28 Chapter 2: Using DiskWarrior Strategies for Rebuilding with DiskWarrior
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