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Repair harddrive OSX Utility

etaf

etaf

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 24, 2008
61
2
Surrey, UK
I looking remotely at a friends OSX Macbook pro 2008 -
not sure what OSX is on it

Had an issue with outlook 2011 not opening - repairing the database identity did not fix the issue

I was going to put thunderbird on a see if i could import the emails - but the device running very slow and Safari crashed

so I got him to run verify under disk utility and got an error the disk needed to be repaired and something about a repair HD disk

We don't have any thing - and not an OSX expert.

Can i do a repair like chkdsk on windows
or what can i do know

i have copied all the data (except the microsoft outlook database identities ) strange reason theres 300GB free on the external drive - and the identities with all the copy and backups - is 119GB - but the copy says not enough room ?????

any way and safe way to repair

Next steps ?

I have suggested he purchases an portable external 1TB drive to copy to
and then use for timemachine once sorted

thanks
 
velocityg4

velocityg4

macrumors 604
Dec 19, 2004
7,329
4,717
Georgia
Stop fiddling with the drive and get that Outlook database backed up. If it is important to your friend. Time Machine is a slow luxury to try afterward for an easier restore. A possible failing hard drive is a ticking time bomb. You can go from still have a chance to backup to fudged at any moment.

Once you have everything backed up you can boot to the recovery partition and try to repair the disk with Disk Utility. Hold the Option key while booting to select the recovery partition.

Disk Utility has options to verify and repair the problematic partition. If that doesn't work you may as well replace the hard drive. It's likely beyond repair and not worth the time or expense.

A program like Disk Warrior may fix it. The $120 you spend on Disk Warrior could have bought your friend a 250GB Samsung 850 Evo SSD. Even if Disk Warrior was on sale it wouldn't be a cost efficteve gamble. Your friend could also get a 2TB 7,200 RPM WD Caviar Black 2.5" HD if they need space but I would recommend a SSD.
 
etaf

etaf

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 24, 2008
61
2
Surrey, UK
Thanks very much for the very quick reply.

I have recommended he get an external drive ASAP so we can backup the microsoft identity - I tried remotely today access the system and copying the folder - BUT it came back with no space available after about 25mins

we have copied the photos and iphoto library and other documents

i assume all the photos are in the iphoto library - as it seemed to only open with iphoto

He plans to replace with an imac in the short term, he just wanted a couple of months out of this - so rather than spend a lot of money , he will probably replace

and then use external drive on time machine as a 2nd copy using the 3-2-1 method and a quick cheap solution

thanks again
 
etaf

etaf

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 24, 2008
61
2
Surrey, UK
Thanks - I suggest he gets an new external drive to copy all the data off first - as no backup at all

and hes decided he does not want to spend any time on this and has taken into a repair shop
I will let you know the outcome

thanks for all the help and assistance, I learnt a lot , and as more of my friends use Macs, I'm sure i will get to do the above myself

Thanks
Wayne
 
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