I was reading the threads about disk utility problems, but those seem like they can be solved by using terminal or maybe even a restart 
. My problem is somewhat larger, however. Whenever I try to verify my drive, using Disk Utility, diskutil or fsck, it freezes the system without any feedback. Its not a normal kernel panic or anything, it just slowly locks up, first the app checking the disk, and slowly all the other apps until finally the mouse stops moving. It seems like OS X just loses the ability to use the hard drive and it keeps running out of RAM until it quits. I have also been experiencing these freezes irregularly at random times for the past two weeks or so with no report in the system.log.
I can't reinstall my system right now, or I would have, but does this sound like more of a software problem or maybe some bad sectors on the hard drive? I don't get "clicks of death" or any other irregular noises from the hard drive.
Just for the record, this is a Titanium Powerbook 1Ghz (last revision). No RAM has been added recently or anything like that. I did upgrade the hard drive months ago to a Seagate 100GB 5400rpm drive. However, when I installed it I check it with diskutil before, during and after installing/tranferring my data onto it. I have not used Disk Warrior on the drive, and don't have immediate access to it or my OS X CD (I'm at college without my usual CDs, but I can burn a copy later tonight to check things out).
Any suggestions/feedback would be welcome.
. My problem is somewhat larger, however. Whenever I try to verify my drive, using Disk Utility, diskutil or fsck, it freezes the system without any feedback. Its not a normal kernel panic or anything, it just slowly locks up, first the app checking the disk, and slowly all the other apps until finally the mouse stops moving. It seems like OS X just loses the ability to use the hard drive and it keeps running out of RAM until it quits. I have also been experiencing these freezes irregularly at random times for the past two weeks or so with no report in the system.log. I can't reinstall my system right now, or I would have, but does this sound like more of a software problem or maybe some bad sectors on the hard drive? I don't get "clicks of death" or any other irregular noises from the hard drive.
Just for the record, this is a Titanium Powerbook 1Ghz (last revision). No RAM has been added recently or anything like that. I did upgrade the hard drive months ago to a Seagate 100GB 5400rpm drive. However, when I installed it I check it with diskutil before, during and after installing/tranferring my data onto it. I have not used Disk Warrior on the drive, and don't have immediate access to it or my OS X CD (I'm at college without my usual CDs, but I can burn a copy later tonight to check things out).
Any suggestions/feedback would be welcome.