This document provides important information about Disk First Aid 8.2.
Disk First Aid is a utility that verifies and repairs some problems that may occur on your hard disk drive.
Why use Disk First Aid 8.2
Mac OS 8.1 supports a new hard disk format called Mac OS Extended format (also known as HFS+). The hard disk format supported by Mac OS 8.0 and earlier is now referred to as Mac OS Standard format (also known as HFS). Mac OS Extended format optimizes the storage capacity of larger hard disks by decreasing the minimum size of a single file. As an example, on a 4 GB hard disk in Mac OS Standard format, a file containing only 4K of information requires 64K of disk space, whereas the same file requires only 4K of disk space on the 4 GB hard disk with Mac OS Extended format.
Disk First Aid 8.2 corrects problems that may have occurred on Mac OS Extended format hard disks that have been damaged by disk repair utilities that were not compatible with this new format. Some disk repair utilities may make inappropriate repairs that cause the hard disk icon to disappear from the desktop.
If you have experienced problems with your Mac OS Extended format hard disk after using disk utilities, you should use Disk First Aid 8.2.
Requirements
Disk First Aid 8.2 is intended for 68040 and PowerPC-based Macintosh computers using Mac OS 8.1. Disk First Aid 8.2 has been tested only with the U.S. English version of Mac OS 8.1.
Disk First Aid 8.2 Enhancements
This version of Disk First Aid repairs some kinds of damage to a Mac OS Extended volume caused by disk repair utilities that are not compatible with Mac OS Extended format. Note that Disk First Aid may not be able to repair all problems caused by incompatible disk repair utilites, but it will make the hard disk icon available on the desktop again, so that the hard disk can be reformatted and the data restored from backup.
This version of Disk First Aid is able to repair more kinds of problems on a startup hard disk. However, Apple recommends that you start your computer from a different disk (such as a CD or floppy disk) before repairing the startup disk.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Disk First Aid 8.2
• Why does my recovered disk show only one file?
Mac OS Extended format requires Mac OS 8.1. If you view a hard disk with Mac OS Extended format using another version of the Mac OS, you will see only one file. If you are using Mac OS 8.1, all the files on Mac OS Extended volumes should be accessible.
• Why does my desktop disappear when Disk First Aid 8.2 is running?
To safely repair some hard disks, Disk First Aid needs to quit all applications, including the Finder. Once the repair is complete, you can quit Disk First Aid to see the desktop.
• How do I know a hard disk is Mac OS Extended format?
Select the hard disk in the Finder and choose “Get Info” in the File menu. The format information will specify either Mac OS Standard or Mac OS Extended.
• Should I reformat my hard disk after repairing with Disk First Aid?
In most cases this is not necessary. However, if the hard disk was damaged by an incompatible disk repair utility, Apple recommends that you reformat or initialize the hard disk to ensure the directory structure is not damaged in a way that may cause problems at a later date.
Note that initializing will erase all the data on the hard disk, so you should first back up your important files.
When initializing, choose the low-level format option only if a regular format fails. Use the "zero all data" option only if you have security concerns and you want all traces of previous data removed from the hard disk. These options take longer than the regular format option.
• Can I use my other disk utilities with a Mac OS Extended format hard disk?
Some disk utilities may not be compatible with Mac OS Extended format. Before you use a disk utility with a Mac OS Extended hard disk, please consult the documentation for the utility or contact the vendor for compatibility information.
Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Disk First Aid and Finder are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. PowerPC is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom.
