sek@nvuxr.cc.bellcore.com (02/02/91)
This is a very strange problem that I've been wrestling with for a while now. In essence, no files whose name begins (alphabetically) beyond L appears in the system folder. Setup: Mac II, 40Mb internal hard disk, System 6.0.3 The details follow. By all outward appearances the Mac works fine. However if you open the System Folder the last file displayed is LaserWriter. It makes no difference how you choose to view the files (i.e. name, icon, date, color, etc.) no file whose name cames after laserWriter (alphabetically) is displayed. Despite this all CDEV's appear in Control Panel (Monitor, Sound, etc.). Find File does not find any file in the System Folder beyond L. For example if Find File is asked to locate System, Multifinder, Mouse, or any other file in the System Folder that begins with M-Z it fails. As far as Find File is concerned these files do not exist (yet they obviously do!) Rebuilding the Desktop has had no effect. The invisible files are still invisible. If a new file that begins with M-Z is copied into the System Folder the file will appear for as long as the folder is open. If I close the folder and reopen it, the once visible file is now invisible. If I then attempt to copy the same file into the System Folder again, I receive the dialog warning me that a file by that name already exists. If I copy the entire folder only files beginning with A-L (i.e. the visible files) are copied to the new folder. Watching both the names and count of files in the System Folder as it's being copied also verifies that only the "visible" files are being copied. Opening the System Folder under ResEdit again only shows the visible files. Nothing past L is displayed by ResEdit either. As I mentioned despite all this the Mac appears to work fine. Hence the System File is being found at Startup, all inits are loading (even those that begin with M-Z), and all resources are available. Every other folder is fine (i.e. all files are visible) as are folders within the System Folder that are visible. For example, the folder After Dark Files is visible in the System Folder. Opening that folder displays all the files. It's only the System Folder in which this is happening. Before I take more drastic measures (i.e. upgrade the OS) does anyone have any clues what may be causing this and a solution. Thanks.
talley@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (James T. Talley) (02/02/91)
I have seen this same problem on two different Jasmine 20-meg hard drives. The user reports that they can no longer print. I examine the System Folder and find all but the first few files are apparently missing. The Machine boots and operates, so there must be a System file and a Finder, but nothing can find them on the disk. This happened repeatedly on two Mac Pluses. I would back up all the other files, reformat the disk, and reinstall the system and the files. I tried version 6.0.2 and 6.0.4. The problem would recur every few weeks. When I replaced the hard disks, the problem evaporated. I thought that I just had two bad hard disks. I'd be curious to hear whether anyone has a rational explanation for the disappearing files. I still have the disks and I could put them to use if I knew that they would work for longer than 3 or 4 weeks. James Talley
dana@are.berkeley.edu (Dana E. Keil) (02/02/91)
I have saved some old messages on this problem that popped up in this group several months ago. What sounds to me like the real answer came from a Dave Fedor at Brown Univ who said it was a classic case of a damaged catalog tree, that he knew how to fix it manually, that he would help people with the fix, and that he was thinking about writing some utility that would fix it. I hesitate handing out his address to the whole world without his okay, though; I wonder if he's still reading the news here? -- Dana E. Keil Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics University of California, Berkeley dana@are.berkeley.edu
crocker@motcid.UUCP (Ronald T. Crocker) (02/02/91)
I also had a similar problem, but slightly different. The entire system folder was missing from my hard disk, but the machine still booted. At least I knew the files were still around, just not linked into any directory. I bought Norton Utilities for the Mac and used the disk doctor, and voila, everything was back. (I have a IIsi, and the only problem with Norton Utilities is that the system file that they provide is not compatible with my Mac hardware. I had to create a new system disk to place the "emergency" copy of Norton on.) -- Ron Crocker Motorola Radio-Telephone Systems Group, Cellular Infrastructure Group (708) 632-4752 [FAX: (708) 632-4430] ...!uunet!motcid!crocker or motcid!crocker@chg.mcd.mot.com
barry@playfair.Stanford.EDU (Barrett P. Eynon) (02/03/91)
In article <1991Feb1.194623.29049@bellcore.bellcore.com> bcr!nvuxr.cc.bellcore.com!sek writes: >This is a very strange problem that I've been wrestling with for a while now. >In essence, no files whose name begins (alphabetically) beyond L appears in >the system folder. This is a classic symptom of disk directory damage. Norton Utilities for the Mac will fix this problem. The only other approach is to scavange your files and then reformat the hard disk. NU is much easier, and well worth the price. I am not associated with Norton or Symantec in any way other than a great fan of NU. -- Barry Eynon barry@playfair.stanford.edu
st891456@pip.cc.brandeis.edu (Phil Marden) (02/03/91)
My suggestions are to try to use MacTool Deluxe's Rescue to examine for unknown problems or use SilverLining to Format the drives (it's more stable than Jasmine's DriveWare- IMHO)
urlichs@smurf.sub.org (Matthias Urlichs) (02/06/91)
In comp.sys.mac.system, article <1514@helens.Stanford.EDU>,
barry@playfair.Stanford.EDU (Barrett P. Eynon) writes:
<
< This is a classic symptom of disk directory damage. Norton Utilities for the
< Mac will fix this problem. The only other approach is to scavange your files
< and then reformat the hard disk. NU is much easier, and well worth the price.
<
Be aware that other fixers, including SUM or Disk First Aid, are useless here.
< I am not associated with Norton or Symantec in any way other than a great
< fan of NU.
I second that.
(Exception: Currently you can't use NU on any disk which has seen the light
of System 7.0, although NU itself runs fine under 7.0b1. It's also not quite
A/UX-compatible yet.)
--
Matthias Urlichs -- urlichs@smurf.sub.org -- urlichs@smurf.ira.uka.de /(o\
Humboldtstrasse 7 - 7500 Karlsruhe 1 - FRG -- +49+721+621127(0700-2330) \o)/djm@pro-odyssey.cts.com (David McDowell) (02/08/91)
In-Reply-To: message from barry@playfair.Stanford.EDU I recently found the same problem but it was fine once I restarted my Mac without ATM 2.0 installed. This could be the problem... anyone encounter the problem with ATM installed? ---- ProLine: djm@pro-odyssey Internet: djm@pro-odyssey.cts.com UUCP: crash!pro-odyssey!djm ARPA: crash!pro-odyssey!djm@nosc.mil