dbarron@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Dave) (03/27/91)
After receiving a shareware program (and checking it for viruses), I
launched it and it crashed. Upon returning to the Finder under System 7.0b4,
I discovered that, among other minor anomolies (which I was able to fix),
several of my files/folders inside my system folder have been corrupted.
A brief overview of some of the anomolies:
The particular files/folders (The Preferences Folder, for example),
don't show up at all, nor their contents. Some of them show up momentarily
if I "Find..." them, but soon disappear. If I'm quick, I can copy them
(if "Find..." worked), but cannot replace the original, "invisible" file.
It's as if they are on the disk, but hiding from the finder and not the system.
I've tried to check their "invisible" bit with ResEdit, but the files are
invisible to the SFGetFile dialog. I've rebuilt the
desktop, to no avail (interestingly, that operation never completely "fills in"
it's "progress bar", as if it gives up. I've tried rebuilding the software
using an older system and then letting 7.0b4 "upgrade to new system software."
Ideally, I'd like to recover these files short of a re-installation and
re-customization of System 7.0b4. I can't ignore the problem, since I am
unable to do anything involving anything in the Preferences folder, or any of
the other files (INITs and so forth) which are damaged.
Anybody have a quick fix, perhaps someone who's had a similar problem?
While I'm on the subject, I'd like to say that it would be nice to have
an application halfway between what ResEdit does for resources and what
MacSnoop does (did) for physical volumes. In other words, more low-level
than ResEdit, but more high level than MacSnoop. Something with enough
verification and repair tools to solve exactly this kind of problem, which I've
had from time to time during the many years I've worked with Macintoshes.
If all else fails, I can unstuff my 6.0.7 folder, or re-install 7.0.
Oh, and the funny thing is, the "System ('suitcase')" itself is one of these
quasi-files, half there and half not there. It's obviously there since I can
boot off this harddrive, and the alias I happened to have for it still opens
it, but that's about it.
Email is fine. Thanks in advance.
Dave
dbarron@dartmouth.edu