Re: Incorrect b-tree catalog?

Susan Oates (oates@cybercomm.net)
Fri, 12 Jul 1996 00:18:01 EDT

I use Norton Disk Doctor on Macs, too, and this b-tree message is a very
common one, which I'm not convinced is that important. However, what I've
taken to doing, after several discussions with Apple Tech Support about
this and other assorted issues, is running Disk First Aid, which is part of
the Utilities supplied with the MacOS software. If you start up from some
device other than the hard drive, you can repair any problems that Disk
First Aid finds once it's checked the hard drive. (The other startup
device depends on the model of Mac you have. I have machines that will run
off the Norton disk that includes a copy of system software and others that
will run only off the CD-ROM.) The key with Macs, vs PCs, is that you can
only repair the hard drive when it is not your startup device.

Before school ended, I ran Norton Disk Doctor, then Speed Disk, then
rebuilt the desktop on all the Macs. I ended up with some strange messages
after that, and we couldn't do normal things. I decided to run Disk First
Aid, and the problems were fixed. Also, I have no hesitation in deleting
something that's listed as a problem if it isn't meaningful to the
operation of the computer.

At home now, I'm a lot more likely to run Disk First Aid to check my hard
drive if there seem to be problems. Also, I downloaded MacOS Purge and use
that at the end of every session. I rebuild the desktop after any
significant change, or group of changes, to the hard drive. I run Speed
Disk every few weeks. I have a 500-meg hard drive, I bought my Power Mac
6100/66 DOS Compatible in mid-February, I've got 24 megs of RAM (I just
added 8 megs), and I only have 33 megs left on my hard drive. So . . .
short of buying an external hard drive, I have to care for what I have.

Bottom line: I'd take what Norton Disk Doctor says with a grain of salt
and rely more on Disk First Aid to take care of my Mac. (This is not true
for PCs, where Norton Disk Doctor is a lifesaver, so-to-speak, many times
over.) A suggestion -- become more familiar with the terms and programs of
MacOS. EG, an alias is just a pointer ("shadow") file or the like to an
actual file. If the actual file doesn't exist, you don't need the alias,
especially if you get annoying messages about it.

Hope this helps!

Susan

>At 5:28 PM 7/9/96, Barbara L. Branch wrote:
>>I have a message on my hard drive when I shut down from Norton's which says
>>that the b-tree catalog is incorrect. When I run Norton's I get a needs
>>fixing message at node 4, 9, 11 (I think). When I choose Fix I get the same
>>message back again with no repair done. When I read the report it says that
>>their is an alias file with no file to which to attach. How can I get rid
>>of the bug without carting my CPU to the campus bookstore for repair. I'm
>>spending the summer on the University of Southern California campus working
>>on my doctorate and have only a bike for transportation. Help!!! Thanks.

Susan L. Oates <oates@cybercomm.net>

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