Disk Errors

[Iamanamma]

G4 Yikes, OS 8.6 has been chugging along for a several years. It sat in storage for several years before that.   Last week, we started getting disk error messages "item could not be saved due to a disk error" or "item could not be moved due to a disk error."  Yet the items would be saved, or moved onto the desktop or into the trash or folders, whatever we asked it to do.  I ran Norton Utilities, and other than its usual OMG you have more than one system folder! message, bundle bit corrections, custom icon corrections, and admonishments for starting file names with a period, all it found was one corrupted PDF.  I ran Diskwarrior and rebuilt the directory. I deleted the corrupted file.  I tested a few files, moving them in out of folders. I did not get any error messages.  Has anyone else had this happen?  The G4 is using a PATA HDD as its boot drive, and I was wondering if this might be a symptom of further problems to come, or if the corrupted file was the likely source of the weirdness?

 

[cruff]

It is possible that a PATA HDD is starting to develop errors by this time, and that could explain the errors and corrupted file you saw. A low level reformat might correct the issue, but finding a utility to actually do the low level format might be difficult. Obviously you would have to start from scratch to reload the HDD after that. There is a possibility that bad capacitors are causing problems also, could be anywhere in the power supply, motherboard or on the disk itself. You'd need to verify that the power supply voltages are in range and do not have large amounts of ripple on them. An out of spec voltage or ripple could also cause those types of errors. Double check that the cables are seated, oxidation on a contact could cause issues also.

 

[cheesestraws]

Personally, I'd probably assume this was an early warning of a dying disc, and try copying everything onto a new disc and replacing it.

Only if I were still getting errors after that would I look at more complicated things...

 

[Iamanamma]

We back up daily, even with our old machines, so restoring isn't an issue.  I have a spare PATA HD, so I CAN replace it.   

 

[Iamanamma]

Personally, I'd probably assume this was an early warning of a dying disc, and try copying everything onto a new disc and replacing it.

That apparently is what the problem was.  We started having printing problems with that G4 as well.  Everything else was just getting worse.  I had installed a 2nd HDD in the G4 for storage, and I moved the OS and Apps over to the secondary HDD, an now moving, saving, printing has all been (so far!) working normally.  I did have some trouble emptying the trash, but as I investigated what was refusing to leave, I realized it was all stuff that was living on the failing drive.  Using the Option-Empty Trash command finished off the last of the empty folders that would not leave.  I found that tip on another forum here at 68KMLA.