Disk First Aid
{{short description|Deprecated Apple utility software}}
{{Infobox Software
| name = Disk First Aid
| logo = Disk First Aid.png
| screenshot =
| caption =
| developer = Apple Inc.
| latest_release_version = 8.6.1
| latest_release_date = {{release date and age|2001|05|03}}
| operating_system = Classic Mac OS
| genre = software utility
| website = {{URL|http://support.apple.com/kb/TA26794}}
}}
Disk First Aid is a free software utility made by Apple Inc. that was bundled with all computers running the classic Mac OS.{{cite web|url=http://www.buzzle.com/articles/disk-first-aid-utility-in-mac.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708023048/http://www.buzzle.com/articles/disk-first-aid-utility-in-mac.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 8, 2008|title=Disk First Aid Utility in Mac|last=Watson|first=Andrew|date=2008-02-07|accessdate=2009-01-12}} This tool verifies and repairs a limited number of directory structure problems on any HFS or HFS Plus hard disk or volume.{{cite book|last=Stauffer|first=Todd|title=How to Do Everything with Your iMac|publisher=McGraw-Hill Professional|year=2004|page=456|isbn=0-07-223188-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mMZMQGens8cC|accessdate=2008-01-12}}
Disk First Aid is a very simple tool, with it only being able to detect and repair directory damage{{cite book|last=Breen|first=Christopher|title=Mac 911|publisher=Peachpit Press|year=2002|pages=[https://archive.org/details/mac_Mac_911_2002/page/n133 104]–5|isbn=0-201-77339-2|url=https://archive.org/details/mac_Mac_911_2002|accessdate=2008-01-12}} and many books are critical of its sometimes inaccurate reporting of errors, and often suggest to run the tool more than once to ensure a consistent result.{{cite book|last=Landau|first=Ted|title=Sad Macs, Bombs, and Other Disasters: And what to Do about Them|publisher=Peachpit Press|year=2000|pages=[https://archive.org/details/mac_Sad_Macs_Bombs_and_other_Disasters_4th_Edition_2000/page/n15 805]–11|isbn=0-201-69963-X|url=https://archive.org/details/mac_Sad_Macs_Bombs_and_other_Disasters_4th_Edition_2000|accessdate=2008-01-12}}{{cite web|url=http://kb.iu.edu/data/adhu.html|title=In OS X, what is First Aid, and when and how should I use it?|date=2008-12-18|work=University Information Technology Services Knowledge Base|publisher=Indiana University|accessdate=2009-01-12}} Disk First Aid is located in Applications:Utilities:Disk First Aid. The classic Mac OS provides an option to run Disk First Aid on startup, although it has been reported that it provides little gain and sometimes can amplify a problem.
Its capabilities were incorporated into Disk Utility in macOS.
Situations to use the tool
One source suggests that disk utility should be used when there are:
- Frequent system crashes,
- Disappearing files,
- Files changing size,
- Problems copying files from one place to another,
- Problems saving files,
- Cryptic error messages,
as well as for general maintenance every 6 months.{{cite web|url=http://8help.osu.edu/33608.html|title=Disk First Aid for Macintosh|date=1999-06-04|work=IT Service Desk (8help)|publisher=Ohio State University|accessdate=2009-01-12|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317063952/http://8help.osu.edu/33608.html|archivedate=2009-03-17}}
Analysis
Disk First Aid has built-in capabilities to check for damage to:
- Partition Map,
- Device Driver,
- Boot Blocks,
- Master Directory Block,
- Volume Bitmap,
- Catalog File,
- Extents File,
- Finder Attributes,
- Disk volume,
- Extent B-tree,
- Catalog B-tree,
- Catalog Hierarchy,
- Volume Info,
- and to search for locked volume name.{{cite web|url=http://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/page.php?id=907|title=Mac OS 9 - How to Use Disk First Aid|date=2001-02-09|work=Computing@UW-MADISON KnowledgeBase|publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison|accessdate=2009-01-12}}
After analyzing the disk directory, Disk First Aid determines whether it is able to repair any damage that was detected. The utility can commonly only fix problems associated with the catalog/extents files and the volume bitmap. Commonly, the program reports that there is an error, but cannot fix it.