Repair disk is dulled out in disk utillities.

[Kodika]

I have a very old E Mac running version OS X version 10.1.5. My Mac is showing a flashing question mark so I have tried the various solutions provided by Ric on this forum. Unfortunately, when I insert my Mac OS X Install disk (which is for version 10.1.4) and press the C key at startup and click on Disk Utility the "Repair Disk" button is greyed out (although I am able to Verify the Disk.) How do I get round this problem? (I should add that I have had the flashing question mark once before, and I was able to repair my E Mac on that occasion as I was able at that time to click on the "Repair Disk" button. However, I can no longer do this.)

I have also tried using my OS 9 Install Disk, as I was using OS 9 the last time before the flashing question mark appeared. When I go into Disk Utility using that disk, I am able to click on the "Repair Disk" button but it lists errors that it says it is unable to repair.

Is there any thing else I can try so that I can start up My E Mac in OS X?

 

[Kodika]

Further update. I HAVE now managed to access the repair button, by highlighting the hard drive volume after completing the verify process. I got a message that the repair had completed successfully, but when I started the computer up again I still got the flashing question mark, so the repair does not seem to have worked. Is there any other thing I can try to get my E Mac working?

 

[notnerdy]

Someone please help. I am new here. I have OSX 10.5.8 and am using iphoto 4.0.3. I tried to save a photo from an email to iphoto and now my iphoto won't load. It just says loading... and the circle spins but nothing happens. I did repair disk permissions with diskutilities or whatever as I was recommended to do but it still does not work. Please help and be very step by step specific as I am not so hot with these computers. Thank you!

 

[Kaveman]

Kodika - Your OS is broken you need to do an install in place, there is no fix it option.

 

[Kaveman]

notnerdy - Start iPhoto with the Command and Option Key down. Repair the iPhoto Database.

 

[Kodika]

Thanks Kaveman. If I have understood you correctly, I have lost all my data, but will be able to make my Mac usable again if I do a clean install? How do I do that? I have disks to install OS X and OS 9, plus four software restore disks, plus an Applications disk. Which ones do I use and in which order? Forgive me, as I have little technical knowledge.

Before I attempt this, if my hard drive is damaged or corrupted, will a clean install work in any case?

 

[Kaveman]

in place

No don't do a clean install, then you will loose all your data. When you do the install, if you do an in place install, it will leave your user space data intact.

 

[Kodika]

Thanks Kaveman. However, as I mentioned in my last post, I have little technical knowledge and I have no idea what an in place install is or how to do it. It would be helpful if you could explain how I go about it or provide me with a link which does that.

If my hard drive is damaged or corrupted, will an in place install still work?

 

[Kaveman]

I got a message that the repair had completed successfully

so there may not be a problem with the drive.

When you run the installer it should give you some options, not sure of the exact wording, as it's so long ago, but you need to look out for Install in Place, or something like that, not clean install or reformat or those types of options. Its a Mac it should make it clear.

 

[Kodika]

Thanks for the tips Kaveman. I will investigate further.