This article contains the Disk First Aid 8.6 read me file and software links.

Language	Release Date	Software Update	Read Me	OS Required
North American English	2000-12-14			Any English Mac OS 9.0.x
International English	2000-12-14			Any English Mac OS 9.0.x
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About Disk First Aid 8.6

This document provides important information about Disk First Aid 8.6.

Disk First Aid is a utility that verifies and repairs some problems that may occur on your hard disk drive.

Why use Disk First Aid 8.6

Disk First Aid 8.6 corrects problems that may occur on Mac OS Extended format hard disks that were initialized with Mac OS 9.0.X. When starting up you may see the "Happy Macintosh" icon, but then the computer stops responding. This most often happens when your hard disk is nearly full, or if you have a very large number of files and constant file activity, such as a busy AppleShare IP server running Macintosh Manager.

If you have experienced difficulties starting up your system from your Mac OS Extended format hard disk, you should use Disk First Aid 8.6.

Requirements

Disk First Aid 8.6 is intended for PowerPC-based Macintosh computers using Mac OS 9.0.X. Disk First Aid 8.6 has been tested only with the U.S. English or International English version of Mac OS 9.0.X

Disk First Aid 8.6 Enhancements

This version of Disk First Aid repairs some kinds of damage to Mac OS Extended volumes that have become extremely fragmented and fail to start up. Disk First Aid 8.6 also improves the compatibility of Mac OS Extended format hard disks with Mac OS X.

This version of Disk First Aid is able to repair more kinds of problems on a startup hard disk. However, Apple recommends that you start your computer from a different disk (such as a CD or floppy disk) before repairing the startup disk.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Disk First Aid 8.6

Why does my desktop disappear when Disk First Aid 8.6 is running?

To safely repair some hard disks, Disk First Aid needs to quit all applications, including the Finder. Once the repair is complete, you can quit Disk First Aid to see the desktop.

How do I know a hard disk is Mac OS Extended format?

Select the hard disk in the Finder and choose "Get Info" in the File menu. The format information will specify either Mac OS Standard or Mac OS Extended.

Should I reformat my hard disk after repairing with Disk First Aid?

In most cases this is not necessary. However, if the hard disk was damaged by an incompatible disk repair utility, Apple recommends that you reformat or initialize the hard disk to ensure the directory structure is not damaged in a way that may cause problems at a later date.

Note that initializing will erase all the data on the hard disk, so you should first back up your important files.

When initializing, choose the low-level format option only if a regular format fails. Use the "zero all data" option only if you have security concerns and you want all traces of previous data removed from the hard disk. These options take longer than the regular format option.

Can I use my other disk utilities with a Mac OS Extended format hard disk?

Some disk utilities may not be compatible with Mac OS Extended format. Before you use a disk utility with a Mac OS Extended hard disk, please consult the documentation for the utility or contact the vendor for compatibility information.