Disk Utility and DiskWarrior trouble with external hard-drive.

[Jesse Smith]

I got an external hard-drive that doesn't show up on finder. On both Disk Utility and DiskWarrior it keeps mounting and un-mounting. Disk Utility when trying to repair, spits this out when it un-mounts...

2011-07-28 22:43:43 -0700: Problems were encountered during repair of the partition map
2011-07-28 22:43:43 -0700: Error: Some information was unavailable during an internal lookup.
2011-07-28 22:43:43 -0700: : Some information was unavailable during an internal lookup.
2011-07-28 22:43:43 -0700: [DUDiskController mountDisk] expecting DUDisk, but got nil

On DiskWarrior it simply says 'Directory cannot be rebuilt due to disk hardware failure (-36,2747)

Earlier today it would stay mounted and Disk Utility would spit out...

Verify and Repair volume “Back-up Hard Drive”
Checking file systemChecking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Checking extents overflow file.
Checking catalog file.
Invalid sibling link
Rebuilding catalog B-tree.
Invalid node structure
The volume Back-up Hard Drive could not be repaired.
Volume repair complete.
Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.
Error: Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.

while DiskWarrior would try to fix it, but on

Step 5: Locating directory date...

Speed reduced by disk malfunction: 339,474, er make that 340,239, er make that 341,327

and I finally gave up there.

I try to fix the Invalid sibling link error via Terminal and I get this...

imac-2:~ Migrated$ fsck_hfs -r /dev/disk2s2
** /dev/rdisk2s2 (NO WRITE)
Can't open /dev/rdisk2s2: Resource busy


Is there ANY THING I can do to get it to stay mounted and possibly fix this? This is my back-up hard-drive!!

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Looks like it might could be a hardware problem -- in that case, there's nothing you can do short of replacing the hard drive.

It's your backup hard drive, meaning all the stuff on it is simply a backup of data that you already have elsewhere -- say, on your internal boot drive. If this is the case, then simply replace the hard drive, re-back-up everything again, and you're golden.

If this is a "backup hard drive" in the sense that it's the place that you throw stuff to get it off your other hard drives, then ack -- that may not bode well for that data.

drivesavers.com specializes in recovering data from hard drives that otherwise would be considered "dead." They're expensive, but it all depends on how much the data on that hard drive is worth to you.

[Jesse Smith]

It's the cord that's being used that decides if it shows up, or if it shows up and then goes away over and over. Using a cord where it stays on in the programs, when I run Disk Utility of the darked out part of the hard-drive, it spits out...

Verifying and repairing partition map for “MICRONET”
Checking prerequisites
Checking the partition list
Checking for an EFI system partition
Checking the EFI system partition’s size
Checking the EFI system partition’s file system
Checking all HFS data partition loader spaces
Reviewing boot support loaders
Checking Core Storage Physical Volume partitions
Updating Windows boot.ini files as required
The partition map appears to be OK

while the part of the disk just below it that's light spits out

Verifying volume “Back-up Hard Drive”
Checking file system
Error: This disk needs to be repaired. Click Repair Disk.
Verify and Repair volume “Back-up Hard Drive”
Starting repair tool:
Checking file system
Volume repair complete.
Updating boot support partitions for the volume as required.
Error: Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.
Disk Utility stopped repairing “Back-up Hard Drive”: Disk Utility can’t repair this disk. Back up as many of your files as possible, reformat the disk, and restore your backed-up files.

while DiskWarrior tries to rebuild it and spits out a memory error.