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What is First Aid or Disk First Aid, and when and how should I use it?What is First Aid or Disk First Aid?
First Aid is a utility included in Mac OS X for checking and repairing file system errors. it is part of the Disk Utility program.
When should I use it?
If your computer is crashing frequently, displaying cryptic error messages, or exhibiting unusual behavior, you can use First Aid or Disk First Aid as a first step to check for defects and, in many cases, repair them. If, however, your volume has suffered severe corruption, you may need to use other utility programs or repair methods.
Even if you are not getting errors, it is a good idea to run First Aid or Disk First Aid periodically. This preventive maintenance will help keep small problems from developing into bigger ones.
How do I run First Aid or Disk First Aid?
To check your startup disk, you must run First Aid or Disk First Aid from your software installation CD or DVD. Insert the disc, restart your computer, and hold the c key down while restarting to force your computer to boot from the CD or DVD. Locate First Aid or Disk First Aid as described below and launch it.
Using First Aid in Mac OS X
Note: For help with correcting permissions problems rather than file system errors, see the Knowledge Base document Using Mac OS X, how do I repair permissions and what does that do?
Boot from the system installation CD or DVD. Then, from the Installer menu (Mac OS X 10.3) or the Disk Utilities menu (Mac OS X 10.4), select Disk Utility. In the column on the left, select the volume you want to repair, and then on the right, click the First Aid tab. You may select multiple volumes by holding down the Cmd key while clicking the volumes.
Click the Verify Disk button to begin a verification process (a simple check for errors) or the Repair Disk button to verify and repair any problems on the selected volume(s). You can stop the scan at any time by clicking the Stop Verify or Stop Repair button.
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