Our Diskwarrior 3.0.1 Update Experience

From Dana Baggett, our New England editor,

I ordered the DiskWarrior 3.0.1 CD the same day it was released - Jan. 27. Alsoft mailed it via Priority Mail from Spring, TX. the next day Jan. 28 and it arrived here on Jan. 30. (Now if only a provider of one of my tax statements could be so prompt.)

The CD has the DiskWarrior 3.0.1 application on it. Installation on one's internal hard disk is not complicated.

2) Select the DiskWarrior icon found in the upper-left corner of the CD window and drag it to your hard disk. Alsoft recommends that DiskWarrior reside in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.

I booted from the CD into Mac OS 10.3.2. The application opens; typically, you cannot see the desktop since Apple does not license its Finder. I had DiskWarrior 3.0.1 rebuild directories on my hard drive, my external FW hard drive and - surprise - my TechTool Pro 4 eDrive. The application ran noticeably faster than previous versions and completed its tasks flawlessly.

In perusing the DiskWarrior Read Me, I found the following info of possible interest to the owners of dual processor Macs.

Restart Stalls when Quitting DiskWarrior while Started from the DiskWarrior CD

When you quit DiskWarrior while started from the DiskWarrior CD, your Mac will automatically restart. The Mac OS X System folder on the DiskWarrior CD is licensed to Alsoft from Apple Computer and has a known intermittent issue when restarting some dual processor Macs. The problem will manifest as a stall just before the shutdown portion of the restart completes. Your disks are not in use at this point of the restart so you may simply restart manually to continue.

Also, mark me down as someone who did not know until now that DiskWarrior works on iPods! Here's the info from the Read Me:

Rebuilding (Repairing) Your iPod

The tight integration between iTunes, iSync and the iPod can prevent DiskWarrior from removing your iPod from the desktop and thus prevent you from rebuilding the iPod directory. One solution is to start up from the DiskWarrior CD since iTunes and iSync will not be running. Another solution is to eject and disconnect your iPod, temporarily change iPod related preferences in iTunes and iSync, reconnect your iPod, rebuild and then restore your preferences. In the iTunes iPod preferences, uncheck the box labeled Open iTunes when attached and then quit iTunes. In the iSync iPod preferences, uncheck the boxes labeled Turn on [your iPod name] iPod synchronization and Automatically synchronize when iPod is connected.

Among other goodies on the DiskWarrior CD is a QuickStart Manual and a complete 52 page DiskWarrior Manual in pdf format.

I liken DiskWarrior to the space tire on my automobile. It is rarely needed - except in an emergency. Then, I am delighted to have it.