Got the dreaded Leopard "invalid node structure" error message onDisk Utility, (along with ulra-slow

Was wondering what to do about it, especially as I cant find my
install discs (I have them somewhere but the only ones I can find are
my new McBook Pro Leopard install discs and my Snow Leopard upgrade
disc) for this 15 inch 1.5 GHz Powerbook G4.

No FSCK command I can find on Single User Mode works

I suppose I can start in target mode (using my iBook G4) and copy
everything on the internal hard drive to a USB hard drive to clone the
whole drive

Then format the internal drive using the 'write Xs to every block'
function (there doesnt seem to be anything wrong with the HDD) and
then copy everything back to the HDD.

But once I have finished this process, how do I make the Powerbook's
HDD bootable? Does Darwin have all sorts of hidden files which let it
be bootable and start the computer like a PC?

 

The above makes me think of my sister who never seems to remember where she
put any install disk. Furthermore, whenever she is asked for a password she
makes one up on the spot, something like "oobiegoobie23" and then never
remembers it!

 

diskwarrior should be able to fix invalid node structure:
<http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/index.html>

ultra slow sounds like it could be bad blocks, which means you should
replace the drive. be sure your backups are up to date.

that's the same as disk utility and it won't fix it.

it's a waste of time to write to every block, especially if there
doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it. if you do clone it, a simple
reformat will suffice.

it has a lot of hidden files, but if you clone it with superduper, it
will be bootable. however, that's really the wrong way to solve this
unless diskwarrior fails to fix it.

 

Actually i am scared of buying DiskWarrior again unless I can find it
very cheap indeed:

I don't trust the company. I bought it once and just found that
within a month or so, Apple had released some update to the OS
(Panther to Tiger or something?) which rendered the whole cost
wasted. I started out being suspicious of a software program which
cost as much as a whole new drive and ended up being even more
suspicious!!

Actually I suspect it might do the job as it DID do an amazing job
when i did use it the first time. Now however it only HOPES to
correct this INVALID NODE STRUCTURE problem IF you spend a ton of
money, yet again, buying it.

 

I moping this isnt a stupid question but is there any way of using
file sharing, connecting up my unibody Macbook Pro with the ethernet
cable and cloning the drive on the dead computer using some form of
target disk mode using Time Machine? I know Target doesnt work
without firewire.

 

Superduper just gets hung at the first step (preparing Macintosh hard
drive): It was difficult to get it to start (kept hanging with the
whirling coloured ball and on Force Quit, giving the error message
"not responding") but when I did get it to start, it doesnt run at
all. I tried verifying disk permissions before it started performing
its functions and it gets stuck at verifying.

Unless all these programs act like DW and just take an age to run?
Does anyone know if there is any way of knowing when it is or isnt
actually running? Or can you assume something has gone very wrong
when you see the whirling ball when the cursor gets over the Apple? So
far it has run for two hours without anything looking like it is
happening except that the clock keeps running!

 

But is that the drive it's copying data from, or the drive it's copying data
to? If it's the latter, then I'd format it from scratch.

 

The spinning globe seems to be the drive being copied.

I also get the spinning wheel when I try to run disk utility on the
drive AND it keeps spinning when I put the cursor over the apple.

(The one to be copied TO is one which SuperDuper says it will be
automatically formatting if it gets that far so I am not particularly
worried about that one)

 

No, it is a week or three since I posted and now my main problem is
that I cant find my PB G4 install disc! Looked EVERYWHERE. Have
delegaged senior offspring to assist without any result