Anicsi wrote:2. Disk Repair.... since i have the German software, am not sure if it is the same as Apple hardware test? Pressing 'D' while launching the computer with the MacOS X Installation Disk 1? If it is not the same, i don't really know what you want me to do, i couldn't find anything about a 'Disk Repair' program in the guide.
I recommend that you occasionally restart your Mac, and hold down the Shift key right after the startup chime is played, and keep it held down until the spinning black bar cursor appears.
This procedure invokes what Apple calls a "Safe Boot":
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417
and your Mac will report that it has been booted (started up) into Safe Boot mode. During startup in Safe Boot mode your Mac will do a file system check, entirely in the background, with no working status indicated, or report generated, and any problems will automatically be repaired.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564?viewlocale=en_US
It may take a while for your Mac to start up in Safe Boot mode. Be Patient. Once it has fully started up, you should immediately restart your Mac normally, because certain files are deactivated when you startup in Safe Boot mode.
Note: A wireless or Bluetooth keyboard and mouse may not allow you to startup in Safe Boot mode. (Also, be sure that all of the latest updates for your computer are installed.)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2220
Item #6
Instead you may prefer to check your hard drive, and repair any problems, by using the method outlined below. The advantage of using the method outlined below is that both a working status indicator, and a report, are generated. The disadvantage is that you will have to have, and start up from, your OS X Installer CD-ROM.
Put your OS X Installer CD-ROM (or DVD) into your optical drive (if you have multiple installer disks, use the first one), and startup from it (by holding down the "C" key during startup or restart). From there you can choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. Click on the disk that you want to repair in the left column and then choose the First Aid tab, and then click on Repair Disk. (If the Repair Disk button is gray, you either didn't click on the correct item in the left column, or you aren't started up from the Installer CD-ROM. You can't repair the disk that you have started up from.)
http://www.fixya.com/support/r935084-mac_repair_disk
Discussion.
Longtime Macintosh users know that under OS 8 and OS 9, if you were experiencing nasty problems with your hard drive, that running Apple's Disk First Aid usually didn't fix them. In such cases, users often resorted to using the commercial product Disk Warrior, which could perform near miraculous feats of repair on your hard drive. It was also an invaluable tool for routine preventative maintenance. Under OS X, Disk Utility/Repair Disk is the replacement for Disk First Aid. So, the question most folks have is, 'is Disk Utility/Repair Disk as lame as Disk First Aid, and is Disk Warrior still an invaluable utility to have?' There is an interesting thread on TidBits Talk that covers this topic:
Looking for Disk Warrior Justification
http://emperor.tidbits.com/webx?14@@.3c7926a4/
The answer is that Disk Warrior is a marvelous tool...when you need it. Fortunately, under OS X you don't need it as often as you needed it under previous versions of the Mac OS. For instance, you don't need to run Disk Warrior routinely as a preventative measure. (Though doing so, if you already own Disk Warrior, isn't a bad idea.) OS X is plenty stable without having to constantly rebuild its directory. And so, in my opinion, there is no need to purchase Disk Warrior (for about $100) unless a situation arises where Disk Utility/Repair Disk reports that it can't repair a problem with your hard drive. This is not to demean Disk Warrior. When you do need Disk Warrior, because your disk directory has developed errors that Disk Utility can't fix, it is a godsend to have.
http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/
For further information about disk repair software, have a look at:
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=07451,
with a follow-up on TechTool Pro at:
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=07696
There are other ways to run a file system check/Repair Disk under OS X, such as by booting into Single User Mode, or by running the command "fsck" from the Terminal, but these are more advanced ways to do exactly the same thing, that I don't think that the average user needs to know about.
For more information than you need, see:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417
3. Crash logs. Um... how do I do that? I did run the Apple Hardware test to see if there was an error with the hardware, but apparently that's not the case.
Here is a tutorial from CNET on how to find and read OSX crash logs:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10330727-263.html
This is getting so frustrating, I am so restricted in my editing, i didn't know how much i relied on avidemux and that kind before. .
Believe me, I understand. Avidemux is one of my most used programs. Period.