DiskWarrior Emergency Bootable Disk

pritcharddesign · 03-21-2012, 11:45 AM

I just downloaded DiskWarrior, disk on the way. But I need to check my startup disk now! I haven't found any way online to create a bootable DW disk...any ideas?

Thank you!

pritcharddesign · 03-21-2012, 12:24 PM

Never mind, I found it. You can't.

DeltaMac · 03-21-2012, 12:33 PM

That is an inaccurate conclusion.
One method to create a bootable DW -
Make a bootable partition on an external hard drive. Install your OS X version for your Mac on that partition. When you have that set up to your satisfaction, copy the DW app to the Applications folder. Boot to that partition (on your external hard drive), and run DW to check your internal hard drive.
That will let you do the bulk of what DW is capable of doing.

cpragman · 03-21-2012, 05:28 PM

What DeltaMac said works. I put a small second partition on my Time Machine volume for doing this. Prior to apple releasing their recovery partition in Lion, I would always create a small extra partition on my boot disk for the same purpose.

agentx · 03-22-2012, 08:07 AM

This has always been a sticking point for Diskwarrior users as far as having the original disk to be able to make a upgraded bootable disk. I NEVER use the diskwarrior disk as it is too slow to boot anyway and have long stopped making a DW boot disk using Alsoft tools. They need to get with the program really as CD/DVD drives are on the way out on Mac portables and with Firewire possibly going too it is only going to get harder to fix newer hardware without creating bootable USB stick.

Overall i really would like Apple to buy this tool and incorporate into OS as HFS+ does have its issues and DW is the only answer to the problem a lot of the time.

But as others have said you can create a small bootable partition or a fast 16GB USB flash drive to install X (10.6.8 or 10.7.3 i have both) onto and add DW to it. I suppose it is easy for me as i have InstaDMG created fully patched vanilla images that i can just restore in a blink of an eye to a USB stick and drop DW onto it.

pritcharddesign · 03-22-2012, 07:07 PM

that is exactly what I did...booted from an external drive. Thanks for your responses!

03-21-2012, 11:45 AM	#1
pritcharddesign Prospect Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 20	DiskWarrior Emergency Bootable Disk I just downloaded DiskWarrior, disk on the way. But I need to check my startup disk now! I haven't found any way online to create a bootable DW disk...any ideas? Thank you!

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03-21-2012, 12:24 PM	#2
pritcharddesign Prospect Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 20	Never mind, I found it. You can't.

03-21-2012, 12:33 PM	#3
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,941	That is an inaccurate conclusion. One method to create a bootable DW - Make a bootable partition on an external hard drive. Install your OS X version for your Mac on that partition. When you have that set up to your satisfaction, copy the DW app to the Applications folder. Boot to that partition (on your external hard drive), and run DW to check your internal hard drive. That will let you do the bulk of what DW is capable of doing.

03-21-2012, 05:28 PM	#4
cpragman All Star Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Limerick, PA Posts: 687	What DeltaMac said works. I put a small second partition on my Time Machine volume for doing this. Prior to apple releasing their recovery partition in Lion, I would always create a small extra partition on my boot disk for the same purpose.

03-22-2012, 08:07 AM	#5
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,806	This has always been a sticking point for Diskwarrior users as far as having the original disk to be able to make a upgraded bootable disk. I NEVER use the diskwarrior disk as it is too slow to boot anyway and have long stopped making a DW boot disk using Alsoft tools. They need to get with the program really as CD/DVD drives are on the way out on Mac portables and with Firewire possibly going too it is only going to get harder to fix newer hardware without creating bootable USB stick. Overall i really would like Apple to buy this tool and incorporate into OS as HFS+ does have its issues and DW is the only answer to the problem a lot of the time. But as others have said you can create a small bootable partition or a fast 16GB USB flash drive to install X (10.6.8 or 10.7.3 i have both) onto and add DW to it. I suppose it is easy for me as i have InstaDMG created fully patched vanilla images that i can just restore in a blink of an eye to a USB stick and drop DW onto it.

03-22-2012, 07:07 PM	#6
pritcharddesign Prospect Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 20	that is exactly what I did...booted from an external drive. Thanks for your responses!