At the outset, we recommend that you and your customers practice that
time-honored tradition of backing up important files. Recently, however, we
have gotten suggestions on reviving damaged Macintosh application disks and
retrieving files from damaged data disks. Since there are many ways to blow
up disk directories, though, these methods are not 100% effective.
Method one: Rebuild the desktop file.
1. If the disk is bootable (i.e. has a system folder on it), put the bad disk
into the internal drive while the Macintosh is turned off.
2. Hold down the OPTION and COMMAND keys and turn the Macintosh on.
3. While the Macintosh boots, hold down the OPTION and COMMAND keys
until the disk icon appears.
4. If the disk is a data disk (i.e. no system folder on it) then boot the
system with a good disk. When the data disk is inserted into the drive
hold down the OPTION and COMMAND keys as above.
This method sometimes requires several attempts, and while it restores data
files, file folders are lost on Finders prior to 4.1; they must be re-created,
and the documents must be placed back into them manually. If the Finder is
version 4.1 or greater then the folders lose their names and must be manually
renamed.
Method two: Recovering files.
1. Boot the Macintosh with a good copy of the application needed to read the
data files you wish to recover.
2. Create a new document in that application with a double click on the
application's icon.
3. Once the document, usually called "Untitled", has opened, close it.
4. Select Open on the File menu.
5. Insert the bad disk.
6. Select Open again and try to read files off of the bad disk.
7. Save the files to a good disk.
This method also works faster if you use a second drive for reading data
files.
Method three: Replacing System Files.
This method has been known to work with disks that fail to boot and exhibit a
"Sad Macintosh" with the address 0F0064. First attempt Method one above. If
that doesn't work, boot from a good disk and then insert the bad one. If the
bad one appears on the desktop, then throw away the bad disk's System Files and
replace them with new ones from the good disk.