[Full Guide] How To Fix Disk And File System Errors On Mac?

There could be instances where you run into the disk and file system errors on Mac. Well, this is not a new issue as there are many users who have faced it on their respective devices.

This problem can arise anytime on your Mac device and lead to many other issues. Hence, it needs to be fixed as soon as possible to avoid any other errors.

Now coming to the main point, in this informative article you will learn about “How to repair disk and file system problems on your Mac?”. Simply, follow the below-listed methods and steps to fix these errors.

How to Fix Disk and File System Issues on Your Mac?

Method 1: Use “First Aid” in the Disk Utility

The Mac OS X comes with an inbuilt Disk Utility application that permits users to check the health of the disk. Apple has updated this utility interface on the latest versions of Mac such as on Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan. And therefore you may see different screenshots displayed below if you are still using the old version of Mac OS X.

• To open Disk Utility, press Command+Space. It will open the Spotlight Search. 
• Now type in “Disk Utility” in the Spotlight Search and then hit enter to search it.
• Another way to find it, you can navigate to the Applications folder> Utilities (double click it)>Disk Utility shortcut (double click it).

• Once the Disk Utility gets opened, select the disk partition you want to check. By default, the system partition is named “Macintosh HD”. Search for the button “First Aid” and then click on it.
• There are two First Aid functions available.
  • First Aid function on an entire disk on your Mac.
  • First Aid function in a discrete partition available on the disk.

• You can run any of both functions, it depends on which function you want to select.
• Once you select any of the functions click “Run” and then your Mac will check the disk you have selected for errors. If it finds any error then it will automatically try to fix the errors.

• You can also check the detailed information of the errors by simply clicking on “Show Details”.

Well, now you have successfully repaired the disk and file system error on your Mac.

Method 2: Boot into Safe Mode

The second method to repair such errors is through booting your Mac into Safe Mode. This is the simplest way to fix disk and file system problems on Mac.

Safe Mode/Safe Boot encloses an automatic startup check and repair mechanism. Thus, your several problems will get resolved when a Mac is booted in Safe Mode.

To boot your Mac into Safe Mode,

• Restart the Machine and hold the Shift key (during Mac boot).
• Sign in with the essential password and Mac starts to check the disks.
• This login process takes more time compared to the normal boot action, so take a break.
• If you are logged in and can see the desktop, then it says the check is done.
• Now, you can reboot your Macintosh as usual.

Method 3: Run First Aid in Recovery Mode

The third method for fixing disk and file system errors on your Mac can be done by running the First Aid function in Recovery Mode. his First Aid performs a disk health check on your Mac system. Below find out the steps:

• Restart your Mac device. While your Mac is booting press & hold the ‘Command+R’ key.
• As and when you see a progress bar on the screen, release the “Command+R” key.
• After this, your Mac will load directly into Recovery Mode (if not then restart your Mac again and try pressing the keys again).
• You will see the Mac OS X Recovery, click on the ‘Disk Utility’ shortcut to open it in recovery mode.
• Once the Disk utility opens, you can now select the disk or partition that you want to check and click on ‘First Aid’ function button.

• After you click on it, you will get a notification saying “First Aid will check the disk for errors. It will repair the disk if necessary.”
• Click on “Run” here. It will repair the disk errors.

Method 4: Use fsck Command in Single-User Mode

If the above three methods fail to repair disk and file system problems on Mac, then you may need to follow this method. You have to boot your Mac into single-user mode and run the fsck command just in the old way. Below follow the steps:

• Restart your Mac and press & hold Command+S keys while your device boots.
• Once you enter into single-user mode, it will display you with a text-mode terminal. In the terminal, type the following command and hit the ENTER key to begin the file system check:

/sbin/fsck -fy

• The above command will go through several processes of checks. When it’s complete, it will display the message saying “** The volume [name] appears to be OK”, only if everything is fine.
• But if it found any problems then it will display “***** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED *****”. It means that the fsck command has found the error and fixed them.
• It is recommended that you must repeat the fsck command until and unless you see the notification message saying “** The volume [name] appears to be OK”.
• Once the fsck command says your disk is OK, then type the following command and hit ENTER:

reboot

After this, your Mac will reboot and you will see the usual login screen.

Conclusion

The above four methods are enough for repairing and fixing Disk and File system errors on your Mac. So, if you are running into any such issue, then apply the mentioned fixes and get the issues fixed on your Mac.

However, if the issue still remains unfixed, then feel free to contact us on Facebook or Twitter for asking further help and guide. Our team will try the best to fix your issues.