SuperDuper! and Disk Warrior

[macWish]

Not really a new thread, but an unusual and recurrent result. I ran Disk Warrior and optimized the Disk Directory on my internal hard drive so that Disk Warrior then reported 0 files out of order. I then erased and made complete clone of the internal hard drive to a partition on my external firewire drive (using erase external partition and copy all files). Next I made safety clone of internal hard drive (using erase external partition2) to a separate partition on external fire drive. I then checked both the new clones and Disk Reported that both new clones on external drive had 31% of files out of order. I next optimized the two external clones and Disk Warrior reported the following for both clones: "6 files had directory entry with incorrect text encoding that was repaired; Root creation date was repaired."
This has happened every time I have made a new clone of the internal hard drive: always 31% of files out of order and always 6 files with incorrect text encoding and always with repair of root creation date.

Unfortunately, Disk Warrior does not report which 6 files were repaired or why root creation date was repaired.

Any idea what this means? I have tried to ask Alsoft, but have never, ever gotten a reply from Tech Support at Alsoft (apparently the usual response).

[dnanian]

I've discussed this in detail with the guys at Alsoft, and it's nothing to be concerned about. "text encoding" is one of those things that was used with versions of Mac OS before OS9. These days, it's synthesized from the file itself.

The "root creation date" is because your drive was formatted at a different time than the file system was created (because the file system was copied from the original drive). Again, it's not a significant problem.

The "files out of order" are bacause we make no attempt to "optimize" the directory. There's little need, these days, to do so... we just step through the files in "natural" order (the order that the OS gives the files to us) and copy them from the source to the destination... optimizing the folder order is left to the OS.

Hope that helps.

[macWish]

Thanks a lot. Still setting records for rapidity of response. Is there a hint in your reply that routine use of Disk Warrior may not be necessary and its use should be reserved for trying to fix real problems?

[dnanian]

Let me be explicit: routine use of Disk Warrior is probably not necessary, and its use should be reserved for trying to fix real problems.