macbook pro showing incorrect HD volume

[natascha]

I just noticed my available HD volume as approx 4 GB. This is strange because I usually have about 28 GB. I don't think I have done anything in the past few days which has loaded 24GB onto my harddisk.
Furthermore, everything is running just as smoothly/quickly as usual whereas any available space under 20GB would slow things down immensely.

Therefore I get the impression that the available HD space is not what it shows, and in fact, much more.

I have tried to 'check volume' in the help programme but this gives an error. Unfortunately the text is in Dutch but the error translates as : 'volume needs to be "corrected".

I am afraid to do this as I may erase my entire harddisk?

Is my Macbook Pro having a breakdown?

Please advise....




error text given when checking HD volume - unfortunately in dutch:
Volume 'Macintosh HD' controleren
HFS Plus-volume wordt gecontroleerd.
Extents Overflow-bestand wordt gecontroleerd.
Catalogusbestand wordt gecontroleerd.
Multilinked-bestanden worden gecontroleerd.
Catalogushiërarchie wordt gecontroleerd.
%)
Bestand met uitgebreide kenmerken wordt gecontroleerd.
Volumebitoverzicht wordt gecontroleerd.
Volume-informatie wordt gecontroleerd.
Kleine aanpassingen vereist in volumeheader
d.",1)
Macintosh HD
Fout: De onderliggende taak rapporteerde een fout bij het verlaten


1 HFS-volume gecontroleerd
Volume moet worden hersteld

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Are you checking the disk with Disk Utility while you're booted from the disk? If so, there are certain error messages which will always appear in this situation.

You should boot from your Mac OS X Install CD/DVD and use Disk Utility to check your hard drive from there. It's always best to check/repair a hard drive while you're booted from some other device, as certain errors with your hard drive cannot be fixed while you're booted from your hard drive.

[Giaguara]

Yep, boot from the system to see the correct space.
Check if you have /cores
(in Finder, go to folder > /cores)
If you have any beta software, or other software wanting to write dump files, they can get big, and are not flushed away at reboot.