URGENT Need MAC help desperately

[Paula Bright]

OK. Here's my situation. I'll try to describe it as clearly as I can. 
Keep in mind that I DO NOT UNDERSTAND DISK COPY program and never have, 
not sure why. I used to know my Macs intimately, but not since X--but I 
love it, so I'm learning! But never really did "get it" about disk 
copy...

1. I have been having a bad thread miscount that Disk First Aid and 
fsck -y couldn't fix for a couple months now.. The numbers continued to 
come up unrepaired each time I ran the  utilities. I had bought the 
Norton Systemworks when I bought the computer, but it turned out to be 
trash, and I had no more money.

2. I have Applecare....I called because more and more things were 
getting glitchy--especially email, which is my most important tool in 
my work....they said it may crash tomorrow, or it may be weeks--but 
eventually it will....and they're right, because everything is getting 
far weirder than I'm used to since getting Jaguar.

I studied the utilities repair programs, and chose Disk Warrior for 
$80, which was recommended highly by many places I respect.

I backed up extensively, but cannot make it thru 3 wks. waiting for the 
CD. Apparently they're backordered. My fault for choosing the highest 
recommended but not paying attention to detail.

3. It said I would wait three weeks for the CD, but I could download 
the program.

5. That sounded OK to me, as I did that with lost of programs! All was 
fine. Everything I've downloaded in several years has worked great. NO, 
I didn't read the fine print before agreeing....Do you?

6. I learned that to use Disk Warrior, I had to create and burn a 
bootable CD, downloading and using a program called BootCD. (very small 
file, from Version Tracker.)

7. I did so. I was to run it, make a bootable CD,  using certain 
specific instructions, and then add Disk Warrior to the CD.....I 
followed the rules in every way.

8. Failure. Eleven times. I also re-downloaded everything again, and 
discarded the already created images and the boot cd file....

9. The CD ends up burning after I follow directions explicitly....yet 
when I continue to follow instructions----I end up trying to boot from 
the CD created and fail totally.

I MUST FIX THE PROBLEM------but it's THREE WEEKS until the CD arrrives. 
Total Bummer. They should have made it clear that the download wasn't 
as effective as the CD.

So: I will pay someone something (how much should it be??)  to supply 
me with a file disk image startup disk that will work, and to which I 
can add DiskWarrior, thru email or for download, for me to burn a 
startup CD with the current DISKWARRIOR on it....I can send 
verification of the fact that I bought it and paid for it, so this 
would NOT be stealing.

Can anybody do this, OR give me tips, or somehow help me understand? My 
work has been at a standstill since learning that I had a serious 
problem two days ago. Wiping the disk entirely clean is not an option 
at this point. First I have to try this, for innumerable reason... if 
it comes down to it---I guess that's what I'll do.

Can anyone help me before I have to do that?

I've already trashed all prefs and am starting all over again to train 
each program and create mailboxes and although I saved bookmarks, they 
didn't make it.

Paula
EXTREMELY NEEDY IN ST. LOUIS
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http://cdbaby.com/crazed3 <----NEW!
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