Disk Utility’s tools can be helpful, but they’re not good at tackling difficult issues such as directory corruption and they can’t do a thing about file recovery. In cases like these you want other tools on hand. One that I find absolutely necessary is Alsoft’s $100 (now compatible with Lion). I know of no better tool for fixing drives that refuse to boot due to directory damage. Additionally, if Disk Warrior can’t repair your disk, it will make a valiant attempt to recover your files. Every Mac users should own a copy.

In cases where Disk Warrior can’t retrieve your data, turn to Prosoft Engineering’s $100 . It can pull files from damaged drives as well as take a crack at recovering files that you’ve intentionally or accidentally deleted (its success naturally depends on how much data has been written to the drive since you tossed out the files you now want back).

Micromat’s $100 is also worth having. It duplicates some of the functionality of Disk Warrior and Data Rescue 3, but it also includes hardware diagnostic tools not found in the other packages. It’s a good all-around tool and it too is Lion compatible.

Shuffling repair CDs in and out of your Mac is no fun—and impossible if your Mac lacks a media drive as do the new Mac mini and all MacBook Airs. And when disaster strikes, it’s more than just a bit handy to have a drive you can boot your Mac from and carry on with your work. It’s for these reasons that I have a clone of my Mac’s startup drive waiting in the wings. Should the Bad Thing happen, I can attach that drive, boot from it, and attempt to repair my Mac with the tools I’ve installed on that drive. When I create such a clone I ensure that it’s compatible with all the Macs in my home. That way I can troubleshoot and (hopefully) repair any Mac I own.

I don’t really need to explain why this is necessary, do I?