DU live verification vs. recovery mode

[jchuzi]

Is there any advantage in using Live Verification to run First Aid with Disk Utility over booting into Recovery Mode to run it?

[Xairbusdriver]

Good question. First, I'll have to investigate "Live Verification". Not sure I've even that term. I assume you are referring to simply running the task on the currently booted drive? Otherwise, can you define that term so we are all on the same page? OK, just tell me what I should have been saying all these years that everyone else already knows. You can PM me if it includes more than two assaults on my intelligence.
OK, I found an article from 2009 talking about "Live verification", so I'm just a bit late in recognizing the term. I have to admit I've never used that method. You are well advised to ignore any suggestions/info I might provide.

In the past, I've always booted into an external drive as DU always wanted to unmount the drive it was repairing/checking. The Recovery Mode makes that process a bit easier, in my opinion. Either way, it appears you will lose the use of that drive and anything on it until the task completes.

Don't see much info in Help, of course. The same process is provided no matter how one runs the task. Where are experts when you need them?

Edit: Admiting my ignorance.

[jchuzi]

"Live Verification" means that you run First Aid while booted from the hard drive. During the process, the drive is frozen and you can't do anything. When running LV, a message appears at the beginning that any errors that are detected will be repaired. Thus, my question.

AFIK, it was not possible to do this with any OS version that existed in 2009.

[Xairbusdriver]

I think DU will attempt to repair any problems it finds no matter which of the two methods you use. The first dialog when doing a LV says, "... It will then repair the volume if necessary." I assume that is the reason it "freezes" the drive while running this task. I suspect you will get exactly the same dialog if you ask for the First Aid task when going through the Recovery Mode method.

Actually, the LV process appears to go back to 10.4.3! c|net Special Report, Sep 9, 2009:

Mac OS X 10.4.3 includes a fairly significant update to Apple's Disk Utility (located in Applications/Utilities).

First, the new release can verify your computer's startup disk (volume) without requiring you to start up from another volume. This feature is called "Live Verification." [emphasis added]

But I never heard of it, still doing the old 'boot-from-another-drive dance. Of course, no matter what drive, including Recovery, you won't be able to access the drive you are checking. The Recovery mode should be faster than re-booting to a USB external, so I'll probably do that next time I need some first aid... assuming I can remember...