🚀 go-pugleaf

[Finder cannot rebuild desktop file on a hard disk]

While the Finder will attempt to repair a damaged desktop file, if the
file is damaged too badly, the repair operation will fail. In this case,
probably the best course is to delete the desktop file altogether; the
next time the Finder mounts the drive, it will build a new desktop file
from scratch.

To delete the desktop file, make a boot floppy with the startup application
set to some program that can see and delete invisible files, and does
not use the desktop file itself (e.g. ResEdit, fEdit). You will be able to
delete the desktop after booting from this floppy; since the Finder is
not the startup application, the desktop file is never accessed, and its
damaged state cannot cause problems. After deleting the desktop file,
quit the application to re-enter the Finder. The Finder will take some
time to rebuild the desktop, and user-entered Get Info comments will be
lost, but (if the damaged desktop is the only problem) the drive should
now mount successfully.

Immediately after mounting the drive, do a full backup and keep it up to
date (both on general principles and in case this is a symptom of a more
serious problem).

jeanne a. e. devoto