To analyze a collection for data damage, first make a backup copy of the collection. Then launch the Helix Utility. Select Open from the File menu and select a copy of the collection.
A dialog box will appear with a warning about backing up your collection. if you made a backup copy, press the "OK, I have a backup" button. If you didn't, click "Cancel, I'll make a backup first" and do so.
The Helix Utility will read the collection into memory and a thermometer bar will indicate its progress.
When the Helix Utility is finished reading the collection, select Data Damage Repair under the Tools menu. Another thermometer will indicate the progress of the data damage repair.
Tip: If you do not want to wait for Helix Utility to finish reading the collection before starting the Data Damage Repair, you can press Command-R (the command key equivalent for Data Damage Repair) while the collection is being read. When Helix Utility is finished reading the collection, it will automatically start the data damage repair. All that is left to do is wait for the final dialog box that reports the result of the repair.
The performance of Helix Utility can be improved significantly — particularly for large collections — by making sure the Collection Buffer is set correctly. Under OS X you simply set the buffer (found in Preferences) to a value large enough to hold your entire collection.
Information on setting up RAMJet (found in Helix Classic applications) can be found on this page.
Beginning with version 5.2, Helix Utility is scriptable via AppleScript. See the documentation that comes with your version of Helix Utility for instructions and sample code.
Beginning with version 6.0.1, Helix Utility contains an additional Diagnostic Mode that can be used to pre-diagnose the extent of fatal damage. This is useful when trying to decide whether to schedule a collection repair or to revert to a backup copy of the collection. In some cases, it may even provide enough clues that we can talk you through a repair over the phone.
To run Helix Utility in Diagnostic Mode, hold the Control key down while Helix Utility launches. Helix Utility beeps once during launch to let you know that you have successfully entered Diagnostic Mode.
Note that if you hold the Control key down before clicking on Helix Utility, the OS X Contextual Menu pops up. (If this happens, select Open from the menu and continue to hold the Control key while Helix Utility launches and you hear the beep.)
An easier way to enable Diagnostic Mode is to use this drag and drop technique: click (and keep holding the mouse button down) on the collection, then press and hold the control key, then drag the collection onto Helix Utility. Release the mouse button when Helix Utility highlights, but do not release the Control key until you hear the beep. If you do not hear the beep, check the sound level on your computer, then quit Helix Utility and try again.
Now that Helix Utility is in Diagnostic Mode, proceed with the structure check just as always. The check proceeds normally, but at the end, a dialog prompts you to save the diagnostic data to a file. (If there is no prompt to save the diagnostic data, then Helix Utility did not find any errors and no file is written.) There is very little in this file that can be put to use by someone without collection repair training. Send the file to our tech support department, and we can do a preliminary assessment of the damage.