Repair disk permissions for an external RAID drive?

Hello,
We are able to repair disk permissions on the hard drive, but can it be done on an external SCCI RAID drive? Is there software that is recommended that will repair and fix issues such as if the RAID drive was improperly removed without ejecting the drive? Or is that not needed?
Thanks,
Jordan

DiskWarrior repairs your directory, throws in some limited optimization (iPhoto's open in half the time is about all really), so if your "directory is out of order" it's not that big a deal really.
It's good to have on the shelf if you have a lot of Mac's, but ever since Tiger rolled around it seemed a lot of directory problems have disappeared on single user machines. It's pretty expensive for it's limited options.
With a RAID O (stripe) setup you should Disk Utility Erase w/Zero before setting up the RAID and laying data down. (in fact this is wise for all new drives at least once)
RAID O's should always be cloned (in the case of a boot RAID O) or backed up quite often because if one drive goes the whole set with data is lost.
Mirroring (RAID 1) is only necessary for extremely valuable one time data captures where a hard drive failure would be awlful. It doesn't make a good backup because any corruption, mistakes etc get immediatly written to the second drive.
Using automated cloning and backup software is better like (search Apple) DeJaVu. Auto clone the whole boot drive once a week and auto backup certain folders of files nightly.
Since cloning I haven't really too much need for drive maintainance software, if my RAID goes down for a data reason, (hasn't yet in 2 years of 24/7 operation) I simply option boot off the clone and repair/recover/reverse clone. I'm done in a hour, I even go out to eat or something while it's reverse cloning.
A good piece of software to have is (search Apple) OnyX, it's automation section will do a lot of cleanup and fixing certain things. Good to run it about once a month.
To find out more about cloning, visit Carbon Copy Cloner forums, they have donationware software too.

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Thanks for your advice, I still have an issue:
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Location: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=607495&#607495
How often should I Repair Permissions?
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Otherwise you can happily forget about Permissions!"
So, it would appear I do not need to do anything else; the machine seems to be working properly. Is there anything else I need to do? thanks for the help! Bob

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FYI, BB
Below is a quote from Apple describing what Disk Permissions deals with.
If you still need assistance, please describe what problem/issue you are trying to solve.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1452
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Installed Lion on my 27" iMac (mid 2010) and everyday since it shuts down after start up.
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When I shutdown and start up the next day I have to go thru the same process.
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All external Drives stopped mounting after repair disk permissions

My 2.3 GhzPPC G5 10.4.11 was running a bit slow so I ran repair disk permissions and now none of my external drives will mount, can't see them in disk utility either.
Drives work fine on my macbook pro.
I've searched for help but no luck..
Thanks for any advice...

Neil, you really should repair the disk before repairing permissions.
Could be many things, we should start with this...
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Tiger Install disc that came with your computer, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)
How to reset the SMU on a Power Mac G5 (Late 2004) or Power Mac G5 (Late 2005) ...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1436

Disk Utility & Repair Disk Permissions & Unknown User on External Seagate

I have a new iMac running Leopard and don't do stupid things to my mac. I have a couple external Seagate Freeagent drives but 1 of them is giving me a little trouble. So I figure, I'll try to repair disk permissions on it but the problem is when I go into Disk Utility, the Repair Disk Permissions option is NOT available. It's there, I just can't select it; it's grayed out. Why? I'm an admin! The other externals have this option available but not this one, so I'm not really sure what to do. I've about 300gb of family movies on it that I'd rather not wipe out just to be able to do a disk permission repair.
Whenever I do a command+i on the drive I do see an UNKNOWN user but this article, http://www.pcworld.com/article/145425-1/quickand_easy_folder_sharing_in105.html, leads me to believe that Apple hasn't done jack squat to allow us to fix the problem.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks in advance!

mrpeepers wrote:
I don't think that statement is true.
I have 3 externals and can repair disk permission on all but 2. All my externals are for storage purposes and non have OSX installed, so that fact that I can repair disk permissions on them sort of contradicts what you say, however, the effectiveness of running a repair disk permission on a drive that doesn't have OSX may be nothing.
I don't know how you manage to repair permissions on externals without system files on them but what I said is quite true. Repair permissions ONLY checks permissions of system files against the database of correct permissions. It wouldn't know what to do with any other files and never touches them. It should also not be possible on non OS X drives. I've never seen it enabled on any of my external or secondary drives. I really wonder why and how it was enabled on your external drives.
I did have Tiger installed for 3 months before I got Leopard, but my externals have known nothing but Leopard.
That doesn't matter. the ownership of files on your external were set in Tiger and it remains in leopard. that's what causes the "unknown" user to show up.
The problem I'm having with one of the drives is that starting yesterday it's having difficulties mounting. Sometimes I restart the computer and the drive doesn't show. So in order to get it to show, I have to power down the external (which is and appears to be running) and then power it back up, and if that doesn't work, usually reseating the USB works.
Then again... My problems started happening after I installed CandyBar and applied some folder changes. I have since dumped it.
whatever problems you have with that external they have absolutely nothing to do with Candy bar. all candy bar does is change a few icon files on your main hard drive. that can have no effect on mountability of anything.
This sounds to me like a hardware problem with your external. the drive could be failing. the USB bus could be failing either on the drive or on the computer. One thing you could do is check to see if there are any firmware upgrades for that drive. Look at the manufacturer's website. also try testing the drive with another computer if you can.
On another note... Anyone use CandyBar and NOT have any problems or really like it? Maybe it was just a coincidence.
yes, I use it and REALLY like it. no problems whatsoever.

When I repair disk permissions I get the following:Repairing permissions for "MacIntosh HD" Determining correct file permissions. Permissions differ on ./Library/Widgets, should be drwxr-xr-x , they are drwxrwxr-x Owner and group corrected on ./Library/W

Repairing permissions for “MacIntosh HD”
Determining correct file permissions.
Permissions differ on ./Library/Widgets, should be drwxr-xr-x , they are drwxrwxr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./Library/Widgets
Permissions corrected on ./Library/Widgets
Permissions differ on ./System/Library/User Template, should be drwx------ , they are drwxr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./System/Library/User Template
Permissions corrected on ./System/Library/User Template
Group differs on ./usr/bin/fetchmail, should be 0, group is 6
Permissions differ on ./usr/bin/fetchmail, should be -rwxr-xr-x , they are -rwxr-sr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/bin/fetchmail
Permissions corrected on ./usr/bin/fetchmail
Permissions differ on ./usr/lib/php/build/Makefile.global, should be -r--r--r-- , they are -r-xr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/Makefile.global
Permissions corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/Makefile.global
Permissions differ on ./usr/lib/php/build/acinclude.m4, should be -r--r--r-- , they are -r-xr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/acinclude.m4
Permissions corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/acinclude.m4
Permissions differ on ./usr/lib/php/build/mkdep.awk, should be -r--r--r-- , they are -r-xr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/mkdep.awk
Permissions corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/mkdep.awk
Permissions differ on ./usr/lib/php/build/phpize.m4, should be -r--r--r-- , they are -r-xr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/phpize.m4
Permissions corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/phpize.m4
Permissions differ on ./usr/lib/php/build/scan_makefile_in.awk, should be -r--r--r-- , they are -r-xr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/scan_makefile_in.awk
Permissions corrected on ./usr/lib/php/build/scan_makefile_in.awk
Permissions differ on ./usr/lib/system/libmathCommon.A.dylib, should be -r-xr-xr-x , they are -rwxr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/lib/system/libmathCommon.A.dylib
Permissions corrected on ./usr/lib/system/libmathCommon.A.dylib
Permissions differ on ./usr/libexec/dumpemacs, should be -r-sr-xr-x , they are -r-xr-xr-x
Owner and group corrected on ./usr/libexec/dumpemacs
Permissions corrected on ./usr/libexec/dumpemacs
Permissions repair complete
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume
Then I sometimes get the brown screen that states,You must re-start your computer.
I have already zeroed out the hard drive and re-installed Panther and the upgrade Tiger disc.
I repair permissions using the Tiger disc upgrade.
Can anyone help me with this??

> I repair permissions using the Tiger disc upgrade.
One thing to note... When running Repair Disk Permissions, it is best to run it while started up normally, from your normal startup disk, not from a Mac OS X installation disc. The only time you should run it while started up from an installation disc is if some problem is preventing you from starting up normally. OTOH, Repair Disk can only be used when starting up from a different disk (such as an installation disc).
So, I would start up normally, run Disk Utility, and use Repair Disk Permissions on your normal startup disk.
NOTE: Repair Disk Permissions often gives alerts messages that can be ignored. They are more "informational," not serious errors.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1448
You should still run it periodically. When you run it, what needs to be repaired has been repaired; consider the rest of it an FYI. I've never experience a problem, where a Repair Disk Permissions message actually caused a problem. But, if you ever get an error while running Repair Disk (or Verify Disk), that is usually a serious problem.

Rationale for Repairing Disk Permissions

I repair permissions before and after installations, and I suggest others to do so. However, I have read in some threads in Discussions there there is no technical basis for repairing disk permissions before installation, and that only repairing after installation is necessary.
I realize that there are different opinions about this, but beyond opinions is there a technical basis or rationale for repairing disk permissions before installations?
Thanks.
cornelius
Message was edited by: cornelius

Hi cornelius,
Here is some reading about this topic. Mind that Apple DOES recommend repairing permissions as routine maintenance (see links at the bottom)! My suggestion to Repair permissions before and after an update has a very simple rational: If you forgot to repair permissions AFTER the last update you might get into trouble. Therefore it is safe and costs only a few seconds to do it before and after the update.
mac.column.ted: Unravelling the Repair Disk Permissions controversy
"Ted Landau
May 2006
Repairing Disk Permissions. Not exactly a topic that you would expect to spark much controversy. Yet, surprisingly, it is the focal point of a rather heated debate.
The command itself is innocuous enough. It is included as part of the First Aid component of Disk Utility. Apple's Help for Disk Utility states: "User permissions associated with files, folders, or applications can become damaged and prevent a file or application from opening. Permissions problems can also cause your computer to run slowly. Using Disk Utility, you may be able to fix these permissions problems...Repairing permissions may also be recommended after updating the system or installing new software."
Consistent with this, many users and Web sites (including MacFixIt and at least some postings on MacinTouch) recommend the use of Repair Disk Permissions, not only for specific signs of trouble, but as a part of generic troubleshooting and ongoing maintenance for your Mac.
In contrast, other members of the Mac community (writing in locations such as the Daring Fireball , Unsanity, and the MDJ) argue that running this command just for maintenance, in the absence of any particular symptom, is essentially worthless. Some critics go even further and claim there is no justification for ever selecting to repair permissions. Not only is it useless, they contend, but it may even cause new problems to appear. This viewpoint is often expressed with inflammatory rhetoric such as "covering yourself in Vaseline and rolling around naked in the dirt and repairing permissions are just as likely to fix your Mac OS X problem" (Unsanity).
Regardless of who's right or wrong, I don't believe that insulting users is merited here, especially when these users are simply following advice suggested by Apple itself. As it turns out, I also do not agree with the position of these critics. So, although I may be stepping into a minefield, here's my own take on this subject and my resulting recommendations. [Disclaimer: I was not involved in the authorship of previous MacFixIt articles on this subject. This column is my separate opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the views of MacFixIt.]: Continued"
Mac OS X 10.3 Help: "It's a good idea to repair disk permissions as a regular maintenance task after upgrading or installing new software."
Mac OS X 10.4 Help: "It's a good idea to repair disk permissions as a regular maintenance task after upgrading or installing new software."
Randy B. Singer: Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance

Trying to install Lion. says this disk is not enabled (journaled) - but when I look at the drive it actually is os extended journaled - Stuck! Have tried repair disk permissions and still no luck

trying to install Lion. says this disk is not enabled (journaled) - but when I look at the drive it actually is os extended journaled - Stuck! Have tried repair disk permissions and still no luck - any thoughts? Have spent two weeks trying to get apple support and itunes to help me get lion after a hard drive fail and now they are closed and I really just want to get moving!

Are you installing OS X Lion over an existing installation of Snow Leopard, or are you reinstalling?
First be sure you have everything on your system backed up. Then reboot with the Command-R keys held to get to the OS X Lion recovery volume. In here, select Disk Utility and use the First Aid tab in here to run a verification on your boot drive. If there are any errors, fix them and then try the installation again.
The next step would be to format the drive, so with your backup secured, use Disk Utility's Erase tab to re-format the drive to Mac OS X Extended (journaled), and then quit Disk Utilty and attempt the installation again.

Repair disk permissions for an external RAID drive?

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