Repairing permissions doesn't!

I used Disk Utility to repair permissions in an attempt to fix some annoying problems. It came up with a list of 31 permissions repaired.
I decided to repair again, and the same list appeared! Intrigued I repeated the repair 4 times and each time Disk Utility found it necessary to repair what it said had been repaired in the previous attempt.
Could someone tell me what is happening? Am worried that this may signify a serious problem.
Many thanks,
Graham Falvey

Yes, Lyssa - thank you. Here it is; numbering it was my addition.
Repairing permissions for “Macintosh HD”
Reading permissions database.
Reading the permissions database can take several minutes.
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/DVD.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/FRSettings.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/FRSources.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Movies.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Music.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Photos.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Podcasts.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/TV.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/BackRow.framework/Versions/A/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/RawCamera.bundle/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrw-rw-r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/InternetUtilities.bundle/Contents/ CodeResources", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrw-rw-r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/CodeResou rces", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrw-rw-r-- .
Group differs on "private/etc/cups", should be 0, group is 26.
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iLifeMediaBrowser.framework/Versions/A/CodeRe sources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/CodeResourc es", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/BlackAndWhiteEffect.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/CubeTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/DissolveTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/DropletTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/FadeThroughBlackTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/FlipTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/MosaicFlipTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/MosaicFlipTransitionSmall.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/PageFlipTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/PushTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/RevealTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/SepiaEffect.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/TwirlTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/WipeTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrw-r--r-- .
Permissions repair complete
Thanks for you help,
G.

Similar Messages

Disk Utility's "Repair Permissions" doesn't

On my MacPRo running Leopard 10.5.4, when I repetitively execute "Repair Permissions," Disk Utility repeatedly gives the following output:
Group differs on "private/etc/cups", should be 0, group is 26.
ACL found but not expected on "Applications".
ACL found but not expected on "Library".
But Disk Utility's "Repair Permissions" fails to make the necessary repairs, as subsequent runs yield the same results. Is this a "normal" thing, despite the above output messages, or do I have an underlying problem requiring further investigation? If necessary, suggestions as to how to proceed?

red_menace wrote:
I'm not sure where a list is (there is bound to be one around somewhere).
This contains one or two left over from previous OS X versions (eg, the group "nobody") and may be incomplete (it is complete for my machine … ):
nobody -2 nogroup -1
wheel 0 daemon 1
kmem 2 sys 3
tty 4 operator 5
mail 6 bin 7
procview 8 procmod 9
owner 10 everyone 12
group 16 staff 20
smmsp 25 _lp 26
_postfix 27 _postdrop 28
certusers 29 _keytabusers 30
utmp 45 authedusers 50
interactusers 51 netusers 52
consoleusers 53 _mcxalr 54
_pcastagent 55 _pcastserver 56
_serialnumberd 58 _devdocs 59
_sandbox 60 localaccounts 61
netaccounts 62 _mdnsresponder 65
_uucp 66 _ard 67
dialer 68 network 69
_www 70 _cvs 72
_svn 73 _mysql 74
_sshd 75 _qtss 76
_mailman 78 _appserverusr 79
admin 80 _appserveradm 81
_clamav 82 _amavisd 83
_jabber 84 _xgridcontroller 85
_xgridagent 86 _appowner 87
_windowserver 88 _spotlight 89
accessibility 90 _tokend 91
_securityagent 92 _calendar 93
_teamsserver 94 updatesharing 95
_installer 96 _atsserver 97
_lpadmin 98 _unknown 99
com.apple.sharepoint.group.1 101 com.apple.sharepoint.group.2 102
com.apple.sharepoint.group.3 103 com.apple.sharepoint.group.4 104
_guest 201Enjoy!

'Repair Permissions' doesn't repair permissions?

As part of my efforts to solve this problem:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=296986&tstart=0
... I copied my entire user folder from a recent backup to a mirrored volume.
Unfortunately, instead of using a proper backup program like Retrospect, I foolishly used the GUI to simply drag and drop my user folder to the mirror and later, to "restore" it. Apparently, that caused all of the permissions all over my ~/ folder to be borked beyond belief.
I have tried repeatedly using repair permissions, but it hasn't changed a single permission setting on any file or folder of my user folder, as far as I can tell. My account is the admin account of course, although Disk Utility never asks me to authenticate when repairing permissions.
I have other user folders on the machine which are working fine, and I have managed to fix some of my file & folder access issues by duplicating the permission settings seen on their folders (substituting my user name where appropriate, obviously).
One of the more frustrating issues as a result of all this is that anything I download with Safari goes to the correct download folder, but is not visible in the GUI. I can find it by searching with the Finder, and permissions appear to be correct for the file, it just isn't visible in the GUI.
Anyone have any ideas why Disk Utility isn't repairing permissions to their correct states, and also why downloaded files might be invisible to me despite them having the right permissions (and the downloads folder also seemingly having the right permissions)?

Repair Permissions only works for the OS and installed applications. It does not fix permissions on user data, only on files referenced from the receipt files (in /Library/Receipts and ~/Library/Receipts).

Repair Disk / Repair Permissions -- which first

If I want to run repair permissions or repair disk, which should I do first?
Does it matter?

"Repair disk" makes modifications to the structure of data on the disk itself. If there is an error, this really needs to be done first since the errors could manifest themselves as botched permissions, mangled files, etc. If the disk's integrity is actually compromised, the highest priority is to repair it. One thing to keep in mind is that certain repairs cannot be made on a mounted disk (such as the one you boot from), so for the disk repair procedure to work, you should boot of another disk (your OS installation disk, a bootable external hard disk, etc.). Even then, Apple's disk repair is curiously basic -- there's many errors it simply does not detect or fix and for that you need something like DiskWarrior. Mind you, disk errors like that shouldn't occur, and if they do you may have hardware issues to be concerned about.
"Repair permissions" compares file ownership and permissions in a directory to a list stored in the package bundles in /Library/Receipts. If there's a difference between what it finds in the file list stored in the receipt package, and the files on disk, it attempts to set the permissions and ownership of the file to what appears in the list (which should reflect the state of the file when installed). It doesn't do anything at all to preferences, user preferences, user files, logs, file created after and application is installed, etc.
Contrary to popular belief, repairing permissions doesn't generally do much for you. It should be pretty rare that it finds a difference unless you've really been mucking about, and generally when it does find something it's either because you explicitly changed the permissions or because there's some other problem where an application or disk issue is changing the permissions. The one time where it really makes sense, actually, is after you repair a disk issue.
It's common advice that people tell you to repair permissions as a step to address problems, but mostly because it's an easy thing to do. Similarly, zapping your PRAM is frequently advised when trouble-shooting, though the process of a cold-boot (complete power-off, then power back on a few seconds later) is generally the portion of that procedure that actually produces the desired result.

Repair permissions takes for ever again

Hi,
I had a problem on my PB G4 further to running Repair Permissions from a Tiger boot disk: it took almost a night for Disk Utility to read through the database and to repair permissions.
I decided to proceed with an A&I of Leopard, using my 10.5.1 DVD followed with a 10.5.3 Combo update. I ran Repair Permissions at this stage, which took 15'; I believed that I had worked it out.
Unfortunately, there were a couple of other Apple updates to carry out - e.g; Quicktime, as well as a few non-Apple software re-installs which used to run smoothly prior to my initial Repair Permissions issue.
I ran Repair Permissions at the end of the procedure and ... it kept reading the permissions database relatively quickly, BUT it took 1:30 hour to repair them! Eventually, it ended up with just a single correction related to "private/etc/cups".
I do not intend to run through the whole A&I process again.
Does anybody have a clue to speed up this painful Repair Permissions process?
Thanks in advance,

Disk Utility's Repair Permissions doesn't do anything for items in a user's home folder, or if an application is not installed using Apple's installer, so for the most part it is pretty much useless - although some people swear by it (others at it). You really shouldn't be messing with the permissions at all on system files and folders (this includes the "apply to enclosed items" from the Get Info), so it won't do anything anyway unless these get messed up.

Repair permissions always via install dvd?

Seems that always when I repair permissions (I do it once a week and with every major install) there are the same permissions that are "wrong" every time. And the list seems to get longer.
I always repair just by starting Disk Utility and repairing - without booting from the install dvd. Is that wrong? Should I really do the repair permissions always from the dvd? (Like the app seems to suggest.)
Is there any use doing the task just from the active system or is it really useless?
Please tell me the "most pro way of cleaning up my system".
And as former PC Windows user - why is there no "Find disk errors" type of app? Does Repair Permissions repair disk errors as well?
Thanks for advice!

Hello-
I don't claim to be a 'tech expert' but my understandings seem to work for me. If I'm wrong, I'd be just as interested in other opinions as yourself, so FWIW;
Seems that always when I repair permissions (I do it
once a week and with every major install) there are
the same permissions that are "wrong" every time. And
the list seems to get longer.
The list you see doesn't mean that anything was wrong, just set to something other than what the original permissions called for. If there is a problem you will usually get a red listing indicating a failure of some sort. Although the value of arbitrarily repairing once a week if no OS/app installs or upgrades is questioned by many, the consenus opinion seems to be "it can't hurt".
I always repair just by starting Disk Utility and
repairing - without booting from the install dvd. Is
that wrong? Should I really do the repair permissions
always from the dvd? (Like the app seems to
suggest.)
As I understand it, you are doing the right thing. Some rather knowledgeable folks actually say this is the 'better' way because your version of the OS has most likely been updated to something newer than what's on the Install CD. IOW, you should Repair Disk Permissions based on the same OS version you are repairing.
Please tell me the "most pro way of cleaning up my
system".
There really isn't that much that needs to be done other than following the suggested 'proactive' approach pertaining to perm. repair, standard cache maintenance (if you run your system 24/7 it's automatic, or you can run the routines manually if your comfortable with Terminal. Otherwise, a utility like OnyX -free- is readily available.)
As long as you aren't constantly downloading, installing & removing every piece of junk you can get your mouse on you should be OK.
And as former PC Windows user - why is there no "Find
disk errors" type of app? Does Repair Permissions
repair disk errors as well?
Repair Perms doesn't, but the OS does a much better job than Windows, which needs such a utility because it creates the errors in the first place. Disk Utility does include a Repair Disk function which requires starting up from a different boot disk, but it doesn't need to be used as a matter of 'routine' maintenance.
In the event you do run into problems, these Discussions are one of the most invaluable resources available to you. Don't hesitate to ask & you'll get some excellent advice & guidance on any situation you may encounter. Just wait for considered responses before taking any response at face value.
Regards |:>)

External HD Verify and Repair Permissions...

I have my iTunes library on an external HD and was wondering if I should verify and repair permissions for this drive as well when I do it for my internal HD??
Thanks
Ryan

No; the information the Disk Utility uses when it repairs permissions doesn't have any entries for disks which don't have Mac OS X installed. Each installation of Mac OS X contains an extra set of permission data in the /Library/Receipts/ folder, and most have an additional list of special permissions to check. These only contain data for the disk or partition on which the receipts are located.
(9615)

Repair Permissions in Disk Utility Doesn't Catch This:

If permissions on the folder /System/Library/LaunchDaemons are set to anything other than 755 (e.g. 775) Leopard will not boot past single user mode. Before figuring out the specific permissions problem and fixing it by hand I tried Disk Utility's "Repair Disk Permissions" function. Disk Utility fixes permissions of files inside of the aforementioned folder, but not the folder itself. A verbose boot provided less detail than was needed to troubleshoot the problem.
Question #1) Can I modify Disk Utility's permissions database to include this folder?
Question #2) Can this be issue submitted 'upstream' so that future Leopard users don't have the same problem?
Question #3) Why was there no verbose output as the result of a permissions problem during a verbose boot?
Question #4) Is there any way to make a verbose boot really really verbose?
Thanks!

this is strictly user to user forum. If you want to communicate with apple you should submit a bug report
https://bugreport.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/RadarWeb.woa/wa/signIn
That folder is a system folder and should definitely be covered by the repair permissions process so there should be no need to add it to the permissions database. I have no idea why it's not fixing the folder itself. I can confirm that the things you describe happen on my computer as well.

Mac won't update software or access iTunes shop. Message comes up with 'not connected to the net. Check connections' error. I still have internet access. Changed my Apple ID but no result. Repaired permissions and re-installed operating system.

Mac won't update software or access iTunes shop. Message comes up with 'not connected to the net. Check connections' error. I still have internet access. Changed my Apple ID but no result. Repaired permissions and re-installed operating system.

It sounds like you may have multiple problems, but none of them are likely to be caused by malware.
First, the internet-related issues may be related to adware or a network compromise. I tend to lean more towards the latter, based on your description of the problem. See:
http://www.adwaremedic.com/kb/baddns.php
http://www.adwaremedic.com/kb/hackedrouter.php
If investigation shows that this is not a network-specific issue, then it's probably adware. See my Adware Removal Guide for help finding and removing it. Note that you mention AdBlock as if it should have prevented this, but it's important to understand that ad blockers do not protect you against adware in any way. Neither would any kind of anti-virus software, which often doesn't detect adware.
As for the other issues, it sounds like you've got some serious corruption. I would be inclined to say it sounds like a failing drive, except it sounds like you just got it replaced. How did you get all your files back after the new drive was installed?
(Fair disclosure: I may receive compensation from links to my sites, TheSafeMac.com and AdwareMedic.com, in the form of buttons allowing for donations. Donations are not required to use my site or software.)

HD Not Accessible to Repair Permissions

Hello. I hope you can help me isolate the error that is keeping my Intel iMac G5 from booting properly. I’m running 10.4.
It froze after I’d been backing up onto DVD/dumping old data (about 20GB worth). Whenever I tried restarting the screen would freeze on the grey apple logo, sometimes with the swirly icon.
When I ran Disk Utility off the install disk at first it indicated “error detected” on mass storage, but later said it was fine. But I could not run Repair successfully (I kept getting "repair failed" messages), and the Repair Disk Permissions button was not accessible (greyed out).
I could not startup in safe mode. And if I tried to restart in DU the only option was a Network (which I'm not hooked up to).
Once I got a Kernal panic screen but most of the time it was just a grey apple with the fan hitting 900 rpm.
Finally I ran DiskWarrior and in 15 minutes it had cleaned out and rebuilt my HD. I thought I was home clear.
However, even though Disk Utility now says my HD is fine, it still does not allow me to Repair Disk Permissions - the option is greyed out. And if I boot up pressing Option to select a Startup Disk, the rebuilt drive is not one of them.
It appears my /Library/Receipts folder is empty.
What’s more, if I try to run an admin command in Terminal, like
sudo diskutil repairPermissions /
I get the message:
-bash: sudo: command not found
In fact, any way I try typing sudo I get a “command not found” message, even if I try to run other command like chmod.
When I type:
Users
I get
Users: command not found.
So I typed:
Echo $PATH
And get
/bin:/sbin:/usr/bn:/usr/sbin:/usr/libexec:/System/Library/CoreServices
I’m not sure at this point whether the fact that the DiskWarrior-rebuilt drive doesn’t show up among Startup options (when I boot with option key) is because of missing/broken permissions; an empty /Library/Receipts folder; missing users; or a missing path.
Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you.

Oy. I purchased an external drive and began installing Mac OSX onto it, so that I could then migrate all files from the unbootable hard drive before running an Archive & Install. That part seemed to go smoothly. But a few problems have emerged:
1. Though I was prompted to keep Disk 2 of the install ready, it never asked me for it, even though I ran the installation 2 or 3 times. Consequently while I can select the external drive when booting up command-S, I can only see Install window, Disk Utility or Terminal windows - never a desktop, preferences drop down, help menu, finder, all the things I'd typically see when launching my machine. Is this normal? Is there a way to force it to install only disk 2 if it has things it needs for full bootable GUI / access?
2. Booting up with the install disk, in disk utility I can see both drives but still cannot repair permissions on my affected HD. I tried via Terminal (repairPermissions, chmod or chown) commands; I keep getting error messages (command not found).
3. Switching cd / to my new drive in Terminal, I was able, I think, to change permissions (755) but when I open Disk Utility the drive is still not writable and "Repair Disk Permissions" is still grayed out.
4. I could not open Migration Assistant on the new drive via Disk Utility, so I copied it from the HD into its own folder on the new one, but am really confused about the whole Disk Image thing. If I create a new disk image and try to open it, convert or checksum it, it still is grayed out, I can never just open it. I tried running commands in Terminal to run that application on the external drive, pointing to the new folder, to the .app, to the contents, .dmg, and no commands seem to work, I keep getting the command not found message.
If I just run the A&I, I fear I'll lose my data which is why I wanted to migrate everything over before I did so. But if the user / owner permissions are screwed up and the only way to fix them is A&I, I don't know what else to do.
Is there ANY way to boot from the install, run Migration Assistant from the external drive (either through Disk Utility or Terminal) and copy all files from HD? If not, I guess I'll have to cross fingers and A&I.
Gee, I used to love my Mac ...

Disk utility won't repair permissions (related to error -8003)

I have an odd, recurring problem I can't diagnose. Recently my seven-month-old MacBook Pro has begun showing an error code (-8003) when I try to do common, system-related things like empty the Trash. At the same time, Time Machine stops backing up and Disk Utility can't repair permissions. If I go into System Preferences I can't open the lock to make changes, even though my account is still clearly marked as the Admin account. All third-party applications run fine, so I can't quite figure out what's going on.
I've tried repairing the disk via TechTool to see if there was directory damage and it checks out fine. I've reformatted my TM backup disk with Disk Utiity according to Apple's instructions, used the Terminal to ensure my Trash and old TM files were properly deleted, etc. Nothing seems to have made a difference.
When I restart the problem goes away for a couple of hours and then – at some point that I haven't been able to identify – the problem starts up again. This is the case whether I'm working on the MacBook or if it's just sitting there idle.
Before I reinstall I wondered if anyone had run into a similar problem and had figured out what caused it.

error code (-8003) when I try to do common, system-related things like empty the Trash
That's a common symptom of throwing stuff from a Time Machine backup into the trash in the Finder, which is a big no-no and can irreversibly corrupt your backup. In the Terminal, type the following command:
sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*
Copy and paste that! Don't try to re-type it, I've seen people put a space in the wrong place and wipe their whole user folder. Type your password when prompted, and expect that nothing will show until you hit return.
Next, repair your Time Machine backup according to:
http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/A5.html
At the same time, Time Machine stops backing up
If the above troubleshooting doesn't fix your backup, you may have damaged it beyond repair. In that case, you'll have to erase it and start your backups over from scratch.
Disk Utility can't repair permissions
Where are you trying to repair permissions? Note that repairing permissions is only meaningful on a drive with a system installed on it, and only repairs permissions on a specific subset of the stuff on the drive. Also, note that there are permissions messages you can safely ignore... if you think it is failing because you're seeing them over and over, it's not failing.
If I go into System Preferences I can't open the lock to make changes, even though my account is still clearly marked as the Admin account.
I've never seen that before, and it may indicate you have much more serious problems with your computer. First, try repairing your hard drive with Disk Utility. Then trash the System Preferences preference file, located at:
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist
...where '~' means "your home folder".

Repair permissions in Disk Utility won't stop

OK, I've never done permissions repair on our MacBook Pro 15" (2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo). (My apologies to the fastidious cleaners among this group.) I've done multiple upgrades over the past 4 or so years that we've owned it, including the latest upgrade to Lion for iCloud purposes. Because of processing time issues with Safari, I (a) cleared its cache, (b) deleted certain files in Home/Library/Safari (form values and download.plist) and in Home/Library/Preferences (com.apple.Safari.plist) and (c) tried to repair permissions in Disk Utility. All of this was per the recommendations of another Apple discussion group. (I also purchased (but have not yet installed) additional RAM to accommodate Lion and to address general operating slowness.) I started repair permissions about 11 or 12 hours ago and it's still going! While our MBP has a boatload of files on it, I'm wondering whether this is normal? Should I stop it and try something else? Thanks.

Cancel out of the Repair Permisisons and reboot the computer and start Safari.
Download this free program called OnyX and run ALL the checks, cleaning and maintainance tasks and reboot at the end.
http://www.titanium.free.fr/
OnyX is much safer to use because it reminds you to reboot the computer to rebuild the cache files, which you likely didn't do, then went to Repair Permissions and files were missing and ikely the reason why it got stuck, but it could be something far worse and hopefully OnyX will reveal more details with the initial checks.
This is what I would do in your case.
Lion will run much better with more memory than 2GB, however I would seriously consider fixing your OS X and software issues first before upgrading the RAM.
While your inside the machine replacing RAM, you might as well replace the hard drive with a newer faster, 7,200 RPM drive too and rebuild the whole OS from the ground up.
Because your machine was upgraded one OS over another, you likely got a lot of cr*p built up and seriously need to consider doing a
backup of files on a external drive, better a whole drive clone
a format and "fresh install" of 10.5 on the new internal drive, use the same username and hard drive name as before
then upgrading to 10.6, make another clone here on another external drive
then upgrading to 10.7, followed by installing all your necessary programs fresh from orignal sources
and finally returning the contents of your user files folders (Music, Documents, Pictures, Movies etc) from backup right back into the same folders on the new configuration.
In that order as it's important for maintaining perfromance that the user files are returned last. Hard drives are faster up front than they are as they get filled up, since programs and OS doesn't move around much, installing them first as it's up front where the perfromance is best and your files, which do change often, are placed further down into free space thus the OS and programs remain fast for a longer period of time.
It is a LOT of work and you have a LOT to learn, but you got a older computer that you have neglected for some time and your trying to run a newer operating system. Good thing is your processor and video card are decent, so the computer has potential to live like a new machine. If your willing to apply labor or have a Mac geek do it for you. Else your looking at a buying a new machine prematurely.
If you can't c boot off the 10.5 grey disks, then your just going to have to start with 10.6 and buy iLife at the AppStore when you download Lion again with your AppleID (option click on Purchases)
Read through my exhaustive post here, it will educate you
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16276201#16276201

Can you run Tiger and OS 8.6 on the same computer? RE: Repair Permissions

Hello,
I don't fully understand how "Repair Permissions" work and when it is needed and therefore I would like to post this question for some clarification. Using "Repair Permissions" for troubleshooting is a controversial issue. I read this interesting opinion about Repairing Permissions and now I am concerned that it may not be safe for me to install my old OS 8.6 on my OSX installed computer due to a "permission" conflict between OS 8 and OS X.
Could someone confirm this with me please? Could this cause some file permission problems?
I would use OS 8.6 to run my older Adobe Illustrator 8 application and photoshop 6. And then I will boot onto Tiger for everything else. I would switch a few times per day back and forth.
Basically, is it safe to run Tiger on the same computer that has OS 8.6 installed on it? (I am not concerned about making 8.6 run in the Classic environment because I know that doesn't work - I am refering to having separate bootable installs)
[1] http://www.unsanity.org/archives/000410.php
PS I am aware of how to change my startup OS on this particular computer (b&w G3). I would have to have the two OSs on the same volume and launch X by pressing x -key during startup due to the fact that OS 8.6 doesn't have the Startup Disk feature introduced in OS 9. That was an earlier separate discussion that has since been solved.
PS
I could choose to instead use my OS 9.2 but I have reserved that OS for another computer unfortunately. However depending on the outcome of this post, I might have to reconsider.

This is a really difficult issue to resolve! Apple doesn't have much documentation that covers running OS 8 & OS X on the same drive. There are, however, a few things that it might helpful to know:
1. Repairing permissions with Disk Utility in OS X won't touch user-created files. It only repairs things that have a receipt file, which are created by installers. The unsanity reference explains this; you might want to review that part of the article again.
2. Disk Utility has a separate repair OS 9 permissions function (accessed in the menus), but AFAIK, this only repairs permissions on the OS 9 system folder "blessed" by the Classic system pref as the one to use for Classic. I doubt this would be useful for the OS 8.6 system.
3. Of greater concern than mis-set permissions is file system damage. Under no circumstances should you use any disk repair utility on a Tiger drive except those that "know" about Tiger's file structure. This rules out using Disk First Aid from either OS 8 or OS 9, or any OS 8 or 9 third party utilities. (See this Apple document for the details.) I don't know if this also applies to OS 8's 'rebuild desktop' function, but I would avoid it to be on the safe side.
4. If you do decide to reformat or partition your drive for dual booting (as you mentioned in your other thread), do so only with Tiger's Disk Utility & remember to check the 'install OS 9 drivers' option or you won't be able to boot into OS 8 or 9, even if you have a viable system folder for either on the drive. See this Apple document for more info.
5. In light of the above, it is well worth getting OS 9 to use with Tiger on your B&W, as long as any older apps you need to run are compatible with it. (There should be no need to use OS 8/9 with text files anyway, since OS X can handle all the old text formats.) In fact, unless you need to use some peripheral that has no OS X driver, you probably will do just fine by using Classic with the old apps, eliminating the need to reboot completely.
6. If you need to buy OS 9, one inexpensive source is OWC's Mac OS 9.1 - OEM CD. At $35, it is a cheap way to avoid the headaches of OS 8 with Tiger! Note that you can upgrade from this 9.1 version to 9.2.2 for free with Apple's updates available from the Mac OS 9: Available Updates web page.
Message was edited by: R C-R

Repairing permissions after 10.5.8 update extreme oops maybe???

Ok I understand that there is still the issue of Repairing permissions regarding hard code links no big deal. Apple still has not fixed this in this update.
The problem that I have at the moment is understanding why the dbase is not updated properly it appears.
After applying the update to two separate machines both intel based and running Repair permissions through Disk Utility which is what I always do after any os update, there were some very strange oddities that pertains to core files and even after reboots and rechecking seferal times there is no change.
Someone at Apple messed up I think and did not update the permissions dbase during or after the update. I also used the Combo updater versus the smaller regular update as I always do to to avoid some intermittent occasional install problems some tend to see when using the smaller updaters.
Anyone else seeing this and how big of an issue is it to have it show for core files permissiona "should be ?--------- ," ??
Below is an example and is on both an iMac 24" and a MacBook Pro:
Reading permissions database.
Reading the permissions database can take several minutes.
...... I cut out the standard stuff we are used to seeing with the links "l" permisions
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/AppKit.framework/Versions/C/_CodeSignature/CodeResou rces", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CarbonC ore.framework/Versions/A/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/ CoreGraphics.framework/Versions/A/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DotMacSyncManager.framework/Versions/A/_CodeS ignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DotMacSyncManager.framework/Versions/A/Resour ces/DotMacSyncHelper.app/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DotMacSyncManager.framework/Versions/A/Resour ces/dotmacsyncui.app/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DotMacLegacy.framework/Versions/A/_CodeSignat ure/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirecto ry", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResourc es", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignatu re", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBEHCI.kext/ Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBEHCI.kext/ Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBEHCI.kext/ Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBHub.kext/C ontents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBHub.kext/C ontents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBHub.kext/C ontents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBMergeNub.k ext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBMergeNub.k ext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBMergeNub.k ext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBOHCI.kext/ Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBOHCI.kext/ Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBOHCI.kext/ Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBOpticalMou se.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBOpticalMou se.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBOpticalMou se.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBUHCI.kext/ Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBUHCI.kext/ Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleUSBUHCI.kext/ Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBCompositeDriv er.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBCompositeDriv er.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBCompositeDriv er.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBHIDDriver.kex t/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBHIDDriver.kex t/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBHIDDriver.kex t/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBLib.bundle/Co ntents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBUserClient.ke xt/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBUserClient.ke xt/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/IOUSBUserClient.ke xt/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBMassStorageClass.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/C odeDirectory", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBMassStorageClass.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/C odeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Extensions/IOUSBMassStorageClass.kext/Contents/_CodeSignature/C odeSignature", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/CCacheServer.app/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResou rces", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Kerberos.app/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources ", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/KerberosAgent.app/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeReso urces", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/Frameworks/Kerberos.framework/Versions/A/_CodeSignature/CodeRes ources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/KerberosPlugins/KerberosDatabasePlugins/db2.bundle/Contents/_Co deSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/KerberosPlugins/KerberosDatabasePlugins/kldap.bundle/Contents/_ CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/SystemProfiler/SPDisplaysReporter.spreporter/Contents/_CodeSign ature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Screen Sharing.app/Contents/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/ScreenSharing.framework/Versions/A/_CodeSigna ture/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Permissions repair complete

Yea it is strange, I did not have the time on the two operating systems to do a proper backup so I can not go back as you did.
I did reapply the delta update though over the top of one of the Combos and although I ended up with less apparently than with the original combo update there were still several.
One thing I did do was to go to the file level of this one which now reads "System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/CarbonC ore.framework/Versions/A/_CodeSignature/CodeResources", should be ?--------- , they are ---------
When inspecting that one the in the info window it now shows no more system or wheel and only everyone with the item marked as no access.
Considering that this is within the folder now called "_CodeSignature" and the root folder above this folder which is "A" has a CodeResources file inside it which has all the normal permissions set properly. I am wondering if this is something that was actually moved to this new folder instead of deleted and that the permissions tool may be looking at this file as it would with the parent folder if that makes sense. If this is part of the security updates portion why wouldn't Apple just remove it or is there something else going on that I am missing.
On the other side to note is that all of the files that are giving this error with permissions in the core files are all inside a folder called "_CodeSignature".
This may actually be nothing to worry about as it may be a way for the security patches to work properly to ensure the corrected resources are in place, If so though why are they not getting deleted with the updates as one would expect and why would this keep reappearing constantly and are these files in the "_CodeSignature" folders actually able to be trashed manually if Apple doesn't need them there and if they do then why are they set for no access?
Confusion is a wonderment uh?

Should I repair permissions before or after updating to Mac OS X 10.7.2?

Hi,
Should I repair permissions before or after updating to Mac OS X 10.7.2? or should I fix permissions before and after the update?

This is not a routine maintenance. Upgrades can be screwed up if the system that is upgraded is screwed up. I believe in a "better safe than sorry" approach. If you repair permissions and the hard drive prior to an upgrade then if there be a problem perhaps that problem will not propagate to the new upgraded system. If there are no problems doing the repairs is harmless.
When it comes to the topic of permissions repairs there are many opinions but not much fact. In other words there doesn't appear to be a formal analysis of whether repairing permissions is only useful when a permissions problem arises. But there is a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting that a repair both before and after a major system upgrade can reduce the risk of problems.
This is my opinion on the matter. I do not generally disagree with Niel or MacJack, but as I said I prefer to be safe rather than sorry.
Here's my general approach:
How to Install Lion Successfully - You must have Snow Leopard 10.6.7 or 10.6.8 Installed
A. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions:
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. Then select Disk Utility from the Utilities. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.3.) if DW cannot fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall Snow Leopard.
B. Make a Bootable Backup Using Restore Option of Disk Utility:
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the backup volume. Source means the internal startup volume.
C. Important: Please read before installing:
If you have a FireWire hard drive connected, disconnect it before installing the update unless you will boot from this drive and install the update on it. Reconnect it and turn it back on after installation is complete and you've restarted.
You may experience unexpected results if you have installed third-party system software modifications, or if you have modified the operating system through other means. (This does not apply to normal application software installation.)
The installation process should not be interrupted. If a power outage or other interruption occurs during installation, use the standalone installer (see below) from Apple Downloads to update. While the installation is in progress do not use the computer.
D. To upgrade to Lion:
Purchase the Lion Installer from the Mac App Store. The download will start quickly. Lion is nearly 4 GBs so a fast internet connection is essential. Download time could run upwards of 4 hours depending upon network conditions and server demands at the time.
Boot From The Lion Installer which is located in your Applications folder.
Follow instructions for installation.

Repairing permissions doesn't!

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for