Verify/Repair permissions????

Can anyone please explain to me what Verifying / Repairing Disk permissions actually does? I've heard people tell me it is like de-fragging in Windows....but I'm really curious what exactly is happening.
I'd also like to know how often doing this is a good idea. Should I always verify AND repair? Which one first? Someone help me out...
-justin

Hi -justin!
You'll find info here About Disk Utility's Repair Disk Permissions feature.
I never Verify. I just Repair.
I think Verify is a waste of time!
It should be run before & after any upgrades, updates, or installation of applications or programs.
ali b

Similar Messages

Do 2nd Harddrives have Verifiable/Repairable Permissions?

Hello all,
When running Disk Utility, I cannot choose to verify/repair permissions on my 2nd, non-OS harddrive, even after verifying the disk. The HD is an internal SATA drive, just like the OS disk. I thought (still think?) this was normal, but then someone mentioned verifying permissions on an Ipod. If you can verify permissions on an iPod, I should be able to verify/repair my Media HD.
What do you think? Is there some steps I should take (short of reformatting) my 2nd HD to make it verifiable? If you cannot repair permission on a non-OS disk, what is the point of having the option to repair permissions in Disk Utility on the OS disk (as you are supposed to repair permissions from the OS installer DVD).
Thanks!
CMF

Hi CMF,
Yes, Maxplanar is correct.
*"someone mentioned verifying permissions on an iPod"*
~ either mistakenly, or it was an iPod with the "Disk Use" option enabled and a Mac OS X backup installed on it.
*"If you cannot repair permission on a non-OS disk, what is the point of having the option to repair permissions in Disk Utility on the OS disk (as you are supposed to repair permissions from the OS installer DVD)?"*
Permissions Repair are another matter, that you are mistaking with Disk Repair.
~ Permissions Repair can be done when booted from the same boot volume, because it is only about comparing default system files with (hopefully not) modified or corrupted ones.
~ Disk Repair has to be done while booted from another volume, because it's about taking care of the entire volume structure in many ways that involve not only the simple system file level.
_iPod or external HD dedicated for storage only:_
Now if it's about Disk Repair, yes you can do it, and it's a good idea to do it.
Nothing to do with Permissions.
Axel

Verify/Repair permissions dimmed

Disk utility/verify/repair permissions are dimmed - maybe resulting from some new programmes downloaded recently. I have been able to verify/repair disk in installation option but this has not resolved the problem. All appears to work but obviously I would prefer to correct this little matter.I have some (but not a lot of) knowledge so hope the solution is going to be easy. I would prefer not to have to re-install OSX for obvious reasons.
Thanks in anticipation.
Den.

Hi Dennis,
first of all: WELCOME TO THE DISCUSSIONS!
Are you sure you mean "Repair permissions"? Mind that you have 2 options in disk utility:
1. Repair disk
2. Repair permissions
In order to repair the disk you have to boot from the install CD or another bootable volume.
Repair permissions should be done when booted from the hard disk.
In both cases make sure you select the disk in the left sidebar.

Verify/Repair permissions greyed on External discs

Hi
Since I updated to Mountain Lion, the option to verify or repair permissions are greyed in the 2 external discs. Only the option verify disc is available to use.
When I pass the cursor over the unavailable buttons, a message shows :
Check if it were set the right permissions to all files and folders installed by apple.
Not available because selected disk is set to ignore ownership
One of the disc only have videos and I checked info. And there was a check in ignore ownership. I already unchecked, but it remains unavailable to verify/repair permissions.
The other is time machine and it has not that option.
I already formatted the external disc from OSX and created a fresh partition.
The problem persists

Barney-15E wrote:
Repairing permissions on a Snow Leopard disk while booted into Mountain Lion would likely screw up the Snow Leopard permissions. Only the booted system knows what the permissions should be for itself.
What do you mean by that ? I made a clean install of Snow Leopard and then upgrade to Mountain Lion.
I made the verify permissions before the upgrate and after the upgrade. In snow leopard there was a lot of permissions to repair and even after repaired, they still remain there when I made a 2º check.
Then I upgrade to Mountain Lion and made a verify permissions and only one permission appeared to repair (...javaappletplguin.plugin). Did I do anything wrong ?

Plz help...problem w/ verify/repair permissions after software update

Hi,
I just ran the software update from the Mac menu and wanted to verify/repair permissions afterwards. First I used Onyx and when it was executing, the system would not respond after a couple of minutes. So then I tried Disk Utility and I get a message saying "Disk Utility internal error: Disk Utility has losts its connection with the Disk Management Tool and cannot continue. Please quit and relaunch Disk Utility." And I did, and the same message appears.
What else can I do?
Thanks.
PowerBook G4 15 Mac OS X (10.3.6)

Have just done software download - gone to repair permissions and have got same message. Running on 10.3.9. Anyone any ideas as to what is going on here. Did NOT run repair permissions before the update (Yes I know I should have done). Could this be a factor. There are a number of other threads on this forum concerning this exact problem - but so far have found no explanation or solutions.
Disk varified and reported OK. Mac seems to be operating OK. How does Disk utility "link" to Disk Management Tool?
Any help much appreciated.
Thanks

Is it important to verify/repair permissions periodically?

I'm having issues with my superdrive on my MBP reading disks and I read somewhere that verifying and repairing permissions might help. I'm verifying now and it's found a lot of incongruencies...is it important that I repair these? I've never done this before. Should I be doing this once a month or...?

by the way..these are the errors I'm getting:
Permissions differ on "private/var/log/secure.log", should be -rw------- , they are -rw-r----- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/Utilities/AirPort Utility.app/Contents/Resources/lanArrow.png", should be -rwxrwxr-x , they are -rw-rw-r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/Utilities/AirPort Utility.app/Contents/Resources/lanCheck.png", should be -rwxrwxr-x , they are -rw-rw-r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/Utilities/AirPort Utility.app/Contents/Resources/lanDisabled.png", should be -rwxrwxr-x , they are -rw-rw-r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/Utilities/AirPort Utility.app/Contents/Resources/wanArrow.png", should be -rwxrwxr-x , they are -rw-rw-r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/Utilities/AirPort Utility.app/Contents/Resources/wanCheck.png", should be -rwxrwxr-x , they are -rw-rw-r-- .
Permissions differ on "Applications/Utilities/AirPort Utility.app/Contents/Resources/wanDisabled.png", should be -rwxrwxr-x , they are -rw-rw-r-- .
User differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/frontline.png", should be 0, user is 501.
Group differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/frontline.png", should be 0, group is 20.
User differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/indicator_large.png", should be 0, user is 501.
Group differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/indicator_large.png", should be 0, group is 20.
User differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/indicator_medium.png", should be 0, user is 501.
Group differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/indicator_medium.png", should be 0, group is 20.
User differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/indicator_small.png", should be 0, user is 501.
Group differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/indicator_small.png", should be 0, group is 20.
User differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/scurve-l.png", should be 0, user is 501.
Group differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/scurve-l.png", should be 0, group is 20.
User differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/scurve-m.png", should be 0, user is 501.
Group differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/scurve-m.png", should be 0, group is 20.
User differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/scurve-sm.png", should be 0, user is 501.
Group differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/scurve-sm.png", should be 0, group is 20.
User differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/scurve-xl.png", should be 0, user is 501.
Group differs on "System/Library/CoreServices/Dock.app/Contents/Resources/scurve-xl.png", should be 0, group is 20.
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/DVD.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/FRSettings.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/FRSources.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Movies.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Music.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Photos.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/Podcasts.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/CoreServices/Front Row.app/Contents/PlugIns/TV.frappliance/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/BackRow.framework/Versions/A/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
User differs on "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/Localized.rsrc", should be 0, user is 501.
Permissions differ on "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/Localized.rsrc", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
User differs on "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/Resources/English.lproj", should be 0, user is 501.
Permissions differ on "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/Resources/English.lproj", should be drwxrwxr-x , they are drwxr-xr-x .
User differs on "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/flashplayer.xpt", should be 0, user is 501.
Permissions differ on "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/flashplayer.xpt", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are -rw-r--r-- .
Group differs on "Library/PreferencePanes", should be 0, group is 80.
Permissions differ on "Library/PreferencePanes", should be drwxr-xr-x , they are drwxrwxr-x .
Permissions differ on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Frameworks/InternetUtilities.bundle/Contents/ CodeResources", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/CodeResou rces", should be -rw-rw-r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.usbmuxd.plist", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are -rwxr-xr-x .
User differs on "Library/Application Support/ProApps", should be 0, user is 501.
User differs on "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/Resources/Spanish.lproj", should be 0, user is 501.
Permissions differ on "Library/Internet Plug-Ins/Flash Player.plugin/Contents/Resources/Spanish.lproj", should be drwxrwxr-x , they are drwxr-xr-x .
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/Filesystems/AppleShare/afpLoad" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DiskManagement.framework/Versions/A/Resources /DiskManagementTool" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "sbin/umount" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "bin/rcp" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iLifeMediaBrowser.framework/Versions/A/CodeRe sources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/CodeResourc es", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/BlackAndWhiteEffect.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/CubeTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/DissolveTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/DropletTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/FadeThroughBlackTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/FlipTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/MosaicFlipTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/MosaicFlipTransitionSmall.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/PageFlipTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/PushTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/RevealTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/SepiaEffect.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/TwirlTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Permissions differ on "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/iPhotoAccess.framework/Versions/A/Resources/P lugins/WipeTransition.IAPlugin/Contents/CodeResources", should be -rw-r--r-- , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
Warning: SUID file "usr/bin/quota" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "usr/bin/rlogin" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "usr/bin/rsh" has been modified and will not be repaired.

Verify/repair permissions grayed out in disk utility

I recently replaced my main hard drive and now when I go into Disk Utility the option to verify and repair disk permissions is not available on the other drives that were in the machine before the upgrade
I am thinking it's a permission issue but not sure what needs to be set to fix it

No problem. It puzzled me for a while. Now I check it every time I format a drive since DU doesn't correctly set the permissions needed. It's a pain that when you clone one startup drive to another, say for backup, and erase the destination in advance that the drive's ownership and permissions will be wrong. Then you try repairing permissions like the OP did and find those options are grayed out, and you are staring at the monitor trying to figure out why. PITA.

Disk Utility unable to Verify/Repair Permissions since this week's update

Hey there folks- I am experiencing some software problems with certain apps not launching (I understand it is an issue with QT now but am not clear on how to revert... Help?) and naturally panicked a bit.
I went into Disk Utility and tried to Repair Permissions.
Starts checking and then claims to lose connection and that I need to quit it and relaunch. This, of course, tells me that I am about to corrupt the disk and will "pay" for it (not seriously but feels like it!).
Anyone know what I can do to fix this as I really cannot, this minute, afford to reformat as I am working flat out with the machine.
So- review- unable to repair permissions and sometimes the machine runs slower than usual on the net as well as no longer launching some applications. Missing a few too but I can live with that!
Any help VERY gratefully received.

Oh dear lady upstairs! Sorry to not have responded sooner- I never got the message that you had answered me... Bit odd that!
OK- thanks for that. I do so like understanding what I am doing and, more importantly- WHY!
Will do and let you know if that sorts matters...
As for QT- I hear tell that it can interfere with the running of applications and I certainly had a lot more than just Disk Utility fail on me. Stuff APPEARS to launch and then just stops after a few bounces of the icon on the dock.
Of course that TOO began only after the update.
I have to say- if it weren't for your calming influence I'd have freaked by now. I mean- how can we trust the updates if they cause such agro?!
LOL!

Verify/Repair disk permissions hangs

Hello,
Since yesterday my SL became kind of unstable and I have to reboot it because of a hang with a spinning wheel quite often.
I want to verify/repair the disk permissions but the tasks never completes. When I run it via the GUI in the Disk Utility, it goes to around 5% then nothing happens even if I wait several hours. I can cancel the repair.
I also tried to run it via the command line but the progress stays at 0% :
~ $ sudo diskutil verifyPermissions /
Started verify/repair permissions on disk0s2 Macintosh HD
0% ...............................................
~ $ sudo diskutil repairPermissions /
Started verify/repair permissions on disk0s2 Macintosh HD
0% ...............................................
Any ideas ?
Thanks,
Tex

From your description it sounds like the internal HD is failing. It should be under 1 year old so you are covered by the warranty, make an appointment ASAP with your local Apple Store or AASP to bring it in. In addition if you have not purchased AppleCare now is the time to get it, AppleCare will extend your warranty to 3 years. However you must buy it buy it within the first year of ownership!
Here is a link you can use to make an appointment.
Regards,
Roger

Repair Permissions does nothing?

I run Verify Permissions regularly, after I run verify, I usually get a few hundred entries needing repair (....should be...). So I hit Repair Permissions and it reports back the permissions were repaired. So I restart my Mac and do a "verify" again, and I get the exact same number of entries that need repair.
Does anyone know what the actual purpose is and why Verify/Repair Permissions even exists in the first place since it appears to do nothing other than tell me I have a bunch (hundreds) wrong permissions that it's can't seem to correct??
Rob

Rob A. wrote:
I run Verify Permissions regularly,
Why?
after I run verify,
Oh wait, I missed that. Why Verify and not just Repair?
I usually get a few hundred entries needing repair
Do they need repair, or are they just being flagged as different from the current database?
(....should be...). So I hit Repair Permissions and it reports back the permissions were repaired.
Or does it just repair the ones that needed repairing?
So I restart my Mac
No need to do that.
and do a "verify" again, and I get the exact same number of entries that need repair.
Does anyone know what the actual purpose is and why Verify/Repair Permissions even exists in the first place since it appears to do nothing other than tell me I have a bunch (hundreds) wrong permissions that it's can't seem to correct??
As the operating system changes, the database is not updated to reflect those changes. Repair permissions sees these differences and notes them, but doesn't know how to handle them. It rightfully just leaves them alone.
When enough people who repair permissions when they don't need to report these anomalies to Apple, Apple gets around to posting a [Support Article|http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1448] telling everyone that you can just ignore those errors. The SUID errors should be checked against Apple's document to verify that something else isn't writing those permissions nefariously.

Repairing permissions frequently - daily

Can anyone shed light on this puzzle?: I have to repair permissions at least 2 or 3 times every day. I generally run only Mail 2.1.3, Safari 3.1.2, Filemaker Pro 5.5v2, Quickeys 3.2.3, and a small number of always-on gadgets (Sidenote, TypeIt4Me, Alarm Clock 2, NetBarrier - all current versions). I'm almost always running Safari and I do go through lots of tabs in a session (a minimum of about 500 each day), but I close excess tabs regularly (wish Safari would do that automatically!), and I relaunch Safari several times each day.
At least 2 or 3 times every day, Safari slows to a crawl and I use Oasis to repair permissions. It's almost always the same group of permissions that need repair. Here they are:
Started verify/repair permissions on disk disk0s3 Macintosh HD
Determining correct file permissions.
Group differs on ./Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app/Contents/Resources/pmTool, should be 80, group is 0
Owner and group corrected on ./Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app/Contents/Resources/pmTool
Permissions corrected on ./Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app/Contents/Resources/pmTool
Group differs on ./Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access.app/Contents/Resources/kcproxy, should be 80, group is 0
Owner and group corrected on ./Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access.app/Contents/Resources/kcproxy
Permissions corrected on ./Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access.app/Contents/Resources/kcproxy
Group differs on ./Applications/Utilities/ODBC Administrator.app/Contents/Resources/iodbcadmintool, should be 80, group is 0
Owner and group corrected on ./Applications/Utilities/ODBC Administrator.app/Contents/Resources/iodbcadmintool
Permissions corrected on ./Applications/Utilities/ODBC Administrator.app/Contents/Resources/iodbcadmintool
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume
Verify/repair finished permissions on disk disk0s3 Macintosh HD
Can anyone shed some light on why this happens so frequently, and what I might do about it? I've tried running Activity Monitor to see if that would tell me anything, but either it doesn't or I don't know what to look for.

If you were having any serious problems with your Mac you might as well complete the exercise by repairing your hard disk as well. You cannot do this from the same start-up disk. Reboot from your install disk (holding down the C key). Once it opens, select your language, and then go to Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Select your hard disk as before and click Repair.
Once that is complete reboot again from your usual start-up disk.
More useful reading here:
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417
Then try this:
(First, if yours is an Intel Mac, check that Safari is not running in Rosetta, which is enough to slow it to a crawl.)
Many, including me, have had success with adding DNS codes to their Network Settings, with good results in terms of speed-up:
Open System Preferences/Network. Double click on your connection type, or select it in the drop-down menu. Click on TCP/IP and in the box marked 'DNS Servers' enter the following two numbers:
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
Click on Apply Now and close the window.
Restart Safari, and repair permissions.
If that didn't do it, then try this as well:
Empty Safari's cache (from the Safari menu), then close Safari.
Go to Home/Library/Safari and delete the following files:
form values
download.plist
Then go to Home/Library/Preferences and delete
com.apple.Safari.plist
Repair permissions (in Disk Utility).
Start up Safari again, and things should have improved.

"verify disk permissions" and "Underlying task reported failure on exit"

This is more of a "How I fixed this problem, so others can benefit" posting than a current problem.
I put my MBP to sleep yesterday, and then when I tried to come out, it just sat there. After about 15 minutes, I figured I'd just force it quit and then restart.
After hitting the power button, it came up with the gray screen and apple logo with spinning gear and basically sat there for 20 minutes. Several reboot attempts were failures; sometimes I got a blue screen with spinning gears, but basically not much else.
I tried rebooting with the install disk, holding down the C key, but it gave me nothing, tried rebooting in verbose mode, tried doing CommandOption+PR, nothing, etc. So, I tried rebooting while holding down the option key, and I could see the Disk Utility.
I ran the Disk Utility to verify the disk, and that all came back fine. So, I ran Verify Disk Permissions, and i spit out "Underlying Task Reported Failure on Exit". The phone support people suggested I try reinstall with archive.
So, I tried running install with Archiving, and that failed as soon as it verified the DVD was ok - basically it couldn't access the HD.
So, I rooted around and did the following. From the Install disk, I selected "Terminal". Then, I did:
cd /Volumes
ls -lt
There I noticed that for some odd reason, Macintosh HD was listed as the following permissions:
rwxrwx---
So, admin and group had read-write-exec access to the Mac HD, but others had nothing, which I thought odd. It seems like you should at least be able to boot the computer to the login screen, and if a user is not admin or admin group, you cannot login, but I guess that's not the way it's set up.
So, I tried:
chmod o+r Macintosh HD
Then, I reran verify disk permissions. Again, I got the same "Underlying..." error. So I tried
chmod o+x Macintish HD
I then reran verify disk permissions, and it ran fine and the suggested that the Macintosh HD volume permissions should be set to:
rwxrwxr-t
So, I had the Disk Utility repair it to the way it should be, and now it all seems fine.
This suggestion basically did not come from any Apple Support people or any forums, and it seemed like such an easy fix that I'm surprised nobody (at least nobody I've found) has had the same problem or needed the same fix.
Further, I think figured out what happened. I took my computer to my local tech support guys because I wanted to turn off sharing for this MBP. So, under Macintosh HD, somebody changed the permissions under "Everyone" from "Read Only" to "No Access".
It turns out that doing this basically creates the whole problem above by making the Macintosh HD unmountable or inaccessible.
I find it truly odd that it would be so easy to remove access to the computer for mounting purposes, but this is the only thing I can think of. The tech guy realized his error and apologized and was also surprised it was so easy to hose the computer.
Anyway, this is partially a warning to everyone as well as a possible fix for the blue screen problem, especially since it was a solution I could not find anywhere.
Maybe Apple Support will see this and for its next update at least make a warning box when people try to remove "Read Only" access for "Everyone".
Good luck.

If your Mac still boots and runs most applications correctly, but applying Software Update packages fails and you decide to run Disk Utility to Verify Permissions and it fails almost immediately with the "underlying task reported failure on exit" explore this posting. If you see other errors, have slow/varied disk performance, or hear nasty grinding/clicking sounds you have a much more serious problem this solution isn't for you.
Use Applications, Utility, Console and check the messages appearing there each time you try Disk Utility. If you see:
Failed to open database on '/'. Error 14, 13, Permission denied.
You may have had your permissions reset on the receipts db. Which is found in
/Library/Receipts/db/a.receiptdb
At this point you have to enter the dark world of the Terminal and use a unix shell (command line).
If you are not comfortable doing find a Unix/Linux power user.
The simple fix for me was to open Applications, Utilities, Terminal and do
sudo chmod 755 /Library/Receipts/db/a.receiptdb
This allowed Disk Utility to read the file and move on to repairing permissions.
When things generate error messages in the GUI part of Mac OS X ...always go check the messages in the logs via the Console in Utilities. These messages are 'down a level' and get you much closer to the real problem.
Note that I did follow the instructions in Apple kb TS1901
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1901
which did not help at all. Same problem each time:
xxxx-imac:Volumes user$ diskutil verifyPermissions /
Started verify/repair permissions on disk disk0s2 Macintosh HD
$<3>Error -9972: The underlying task reported failure on exit
$<3>[ + 0%..10%..20%..30%..40%..50%..60%..70%..80%..90%..100% ]
Finished verify/repair permissions on disk disk0s2 Macintosh HD
Error detected while verifying/repairing permissions on disk0s2 Macintosh HD: The underlying task reported failure on exit (-9972)
Now I wonder what changed the permissions on the receipts database file? I am off to use find and date fields to see what changed the permissions file last (my is dated sometime in November!).
flatiswhereitsat

Verifying and Repairing Permissions on Mac OS X 10.5 giving many errors

I am having a problem with verifying and repairing my permissions. I first noticed this yesterday and thought it was some kind of application conflict so I wiped my HDD via zero data and reinstalled OS 10.5 then upgraded to OS 10.5.1. Without installing any applications other than those that were installed via the CD and the update, I rechecked my "Repair Permissions" and got the following:
Quote
Verifying volume “MacMini”
Performing live verification.
Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
The volume MacMini appears to be OK.
Verify permissions for “MacMini”
Warning: SUID file "usr/libexec/load_hdi" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DiskManagement.framework/Versions/A/Resources /DiskManagementTool" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/DesktopServicesPriv.framework/Versions/A/Reso urces/Locum" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Install.framework/Versions/A/Resources/runner " has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Admin.framework/Versions/A/Resources/readconf ig" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Admin.framework/Versions/A/Resources/writecon fig" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "usr/libexec/authopen" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/Resources/OwnerGroupTool" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Warning: SUID file "System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAg ent" has been modified and will not be repaired.
Unquote
This appears to be a bug in the OS. Has anyone else had this problem. It has only occurred since I upgraded to Leopard from Tiger. Any ideas anyone?

Click here for information, and run this update to get rid of many of the messages.
(28455)

Disk Utility - Verify Disk Permissions / Repair

I run Disk Utility > Verify Disk Permissions with this rsult:
Verify permissions for “Macintosh HD”
Permissions differ on "usr/share/derby", should be drwxr-xr-x , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
The following repair was successful.
A few minutes later I run Verify Disk Permissions again with the SAME result:
Verify permissions for “Macintosh HD”
Permissions differ on "usr/share/derby", should be drwxr-xr-x , they are lrwxr-xr-x .
What does it mean and how can I stop this error?
Thanks!

There is nothing in that message that requires repairing. That is why it keeps showing up.
The permission database has to be updated every time the system is updated. If they miss a change that they have made in the system, it will get flagged as you see, but doesn't mean anything is wrong.
That KnowledgeBase article also must be updated to reflect the things they missed.
All that message is saying is that the directory derby is now replaced with a link to another directory (the l vs the d). However, mine doesn't have a link. Did you install anything that might have updated derby?
If you open Terminal and enter this code, can you post the line that has derby on it?ls -al /usr/share/
I'm repairing permissions now to see what pops up for me, but that will take a little while.
Edit: I looked into the Derby directory and Derby is a Relational Database Management System used by Apache. So, did you install something that modified Apache, PHP, mySQL or something like that? It might have altered the link.
Message was edited by: Barney-15E

After repairing permissions, do I need to "verify"?

Hi folks,
I'm trying to get iDVD working; I keep getting a multiplexing error and the disk ejects when I try to burn a DVD. It was suggested I repair permissions, which I did. However, I was then presented with an option to "verify" the repairs to permissions. Is this a necessary step in repairing permissions?
Thanks very much.
FYI: When I repaired permissions the first time, I didn't verify and iDVD still won't burn a DVD. I'm just wondering if "verifying" would help.
Thanks again,
Vic

How does the particular user account affect burning a DVD?
That suggestion is to check whether there is an error on a particular user account. If it doesn't show up in another account, there is.
now I have about 90 GB of free space
Then we can rule that out!
I'm using Fuji disks, which I've burned to before without any problems
Yep, they are usually trouble free.
I'm even using a short, stand-alone .mov file (exported from FCE4)
That could be a hint. Is it in widescreen?
iDVD: DV widescreen 16:9 workflow from Final Cut Pro
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2179?viewlocale=en_US
Final Cut Express: DV widescreen 16:9 workflow for iDVD at http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1611
and
Preparing your Final Cut Express or Final Cut Pro movie to work with iDVD at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iDVD/7.0/en/6652.html
Is there a sure-fire way for me to check whether there's a problem with my Superdrive?
You could trry cleaning it using a standard CD/DVD lens cleaner using tiny brushes. Or try burning something else (a different project perhaps) to see if that works.
I think it was during something called "Creating Lead-in" or something like that? and says something that includes the words, "...media error"
We may be getting warmer. Could be dud DVD. Try another.
Post back with results!

Verify/Repair permissions????

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