Admin permission won't allow install

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Level 1

10 points

Admin permission won't allow install

I recently started having problems printing, and in attempting to solve that problem I attempted to re-install the printer driver. After entering my administrator password, I was greeted with a dialogue box telling me that administrator level permission or higher was required to perform this operation. I am the administrator and my login/password appear to work for all other functions including creating a new user with admin permissions and enabling root user. Both of these actions failed to solve the problem - I continue to get the same message.

I have also run the disk utility to repair both disk permissions and repair disk. Neither of these operations appeared to find any problems or solve the problem. I have attempted to install two other pieces of software - I can't install these either.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Amos

Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Posted on Jan 6, 2006 6:06 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Michael Conniff

Level 7

33,149 points

Jan 7, 2006 5:59 AM in response to Amos Stibolt

Amos

I was able to activate the root user and install the printer driver.

This certainly should not be necessary. I hope you de-activated root after this.

I still cannot load any software

What exactly do you mean by this? That you can't install programs or that you can't launch (i.e. 'run') them?

It seems to me you have two options. The quickest would be to Archive & Install, see Mac OS X : About the Archive and Install Feature. Or you could continue to try and track down the problem, with no guarantee of success. I am happy to help you with that, but must leave the decision to you.

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Answer 2

Jan 6, 2006 9:36 AM in response to Amos Stibolt

Amos

If your current administrator account is capable of creating a new 'admin' account, do that and see if you can install with this new account.

That would at least tell you if the problem is with the account or with the installer. Of course, if you can't create a new account, it's obviously your account that has problems. Post back and let us know.

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Answer 3

Amos Stibolt Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 7, 2006 6:33 AM in response to Michael Conniff

Michael

I did select the "Disable Root User" option after using it, however, when I now go to the Security menu in NetInfo Manager, the "Disable Root User" selection is still available, which leads me to wonder if it was in fact disabled.

When I say that I cannot install, I mean that after double clicking the install icon for the installer (VISE in the case of the printer driver) I get the appropriate dialogue box requesting my admin user name and password. After entering the password, I see a dialogue box the says something like "An admin level password or higher is required to perform this operation." I click ok and the operation stops without further explaination or action.

I think I may try the Archive and Install feature, I just wanted to see if I had any other options before I tried that.

Amos

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Answer 4

Amos Stibolt Author

Level 1

10 points

Jan 6, 2006 4:52 PM in response to Michael Conniff

Michael,

Thanks for your reply. I have been able to create a new admin account, but I encounter the same problem with that account. I was able to activate the root user and install the printer driver. A problem still exists, however, in that I still cannot load any software (I have tried a couple of other pieces) with either admin password. And the printer problem that originally sent me down this road still exists, even with the new driver load.

Any other ideas?

Much thanks again,
Amos

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