Q: How can I repair disk permissions
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Dec 3, 2011 10:28 PMby Don Archibald,Be sure you select the volume on the hard drive, and not the hard drive itself.
For example, this is selecting the hard drive, and the Repair Permissions button is grayed out -
This is selecting the volume on the drive, and the Repair Permissions button is active -
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The same relationship exists for boot and non-boot drives, external or internal.
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Dec 3, 2011 11:09 PMby Rysz,From Apple Knowledge Base article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=DiskUtility/10.5/en/duh1008.html
"You can use Disk Utility to verify and repair permissions on a disk installed with Mac OS X."
From Apple Knowledge Base article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2963
"For Mac OS X 10.2 or later, open Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities/). Select your Mac OS X startup volume in the column on the left of the Disk Utility window, then click the First Aid tab."
If I'm missing something here, I would truly like to understand it.
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Dec 3, 2011 11:37 PMby Don Archibald,Ah - a subtle distinction (at least to me) in a difference between the terms 'boot volume' and 'bootable volume'.
The 'boot volume' is the one currently in use as the volume to which the machine is booted.
A 'bootable volume' is one which has the capability to boot the machine, but which may not currently be the 'boot volume'. Meaning, it has an OS X install on it, one valid for that particular machine.
You are correct that a volume which does not contain a bootable OS X installed can not have its permissions repaired.
However, any volume with a bootable OS X on it can have its permissions repaired, even if it is not the current boot volume.
Sorry for the confusion.
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Dec 4, 2011 9:11 AMby Rysz,FYI, BB
Below is a quote from Apple describing what Disk Permissions deals with.
If you still need assistance, please describe what problem/issue you are trying to solve.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1452
"Many things you install in Mac OS X are installed from package files (whose filename extension is ".pkg"). Each time something is installed from a package file, a "Bill of Materials" file (whose filename extension is ".bom") is stored in the package's receipt file, which is kept in /Library/Receipts/ in Mac OS X v10.5 and earlier. These files don't take up much disk space and you shouldn't put them in the Trash. Each of those ".bom" files contains a list of the files installed by that package, and the proper permissions for each file.
Does Disk Utility check permissions on all files?
Files that aren't installed as part of an Apple-originated installer package are not listed in a receipt and therefore are not checked. For example, if you install an application using a non-Apple installer application, or by copying it from a disk image, network volume, or other disk instead of installing it via Installer, a receipt file isn't created."
Is this what you want to "fix"?
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Oct 12, 2013 9:51 AMby Klaus1,Your problem may not be exactly the same as that of the original poster of this old thread, and it can be very confusing for everybody if we try to answer more than one question in each thread.
In order for us to give your problem our undivided attention to try to solve it, would you kindly start your own thread, describing the trouble you are having in the fullest detail, including completing your details to show what Mac you are using, what operating system, and what version of the application in question. Please remember to post in the forum relevant to your hardware or version of OS X.
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Oct 12, 2013 10:22 AMby Rysz,As Klaus1 points out, to get help you need to be more specific.
For your general info, however, most "issues" reported by Disk Utility can be ignored. The following Apple KB lists those that should not cause any concern.
Mac OS X: Disk Utility's Repair Disk Permissions messages that you can safely ignore
