"Can Repair Permissions: no". Why?

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Level 1

36 points

"Can Repair Permissions: no". Why?

Hello,

My computer's hard disk has 5 partitions (except Recovery HDs), whose 4 have valid Mac OS system installed (10.6, 10.5, 10.8 and 10.7).

I'm running 10.6 generally. When I launch Disk Utility, I can verify and repair 3 partitions: 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8. For the 10.5 one, the buttons are grayed out; if I get information about it, all but one thing is expected:

Mount Point: /Volumes/Macintosh HD

System Name: Mac OS X

System Version: 10.5.8

System Build: 9L31a

File System: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

Writable: Yes

Number of Files : 863'127

Number of Folders : 178'997

Owners Enabled: Yes

Can Turn Owners Off: Yes

Can Repair Permissions: No

Can Be Verified: Yes

Can Be Repaired: Yes

Can Be Formatted: Yes

Bootable: Yes

Supports Journaling: Yes

Journaled: Yes

“Can repair permissions” is no…? I can't think of any reason why it would be so. What component decides the value of Can Repair Permissions? What's the problem here?

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Dec 14, 2013 3:00 AM

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Answer 1

Anic264b Author

Level 1

36 points

Dec 14, 2013 3:02 AM in response to Anic264b

P.S.: sorry for the formatting, it wasn't like this at the time of writing my question (and I can't edit it now (why?)).

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Answer 2

seventy one

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 14, 2013 4:29 AM in response to Anic264b

You can only edit your posts up to 15 minutes from posting them.

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Answer 3

Anic264b Author

Level 1

36 points

Dec 14, 2013 4:34 AM in response to seventy one

Thanks for the information. However, this seems to apply only to answers, not original posts (you can see there are only 2 minutes between my two first posts, and the “Edit” button wasn't here in the first one).

Hmmm… I'm hoping my question isn't one of those that strangely no one knows.

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Answer 4

seventy one

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 14, 2013 5:16 AM in response to Anic264b

You have to go a different way with the original post. I can't remember exactly where it is but an original post offers an option to edit on the top left side I seem to recall, near where it says 'actions'. The limit is still 15 minutes.

Sadly this is the only part of your question I can answer as I have never partitioned four different OS's.

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Answer 5

Anic264b Author

Level 1

36 points

Dec 14, 2013 2:48 PM in response to seventy one

seventy one wrote:

You have to go a different way with the original post. I can't remember exactly where it is but an original post offers an option to edit on the top left side I seem to recall, near where it says 'actions'. The limit is still 15 minutes.

Nice to know, thank you. I'll search further the next time.

Sadly this is the only part of your question I can answer as I have never partitioned four different OS's.

I understand, thanks anyway. However, I'v read the same, unresolved question on this forum (asked years ago), so I don't think partitionning matters.

What I consider a shame is the fact that things like that aren't known from "most users". Looks like Apple just don't document some things and no one seems to ever want understanding the "under the hood" functioning, as if no one cared about knowledge of things unless something is actually acting wrong.

I don't get the point of Apple hiding why "can repair permissions" can be false on a valid system partition, among other things.

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Answer 6

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Dec 14, 2013 3:00 PM in response to Anic264b

It's because 10.6 & later store records of the installed packages in a different format/location from 10.5, and that older record type isn't recognised (or looked for ?) by later versions & so it says that it can't repair/verify because it thinks there's no record of the correct permissions.

About Disk Utility's Repair Disk Permissions feature

In Mac OS X v10.6.x and later, Disk Utility can verify/repair permissions of the same Mac OS version it is running. For example, if you need to verify/repair a Mac OS X v10.5.x disk, use a Mac OS X v10.5.x or earlier installation disc.

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Answer 7

Anic264b Author

Level 1

36 points

Dec 15, 2013 1:42 AM in response to andyBall_uk

Thank you very much! Still strange Google searches did not returned useful answers like yours, as this fact doesn't seem so hidden (this time).

I found it strange the lowest OS installed had the problem; now it makes sense.

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Answer 8

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Dec 15, 2013 3:58 AM in response to Anic264b

You're welcome. I think the article could do with a small update, since 10.6 to 9 seem to be able to verify/repair for any other 10.6+.

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Answer 9

Anic264b Author

Level 1

36 points

Dec 15, 2013 4:27 AM in response to andyBall_uk

Yes, this was part of my confusion: why were I able to repair permissions for 10.7 and 10.8 from my 10.6 OS, but not 10.5 (this basically ruled out the different system versions, I thought).

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Answer 10

seventy one

Level 7

27,466 points

Dec 15, 2013 5:10 AM in response to Anic264b

Ah, but you did get two answers for one post. Value for money. 😀

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Answer 11

Anic264b Author

Level 1

36 points

Dec 15, 2013 5:50 AM in response to seventy one

You're right. I feel like I should play to the lottery today 🙂

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