Mavericks and repairing permissions

Disk Utility is in the Utilities folder of your startup volume. If you don't find it, then either you've deleted or moved it. In the case of the former you will have to re-install Mavericks in order to get it back.

Reinstall OS X Without Erasing the Disk

Be sure to have a current backup.

1. Restart the computer and after the chime hold down the Command and R keys until the Utility Menu appears.
2. Choose Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on the Continue button.
3. After Disk Utility loads select the indented (usually, Macintosh HD) entry from the side list. Click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If Disk Utility 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.
4. When the process finishes, quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
5. Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.

If you try using Disk Utility from El Capitan, then there is only one option, First Aid.

Repair the Disk for El Capitan

1. Restart the computer and after the chime hold down the Command and R keys until the Utility Menu appears.
2. Select Disk Utility and press the Continue button.
3. Then select the indented (usually, Macintosh HD) volume entry from the the side list.
4. Click on the First Aid tab in the toolbar and wait for the Done button to activate. Click on it, then quit Disk Utility.
5. Select Restart from the Apple menu.

What version of OS X do you have installed? Please take a snapshot of your Disk Utility window:

To Post A Screen Shot

1. Press Command-Shift-4 which will change the cursor to crosshairs.
2. Hold down the mouse button and use the crosshairs to select the part of the screen you wish to capture.
3. Release the mouse button and the image will be saved to your Desktop.
4. Click on the Camera icon in the toolbar of the forum message editor.
5. Drag the image onto the Choose File button and click on the Insert button.

It would be more helpful to others who may read this topic if you would detail the solution you used. I am assuming you discovered you were using the Disk Utility from Yosemite or El Capitan, not the one from Mavericks?

Repairing Permissions is no longer necessary in El Cap. It never really did anything. What permissions issues are you having?