Advice on diagnosing an odd iMac Intel issue

[wrldwzrd89]

Can anyone point me in the right direction for diagnosing this odd issue I'm having? Here are the symptoms:

After every fresh install of Mac OS X, the permissions on my user folder are strange, along with /Library and /Applications (all have ACLs on them but shouldn't).
iTunes refuses to copy data from CDs and DVDs sometimes, complaining that the hard drive couldn't be read from or written to. Restarting the copy from where it left off usually makes it work. A scan of my hard drive for bad blocks turns up nothing.

This has been a problem ever since I got this iMac, and at this point I know of only 3 reasonable fixes:

Get a new install disc set from Apple
Buy a new retail Leopard DVD
Wait for Snow Leopard and clean install it

[petermcphee]

How long have you had this iMac? Do you have any availability of support from Apple left?

[tonyl]

Can anyone point me in the right direction for diagnosing this odd issue I'm having? Here are the symptoms:

After every fresh install of Mac OS X, the permissions on my user folder are strange, along with /Library and /Applications (all have ACLs on them but shouldn't).
iTunes refuses to copy data from CDs and DVDs sometimes, complaining that the hard drive couldn't be read from or written to. Restarting the copy from where it left off usually makes it work. A scan of my hard drive for bad blocks turns up nothing.

This has been a problem ever since I got this iMac, and at this point I know of only 3 reasonable fixes:

Get a new install disc set from Apple
Buy a new retail Leopard DVD
Wait for Snow Leopard and clean install it


Highly doubt install disc problem. But if you can find another one, even 10.4, you can try. It may be hardware problem. Can you swap the hard drive or boot from external one?

[wrldwzrd89]

How long have you had this iMac? Do you have any availability of support from Apple left?
I've had the Mac for about 3-4 months, and yes - all my support for this Mac has not yet been used.

EDIT:
Highly doubt install disc problem. But if you can find another one, even 10.4, you can try. It may be hardware problem. Can you swap the hard drive or boot from external one?
The iMac came with 10.5.2, so the 10.4 idea won't work. It boots from an external drive just fine but exhibits the exact same issues.

[johto]

What about if you create new users, are those file permissions normal? How do you transfer your old stuff to a new installation? Migration assistance or how?

[wrldwzrd89]

What about if you create new users, are those file permissions normal? How do you transfer your old stuff to a new installation? Migration assistance or how?
I don't use the Migration Assistant. The technique I normally use is this (for Leopard to Leopard on the same computer):

Erase and install Mac OS X
Choose the Restore from Time Machine backup option
Relax and wait while TM does its thing

For all other migrations (Leopard to Leopard on different computers, or Leopard to Snow Leopard, or Tiger to Leopard, or... you get the idea):

Back up anything that isn't backed up to discs either to discs or an external hard drive
Erase and install Mac OS X
Skip the migration assistant completely
Restore everything from backups, except preferences

Normally, these techniques minimize any problems that might occur during the transfer. This is the first time that, on multiple occasions, this technique did not work, with any Mac I've had.

Also, I will try creating a new user and get back to you.

[wrldwzrd89]

Tried creating a new user. The exact same problem occurred - permissions were weird on the new user, suggesting that the root cause lies in the template Mac OS X uses to create users.