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Which One Do I Verify & Repair Perms On? What About Partioned Drives?

2A Batterie

2A Batterie

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 9, 2004
622
1
Out of a Suitcase, USA
Is the icon that says XXX.XXGB Fujitsu MHY... or the one that simply says Macintosh HD?

Also, should I ever verify and repair disk perms on an external? Specifically a partition that acts as a boot drive. I have a 500GB WD External, 160gb of which are partitioned as a carbon copy of my boot drive from my old G5. Do I verify and repair perms on just the boot drive partition, the whole external, or none of the above?
 
Repairing permissions only looks at the permissions of system files. These permissions can be wrong after a cloning but more likely than not are fine. After you restore from a clone I'd repair permissions but before then you probably don't need it.
 
Eidorian raises a good question, are you having some sort of problem that you are trying to fix? Repairing permissions that aren't wrong won't fix anything and can't prevent potential future problems. Since the advent of Tiger and now Leopard, incorrect permissions are rare. As to your second question, modifying or 'fixing' permissions on a external drive that you sometimes use as a boot drive is going to create problems.
 
I'm asking because I'm at wit's end trying to migrate some files and programs over to my new laptop. The migration assistant constantly quits unexpectedly. My HD is triple interface, and I have tried both USB 2.0 and FW400 on everything. I have tried restarting the computer and holding down option so that I can use the G5 partition off of my external to boot from. Unfortunately, my computer won't recognize it for this process. When I boot up my laptop regularly and connect my external HD, all three of its partitions are recognized and I can access files from them. However, they do not always eject. I'll often get the message "XXX HD is in use and cannot be ejected. Try quitting other applications first" even when no other apps are running. I can't even unmount the external using the disk utility. Still though, I can read files off of it. What gives?
 
The only times I have run into problems with the Migration Assistant is when either the target or the destination hard drive. Run Disk Utility, fire up the Repair Disk process. You will need to do that from a System boot CD because it can't fix an active boot drive. Let us know what happens!
 
Sherman Homan said:
The only times I have run into problems with the Migration Assistant is when either the target or the destination hard drive. Run Disk Utility, fire up the Repair Disk process. You will need to do that from a System boot CD because it can't fix an active boot drive. Let us know what happens!
Click to expand...

I'm not totally clear on these instructions. You've only run into problems w/Migrations Assistant is when either the target or the destination hard drive .... do what?

So you're saying that I should put my system boot CD in my MacBook and do the Repair Disk Process on my external drive that's a carbon copy of my old G5 boot drive?

One last question, which may get me flamed for being some oblivious up until this point:
Does it matter that my CC of my G5 boot drive is 10.4 while my MacBook is 10.5?

Thanks so much for the help so far everyone. Seriously, I don't know what I do without this site!
 
Sorry, shouldn't type and talk on the phone at the same time! I meant to say when there are directory errors on one of the hard drives. Run DU, make sure that the Repair Disk process returns no errors.
 
Am I doing the right thing here?

Update: Now I can't unmount any of the external partions. Grr. I have no idea where to begin.
 

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Ok... so what disk do I need? I just have the MAcBook install discs 1 and 2. 2 is jut xcode stuff and disc 1 is the Mac OSX install disc. I'm not sure what exactly to do though. I just what to Disk Utility and tried to repair my external HD is this is what I got:
 

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The external drive does need to be unmounted for DU to work its magic. Can you boot your 'Book from your System Install DVD? Don't start the installation process, go to the Utilities menu, select Disk Utility, Repair Disk.
 
Sherman Homan said:
The external drive does need to be unmounted for DU to work its magic. Can you boot your 'Book from your System Install DVD? Don't start the installation process, go to the Utilities menu, select Disk Utility, Repair Disk.
Click to expand...

I can try. Is that where I insert the OSX disk and hold down the C key while it starts up?

Also, I should be starting up with my external HD unmounted, right? If so should I plug in the external afterwards so that when I click on repair disk in disk utilities it repairs the external?
 
I ran disk utility from the install disk and clicked on repair disk for both the MacBook's HD and my external. It came back without one error. It said everything was ok? I'm a bit confused now. Well a bit more than I was before.

EDIT: I'm connected with USB 2.0 now. When I open up Migration Assistant and select Transfer Backup Information From: Time Machine Or Another Backup (My whole goal is to transfer a carbon copy drive from my old G5 system) no drives can be elected.
 
Oh brother. Now when I click on the partitioned drives from the external, it lists as having 0 items, but it stills list the correct amount of data being used. I still cannot unmount the externals as every time I try it says that the disk are in use.
 
hmmmm.... I don't know why this isn't a whole lot easier. But let's deal with what you ultimately want to do. Migration Assistant is designed to pull over entire user accounts. Is that what you want to do? Or do you just want to copy over selected files, folders and apps?
I don't know why you can't unmount the external drives, but I am not sure why you want to unmount them. Are you running any antivirus software? Also, you can't boot the 'Book from the G5 drive, totally different animals.
Sorry for all of the questions!
 
Sherman Homan said:
hmmmm.... I don't know why this isn't a whole lot easier. But let's deal with what you ultimately want to do. Migration Assistant is designed to pull over entire user accounts. Is that what you want to do? Or do you just want to copy over selected files, folders and apps?
I don't know why you can't unmount the external drives, but I am not sure why you want to unmount them. Are you running any antivirus software? Also, you can't boot the 'Book from the G5 drive, totally different animals.
Sorry for all of the questions!
Click to expand...

You're sorry for the questions?!? That should be me apologizing. I'm very grateful for any help, and you have to ask these questions to me to realize what kind of an idiot you're dealing with.

I basically want to copy the user account so it would be like my old G5, except upgraded to 10.5 on a MacBook. Do you think the trouble is because my G5 Boot drive is 10.4 and my 'Book is 10.5? Also, I have a ton of programs/apps on that drive that are one-license items (like MS Office, Pro Tools), and I don't want the hassle of re-registering or getting license transfers for all of my programs.

I'm not running any anti-virus software.

I used to boot my parents computer from my HD, but I guess it worked because they had a PowerBook G4.
 
OK, try this:
Hook up the external drive with the Firewire cable.
Boot the 'Book in Safe Mode. Hold down the Shift key right after you hear the startup chime. It will take a while, Safe Mode runs fsck automagically and flushes out system font caches.
Launch Migration Assistant, import from the external drive.
All of your life's problems will be solved.
Maybe!
:eek:
 
Sherman Homan said:
Deep in the bowels of unix is a repair disk process, FSCK: File System Consistency checK.
Click to expand...
OOOOOrrrrrr it could be an inside joke the IT people use to make fun a rTards such as myself. Well played.

I just booted in safe mode and opened up migration assistant. I did see the drive this time, but like with some other unsuccessful attempts this go around shows the drive with no FW icon on it. I've never seen that until this issue. I am connected via FW 400. See the pic at the bottom.

Also, do you think Spotlight indexing my drives is causing an issue? Should I wait to try migration assistant until spotlight is done indexing?
 

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I am surprised that Spotlight is indexing in Safe Mode. But I don't think that should kill the deal. Go ahead and try Migration Assistant, pray!
Oh, the fsck deal is just one of many (lame) unix geek humor attempts!
 
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