Repairing Permissions

Repairing permissions: What you need to know
What repairing permissions does and whether you should do it
By Dan Frakes
When it comes to Mac OS X troubleshooting and maintenance, Repairing
permissions may be the most frequently recommended course of action.
It’s also easily the most maligned.
The procedure has taken its (rightful) place in the Pantheon of
Overused Procedures, next to “zapping the PRAM,” “rebuilding the
Desktop,” and “performing a clean install,” with some users
acting as if it’s a cure-all for any and every issue anyone might
have with a Mac, and something that should be done every day to
prevent problems from ever occurring. Conversely, a vocal camp claims
that the procedure is worthless—even harmful—and that those who
use it regularly are no better than tool-using primates on the
evolutionary scale.

The truth about repairing permissions lies somewhere in between.
We’re here to help you find it by taking a closer look at repairing
permissions—what the function is, what it does, when you should do
it, and when you shouldn’t.

To read more, go to http://www.macworld.com/2006/08/secrets/
repairpermissions/index.php