Repair disk permissions: Mac OS X

To keep your computer running smoothly, you should repair your disk permissions after you install new software. To repair disk permissions, follow these steps:

  1. Open a Finder window, and then click Applications.
  2. Open the Utilities folder. The Utilities window should look similar to the following:
    utilities folder
  3. Double-click Disk Utility. You will see a window that should look similar to the following:
    hard drive permission
  4. In the left-hand column, click the name of your hard drive (e.g., Macintosh HD in this example).
  5. Click the First Aid tab on the right-hand side of the window.
  6. Click Repair Disk Permissions in the lower-left area of the window.
  7. When the process is complete, close the window.