The Mac OS is very reliable. Even so, once in a while you’ll run into a glitch in an application. For example, you may be unable to create a new album in iPhoto or suddenly your email is no longer working correctly.
We’ll never make you feel stupid like Nick Burns (played by Jimmy Fallon along with Jennifer Aniston) did on Saturday Night Live SNL skit called “Nick Burns the Company Computer Guy”. Very funny…even if it’s a bit dated (like those heavy monitors?)…
When strange problems like this occur with applications one of the first troubleshooting steps I take is to “repair disk permissions” on the hard drive. It is possible that the application is trying to do the right thing but the operating system is not allowing it to happen because files are locked from being changed. Repairing disk permissions often takes care of the error. Here are the steps
to take:
1. Open up the Applications – Utilities folder on your Macintosh HD.
2. Double-click on the “Disk Utility” application.
3. Select your “Macintosh HD” on the left side.
4. Click on the “First Aid” tab.
5. Click on the “Repair Disk Permissions” button at the bottom and let it run. It may take several minutes depending on how large your hard drive is.
Hopefully that will take care of the trouble.
It is also a good idea to repair disk permissions and make a full backup your entire hard drive before doing any system upgrades or updates of major applications like iLife 09 to iLife 11. It’s a simple step that can prevent issues from happening.
Tim Cimbura – CEO and Software Engineer
Tim is an expert in creating custom business solutions that make businesses more effective, productive, and profitable. He specializes in rapid application development with the Claris platform including FileMaker and WordPress. He also knows Apple macOS technology inside and out.