No Valid Packages

Hi,

Just tried to run a verify/repair disk permissions and I get "error: no valid packages (-9997)"

can anybody help me please??

is this the first time ever to repair permissions on this mac? boot from the os install disc, click installer>open disk utility>repair permissions there.

Sound like someone read that article in the MacHome magazine.

When I boot from the MacOSX disc and go thought to the disk utility thingy I only get the options to "verify disk" or "repair disk"

thanks for your input guys :headphone

click the first aid tab, then repair permissions.
@rman:
who read the above mentioned article? I hopr you dont mean me, cause I did not.

On the OSX disk the options to repair the permissions are greyed out and in the OS proper it says the aforementioned error message

tried I 've done a verify disk and a repair disk but the permissions are still greyed out

BTW I'm running a dual 1.8ghz G5, 512mb ram,160gb HDD

thats very weird. how many user accounts are on that mac, and how many of them are admin accounts? and have you recently installed any new software? also, try booting up while holding down shift, then try repairing permissions using disk utility in the utilities folder.

Well I bought it from E-bay so I changed the only account on it to mine name and the password to one of mine but the root folder is still the same as the old username ... maybe thats it but I do have full admin rights to it

Since you are not the original owner, it is possible that the original owner removed all of the package receipts. I believe those are use in updating the system and repairing permission. What version of the OS ae you running? You might try down loading the combo update for the version of the OS that you are running. Then re-install over the top of the current one, that may resolve your problem.

Its more than possible that the orginal owner removed the package receipts when they 'cleaned' it out before they sent it to me ... but judging by the fact that they did'nt do a clean install,**** they even left the history on the thing complete with all the porn sites they had visted the day before it shipped

I'm running MacOS 10.3.7 (the latest I belive)

The over the top install is a good idea, but would it kill all my exisiting files? or is there an option like there is in the XP setup to do a 'repair'

If it would kill all my files what would been able to verify and repair permissions do for the mac? because it seems to be working fine as it is at the moment

thanks

Installing the combo update over what you have will only touch your system files. If you have made changes to some of the system files. Then they will be changed. If you are speaking of your personal files (any thing in the users folder), then no changes. Also note the Apple pplications could be touched also.

Tried applying the combined update it the problem still exists

anybody got any other ideas?

::edit::

Just run the latest version of cocktail and under the permissions tab it does'nt list the HDD :S

Just found this now on of all the places the apple support site (boy I feel stupid)

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25704

Don't suppose anybody could mail me a copy could they?