HELP! Can repairing permissions kill internet access?
My mac won't connect to the internet anymore, and I can't figure out what to do!
Some background: I have broadband, coming into a iMac 433 (OSX 10.2.3). It surfs the net, no problem. My own mac (iMac 800 FP OSX 10.2.3) connects via airport. Up until yesterday it too connected to the net without any problem (has done so for over a year....).
However, yesterday I downloaded the latest version of SilverKeeper (as the old version every few weeks or so would give the error message "Silverkeeper has unexpectedly crashed"). On getting ready to install, I noticed that it recommended repairing permissions before completing the intall.
So I did (I can't remember the last time I repaired permissions - I've no idea what it achieves and my Mac works fine).
However now I can't surf the net. I get error messages about port 110.
I know airport is fine, as I can still connect to the other mac and copy files over. I know the other mac has internet sharing set to On. I've tried stopping the firewall on both machines. I don't think it's Safari as Mail won't work, nor will Opera or IE. I've rebooted.
I can't think of anything else to do - can one of you stars out there help?!
Cheers,
David
Some background: I have broadband, coming into a iMac 433 (OSX 10.2.3). It surfs the net, no problem. My own mac (iMac 800 FP OSX 10.2.3) connects via airport. Up until yesterday it too connected to the net without any problem (has done so for over a year....).
However, yesterday I downloaded the latest version of SilverKeeper (as the old version every few weeks or so would give the error message "Silverkeeper has unexpectedly crashed"). On getting ready to install, I noticed that it recommended repairing permissions before completing the intall.
So I did (I can't remember the last time I repaired permissions - I've no idea what it achieves and my Mac works fine).
However now I can't surf the net. I get error messages about port 110.
I know airport is fine, as I can still connect to the other mac and copy files over. I know the other mac has internet sharing set to On. I've tried stopping the firewall on both machines. I don't think it's Safari as Mail won't work, nor will Opera or IE. I've rebooted.
I can't think of anything else to do - can one of you stars out there help?!
Cheers,
David
Comments
Do I have to reinstall OSX?
David
I would hazard the guess that NO repairing permissions would not cause this issue, though in saying that you are without a connection.
When I read this earlier my initial thought was why 10.2.3? It seems to be a "life choice" as both machines are running on it.
Have you done any googling on port 110?
Originally posted by iMac David
My mac won't connect to the internet anymore, and I can't figure out what to do!
{snip}
However now I can't surf the net. I get error messages about port 110.
I know airport is fine, as I can still connect to the other mac and copy files over. I know the other mac has internet sharing set to On. I've tried stopping the firewall on both machines. I don't think it's Safari as Mail won't work, nor will Opera or IE. I've rebooted.
I can't think of anything else to do - can one of you stars out there help?!
Cheers,
David
Hi David!
I think I may be able to help a little. It is extremely doubtful that repairing permissions has damaged your ability to talk with the Internet. Unfortunately you worded your problem somewhat poorly, but I don't mean to criticize you. I only say this because a correctly worded problem gets answered more quickly. You specifically said, "My mac won't connect to the internet anymore." However, you later said, "I don't think it's Safari" indicating that Safari was running fine, but Mail, Opera, and IE are not running fine. Maybe it's just me, but perhaps those statements contradict each other. If Safari is working, then your computer is indeed connected to the Internet. Anyway, please don't take the above comments personal. I only mean to help.
Anyway, Port 110 refers to how your computer's email client connects to a POP3 server to download email from your ISP's email host, e.g. pop.earthlink.net. You will only get this message from an email program. Is this the only error message you get? Are you able to use Safari to go to web sites? If the only thing broken is Mail, then I recommend checking Mail's Preferences. Make sure the POP3 server name is correct. If it is wrong, then you'd get Port 110 error messages.
If there are any other error messages you get other than Port 110 messages, then it is important to tell us what those messages are. We need to know if your problem is locallized to just Mail, or every Internet program that attempts to connect to the Internet.
If my advice doesn't help, then please specify which applications do and do not work:
Safari: does work
Mail: does not work
Opera: does work
IE: does work
This would help us here on the forums to pinpoint your problem and tell you exactly how to fix it.
-Karrick
thanks for your comments - I agree wording is key, but sometimes what seems clear to one isn't to another. re Safari: I guess since I said I can't connect, and then said that IE, Opera and Mail don't either, I guess I took it as read that Safari didn't and all I was saying that it wasn't a Safari specific issue.
As such, I thought it was a problem at OS level, not application, since none of my browsers work, nor Mail.
As to my problem: two totally bizarre situations.
1. I re-ran repair permissions. and again immediately after. Each time it 'fixed' something. How can that be? Surely if I run repair, everything is OK, and if I run it again immediately afterwards it shouldn't find a problem?
2. My Mac fixed itself! After one week of refusing to surf or get mail, I was about to call the MAc helpline and it started surfing. I swear I didn't change any settings anywhere - not on my Mac and not on the other one. It just started.
Cheers,
David
Originally posted by iMac David
Hi Karrick,
thanks for your comments - I agree wording is key, but sometimes what seems clear to one isn't to another.
Sometimes it's difficult in help forums to guage another's computer capabilities. Based on your problem description I was all confused. Sorry...
As such, I thought it was a problem at OS level, not application, since none of my browsers work, nor Mail.
As to my problem: two totally bizarre situations.
1. I re-ran repair permissions. and again immediately after. Each time it 'fixed' something. How can that be? Surely if I run repair, everything is OK, and if I run it again immediately afterwards it shouldn't find a problem?
I have also experienced this phenominon of permission impervasiveness. I believe Apple may even have a Tech Note about it, but I cannot remember exactly. From what I remember, there may be files that you repair permissions on, but subsequently find incorrect again and again since the OS goes ahead and changes them behind your back in some obscure section of the OS. I wouldn't worry about it. The difference is usually quite benign in these rare circumstances when the OS flip flops the permisssions... Also, it's recommended to run repair permissions with the same minor version install disk. In other words use a Panther CD to repair a Panther Mac, but use a Jaguar CD to repair a Jaguar computer. This footnote is usually unnecessary, but I thought I'd pass it along.
2. My Mac fixed itself! After one week of refusing to surf or get mail, I was about to call the MAc helpline and it started surfing. I swear I didn't change any settings anywhere - not on my Mac and not on the other one. It just started.
That's great. I hope it doesn't come out of hybernation to haunt you again. Sorry again if my first words appeared critical in nature. I was just trying to determine if the problem was application specific, or impacted all Internet programs.
Karrick
Don't forget to turn your firewalls back on!