Peter, Here ya go...
Steps for using Disk Utility (it's on Disk 1):
1. Insert your Mac OS X CD-ROM disc or Restore DVD disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. Once started up from CD or DVD, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu.
Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from disc to access Disk Utility.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
5. Select your Mac OS X volume, if necessary.
6. Click Repair Disk Permissions or Repair Disk. You may need to relaunch Disk utilities between these steps should you do them both.
Or, go to Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility and launch Repair Permissions from there. IMNHO, this is the preferable method, though not everyone agrees. Repairing Permisiions can be done from the resident volume, but Repair Disk must be accomplished from a different (start up) volume.
Harv