### Please describe the problem.

I have a git annex repo which cannot find the files with whereis, even though the files and contents are there. I have changed ownership of all the files. I am not sure, but I think that is when the problem was introduced. The current user that is invoking git annex owns and can access all files in the repository/annex)

Creating a new repository from scratch works just fine.


### What steps will reproduce the problem?

    # (in my current, somehow corrupt annex)
    $ echo hello > testfile
    $ git annex add testfile
    add testfile (checksum...) ok
    (Recording state in git...)
    $ git commit -am testfile
    [master 73ed120] testfile
     1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
     create mode 120000 testfile
    $ git annex whereis testfile
    whereis testfile (0 copies) failed
    git-annex: whereis: 1 failed
    
    
    # The contents exists though
    $ ls -l testfile
    lrwxrwxrwx 1 ftp ftp 176 May 13 09:43 testfile -> .git/annex/objects/P5/4q/SHA256-s6--5891b5b522d5df086d0ff0b110fbd9d21bb4fc7163af34d08286a2e846f6be03/SHA256-s6--5891b5b522d5df086d0ff0b110fbd9d21bb4fc7163af34d08286a2e846f6be03
    $ cat .git/annex/objects/P5/4q/SHA256-s6--5891b5b522d5df086d0ff0b110fbd9d21bb4fc7163af34d08286a2e846f6be03/SHA256-s6--5891b5b522d5df086d0ff0b110fbd9d21bb4fc7163af34d08286a2e846f6be03
    hello
    $ sha256sum testfile
    5891b5b522d5df086d0ff0b110fbd9d21bb4fc7163af34d08286a2e846f6be03  testfile


    # the file can be found when unlocking/locking
    $ git annex unlock testfile
    unlock testfile (copying...) ok
    $ git annex lock testfile
    lock testfile ok
    (Recording state in git...)

### What version of git-annex are you using? On what operating system?
I ran Debian squeeze, with git annex 3.20120629~bpo60+2 when the problem was introduced. I just upgraded to wheezy, but the same problem exists with 3.20120629 from wheezy.

I also manually installed 4.20130501 from unstable, which also showed the same problem.


### Please provide any additional information below.

I am not sure what information to supply, please provide pointers on what information might be useful.

> [[done]] per comment --[[Joey]]