diff --git a/blog/edit.php b/blog/edit.php
index 033018d0a45..37cfb3e17bc 100755
--- a/blog/edit.php
+++ b/blog/edit.php
@@ -155,10 +155,6 @@ function do_delete($post) {
     tag_set('post', $post->id, array());
     
     add_to_log(SITEID, 'blog', 'delete', 'index.php?userid='. $post->userid, 'deleted blog entry with entry id# '. $post->id);
-
-    if (!$status) {
-        print_error('deleteposterror', 'blog', $returnurl);
-    }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -173,23 +169,18 @@ function do_add($post, $blogeditform) {
     $post->created      = time();
 
     // Insert the new blog entry.
-    if ($post->id = $DB->insert_record('post', $post)) {
-        // Add blog attachment
-        if ($blogeditform->get_new_filename('attachment')) {
-            if ($blogeditform->save_stored_file('attachment', SYSCONTEXTID, 'blog', $post->id, '/', false, $USER->id)) {
-                $DB->set_field("post", "attachment", 1, array("id"=>$post->id));
-            }
+    $post->id = $DB->insert_record('post', $post);
+    // Add blog attachment
+    if ($blogeditform->get_new_filename('attachment')) {
+        if ($blogeditform->save_stored_file('attachment', SYSCONTEXTID, 'blog', $post->id, '/', false, $USER->id)) {
+            $DB->set_field("post", "attachment", 1, array("id"=>$post->id));
         }
-
-        // Update tags.
-        tag_set('post', $post->id, $post->tags);
-
-        add_to_log(SITEID, 'blog', 'add', 'index.php?userid='.$post->userid.'&postid='.$post->id, $post->subject);
-
-    } else {
-        print_error('deleteposterror', 'blog', $returnurl);
     }
 
+    // Update tags.
+    tag_set('post', $post->id, $post->tags);
+
+    add_to_log(SITEID, 'blog', 'add', 'index.php?userid='.$post->userid.'&postid='.$post->id, $post->subject);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -212,14 +203,10 @@ function do_edit($post, $blogeditform) {
     }
 
     // Update record
-    if ($DB->update_record('post', $post)) {
-        tag_set('post', $post->id, $post->tags);
+    $DB->update_record('post', $post);
+    tag_set('post', $post->id, $post->tags);
 
-        add_to_log(SITEID, 'blog', 'update', 'index.php?userid='.$USER->id.'&postid='.$post->id, $post->subject);
-
-    } else {
-        print_error('deleteposterror', 'blog', $returnurl);
-    }
+    add_to_log(SITEID, 'blog', 'update', 'index.php?userid='.$USER->id.'&postid='.$post->id, $post->subject);
 }
 
 ?>
diff --git a/lang/en_utf8/blog.php b/lang/en_utf8/blog.php
index 2e0a2fb17dd..2dcec8721bf 100755
--- a/lang/en_utf8/blog.php
+++ b/lang/en_utf8/blog.php
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ $string['courseblogdisable'] = 'Course blogs is not enabled';
 $string['courseblogs'] = 'Users can only see blogs for people who share a course';
 $string['donothaveblog'] = 'You do not have your own blog, sorry.';
 $string['deleteotagswarn'] = 'Are you sure you want to remove this / these tags <br />from all blog posts and remove it from the system?';
-$string['deleteposterror'] = 'Error occured while deleting post';
 $string['disableblogs'] = 'Disable blog system completely';
 $string['emptybody'] = 'Blog entry body can not be empty';
 $string['emptytitle'] = 'Blog entry title can not be empty';
diff --git a/lang/en_utf8/error.php b/lang/en_utf8/error.php
index 1a1a58730ad..f65bb482a12 100644
--- a/lang/en_utf8/error.php
+++ b/lang/en_utf8/error.php
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ $string['cannotcreatelangbase'] = 'Error: Could not create base lang directory';
 $string['cannotcreatetempdir'] = 'Cannot create temp directory';
 $string['cannotcreatesitedir'] = 'Cannot create site folder. The site administrator needs to fix the file permissions.';
 $string['cannotcreateuploaddir'] = 'Cannot create upload folder. The site administrator needs to fix the file permissions.';
-$string['cannotcreateuser'] = 'Error creating user record';
 $string['cannotcreateorfindstructs'] = 'Error finding or creating section structures for this course';
 $string['cannotcreatepopupwin'] = 'Undefined element - cannot create pop-up window';
 $string['cannotcustomisefiltersblockuser'] = 'You cannot customise filters settings in user or block contexts.';
diff --git a/lib/grade/grade_object.php b/lib/grade/grade_object.php
index 1caf043fcb5..7fde11cff40 100644
--- a/lib/grade/grade_object.php
+++ b/lib/grade/grade_object.php
@@ -203,9 +203,7 @@ abstract class grade_object {
 
         $data = $this->get_record_data();
 
-        if (!$DB->update_record($this->table, $data)) {
-            return false;
-        }
+        $DB->update_record($this->table, $data);
 
         if (empty($CFG->disablegradehistory)) {
             unset($data->timecreated);
@@ -290,10 +288,7 @@ abstract class grade_object {
 
         $data = $this->get_record_data();
 
-        if (!$this->id = $DB->insert_record($this->table, $data)) {
-            debugging("Could not insert object into db");
-            return false;
-        }
+        $this->id = $DB->insert_record($this->table, $data);
 
         // set all object properties from real db data
         $this->update_from_db();
diff --git a/lib/grade/grade_outcome.php b/lib/grade/grade_outcome.php
index 0e55c9fb269..c6648f6a24c 100644
--- a/lib/grade/grade_outcome.php
+++ b/lib/grade/grade_outcome.php
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ class grade_outcome extends grade_object {
             $goc = new object();
             $goc->courseid  = $courseid;
             $goc->outcomeid = $this->id;
-            return (bool)$DB->insert_record('grade_outcomes_courses', $goc);
+            $DB->insert_record('grade_outcomes_courses', $goc);
         }
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/mod/glossary/lib.php b/mod/glossary/lib.php
index d9293921832..255803ded92 100644
--- a/mod/glossary/lib.php
+++ b/mod/glossary/lib.php
@@ -79,10 +79,9 @@ function glossary_add_instance($glossary) {
         print_error('unknowformat', '', '', $glossary->displayformat);
     }
 
-    if ($returnid = $DB->insert_record("glossary", $glossary)) {
-        $glossary->id = $returnid;
-        glossary_grade_item_update($glossary);
-    }
+    $returnid = $DB->insert_record("glossary", $glossary);
+    $glossary->id = $returnid;
+    glossary_grade_item_update($glossary);
 
     return $returnid;
 }
@@ -127,12 +126,11 @@ function glossary_update_instance($glossary) {
         print_error('unknowformat', '', '', $glossary->displayformat);
     }
 
-    if ($return = $DB->update_record("glossary", $glossary)) {
-        if ($glossary->defaultapproval) {
-            $DB->execute("UPDATE {glossary_entries} SET approved = 1 where approved <> 1 and glossaryid = ?", array($glossary->id));
-        }
-        glossary_grade_item_update($glossary);
+    $return = $DB->update_record("glossary", $glossary);
+    if ($glossary->defaultapproval) {
+        $DB->execute("UPDATE {glossary_entries} SET approved = 1 where approved <> 1 and glossaryid = ?", array($glossary->id));
     }
+    glossary_grade_item_update($glossary);
 
     return $return;
 }
diff --git a/user/editadvanced.php b/user/editadvanced.php
index dc254f74e41..4b754650333 100644
--- a/user/editadvanced.php
+++ b/user/editadvanced.php
@@ -97,15 +97,11 @@
             $usernew->mnethostid = $CFG->mnet_localhost_id; // always local user
             $usernew->confirmed  = 1;
             $usernew->password = hash_internal_user_password($usernew->newpassword);
-            if (!$usernew->id = $DB->insert_record('user', $usernew)) {
-                print_error('cannotcreateuser');
-            }
+            $usernew->id = $DB->insert_record('user', $usernew);
             $usercreated = true;
             
         } else {
-            if (!$DB->update_record('user', $usernew)) {
-                print_error('cannotupdateuser', 'message');
-            }
+            $DB->update_record('user', $usernew);
             // pass a true $userold here
             if (! $authplugin->user_update($user, $userform->get_data())) {
                 // auth update failed, rollback for moodle
diff --git a/user/emailupdate.php b/user/emailupdate.php
index 76dcd02483c..ec836af78ce 100755
--- a/user/emailupdate.php
+++ b/user/emailupdate.php
@@ -36,15 +36,12 @@ if (empty($preferences['newemailattemptsleft'])) {
         print_continue("$CFG->wwwroot/user/view.php?id=$user->id");
     } else {
         // update user email
-        if (!$DB->set_field('user', 'email', $user->email, array('id' => $user->id))) {
-            print_error('cannotupdateuser');
-        } else {
-            events_trigger('user_updated', $user);
-            $a->email = $user->email;
-            $stremailupdatesuccess = get_string('auth_emailupdatesuccess', 'auth', $a);
-            print_box($stremailupdatesuccess, 'center');
-            print_continue("$CFG->wwwroot/user/view.php?id=$user->id");
-        }
+        $DB->set_field('user', 'email', $user->email, array('id' => $user->id));
+        events_trigger('user_updated', $user);
+        $a->email = $user->email;
+        $stremailupdatesuccess = get_string('auth_emailupdatesuccess', 'auth', $a);
+        print_box($stremailupdatesuccess, 'center');
+        print_continue("$CFG->wwwroot/user/view.php?id=$user->id");
     }
 
 } else {