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Snow Leopard Bug Responsible for Loss of User Data Gaining Notice
- Thread starter fpbecker
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Oh for Pete's sake...A "crash" is not a single definition.
Yes, I've had drives that click and whir and make all sorts of noises and YES...I say YES...I was able to recover the data. Why? Well, in my particular case in such said crash definition, my drive was not 100% full. The "failed" piece(s) of the drive was not where my data resided. I connected the drive as a slave (back in the day of IDE) and was able to copy my data off it. I was lucky.
Yes, I've also seen users' drives that are totally gone. Sure, I could have pointed my customer to a restoration company and paid $795 for the drive to be pulled apart and ATTEMPTED to get back files/folders (much like how the Feds will try to recover deleted/destroyed files)...but that was unrealistically expensive...there was no value.
The point is that there is no single definition of a "backup"...nor of a "crash".
99% of the average to above average computer users who use their computer for non-work activities (ie: not a home business or work for an employer) do not back up their machines mainly because the risk is presumed low...low risk of a problem and low risk that the problem is serious...and low risk that the problem is irreversible. Add to that that all users come to terms with "what they can afford to lose"...can they afford to lose some pix? Maybe...maybe they are already on Shutterfly...or emailed to friends/family. Can they afford to lose email?...in this day and age of most people having at least an online Google or Yahoo account I would say they have no worries of losing the emails. More "Can they afford to lose ______" questions can be asked and are asked by the average user....and since most users are not buying and using backup programs (either included in an OS or $25 for your favorite off-the-shelf) then we must assume they, for whatever reason, are purposely CHOOSING NOT to back up.
As someone mentioned before I and re-stated earlier, the backup software solutions are cheap (free-$50 in the PC world) and very easy to use and also offer a wide range of "backup" solutions. But people still do not back up. Everyone knows they should back up...just like they should keep their tax records (and copies of them) for 10 years...and should keep copies of all their critical life paperwork in a fireproof box or bank's safety deposit box...and should read the 38 page user manual with that new dvd player before setting it up.
It's all in presumed risk.
-Eric
Its too bad that SL is turning out to be the new Vista... However, I have to say that personally I have had only minor problems with SL. That said this might have been potential disaster for me since I have quest account enabled due to Orbicule Undercover installation. Anyway, its strange that "tuning" upgrade like SL is turning out to be one with full of critical bugs.
First the Java crap, then SATA problems, Printer drivers and now to top it off, data loss? Data loss on a Mac? Seriously... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Apple?! 
How about focusing a little less on the "mega-ossom video" features of the iPhone/iNano for a while and get the Mac side of things working perfectly again for a change?
Ever since the iPhone appeared Mac got more or less shelved. Good thing it's October...
How about focusing a little less on the "mega-ossom video" features of the iPhone/iNano for a while and get the Mac side of things working perfectly again for a change?
Ever since the iPhone appeared Mac got more or less shelved. Good thing it's October...
The bug has been reported at PC World. Mr. Windows Box is finally able to laugh at Mr. Mac!
http://www.pcworld.com/article/173497/snow_leopard_bug_deletes_all_user_data.html
This is probably why Apple has been hesitant to pre-install 10.6. This is also why I have a policy against installing software updates and new versions of operating systems. Some people suggest always doing a "clean" install whenever Apple or Microsoft decide that the point-updates are over and it's time to pay up for a new DVD installation disc. The problem is that I would lose all of my user preferences, hardware calibrations, software preferences, drivers, and anything else that was on the hard drive before it was reformatted. Then there is the additional risk of unknown incompatibilities and ruining a good system only to get some new "features" that are useless to the job. If it ain't broke... don't install that software update!
http://www.pcworld.com/article/173497/snow_leopard_bug_deletes_all_user_data.html
This is probably why Apple has been hesitant to pre-install 10.6. This is also why I have a policy against installing software updates and new versions of operating systems. Some people suggest always doing a "clean" install whenever Apple or Microsoft decide that the point-updates are over and it's time to pay up for a new DVD installation disc. The problem is that I would lose all of my user preferences, hardware calibrations, software preferences, drivers, and anything else that was on the hard drive before it was reformatted. Then there is the additional risk of unknown incompatibilities and ruining a good system only to get some new "features" that are useless to the job. If it ain't broke... don't install that software update!
Snow Leopard is the new Vista? ~ Thaaaaaaat's a really big stretch... Time to put down the crack pipe...
Wow another bug which... doesn't affect either of my computers.
Whats new?
Computers in sig, one even with a64 bit kernel forced and 10.6.2 all working perfectly here.
10.6 isn't a the new vista, because Vista was a pile of ****. Thankfully my friends are taking advantage of the student W7 deals and im upgrading them one by one.
Whats new?
Computers in sig, one even with a64 bit kernel forced and 10.6.2 all working perfectly here.
10.6 isn't a the new vista, because Vista was a pile of ****. Thankfully my friends are taking advantage of the student W7 deals and im upgrading them one by one.
Snow Leopard is the new Vista? ~ Thaaaaaaat's a really big stretch... Time to put down the crack pipe...
While it might not be the new Vista yet it seems to have a good track record of becoming one, this far...
Especially since Apple seems to give Mac and OS X little attention these days in favour of the iPhone and what not.
Snow Leopard is the new Vista? ~ Thaaaaaaat's a really big stretch... Time to put down the crack pipe...
Maybe a little, but Snow Leopard's poor quality is really unbecoming of a company like Apple.
Time to put the pom poms down.
I remember alot of driver issues but what was the worst bug in Vista? This is really bad I don't remember Vista deleting files.
Maybe a little, but Snow Leopard's poor quality is really unbecoming of a company like Apple.
Time to put the pom poms down.
They can't, the captain super glued them to their hands.
Oh! No! Snow Leopard Bug Just Bit Me!!!!
Not sure what just happened. There I was, sitting at my desk savoring life in 10.5.8 a happy MAC user. I decided to take the plunge and UPGRADE to 10.6 Snow Leopard. I inserted the upgrade disk into my Mac Mini drive. The install GUI came up. Yes, Yes, No, Remind me later, then I pushed ENTER... and THAT's when it happened. THE WHOLE FREAKING THING JUST DISAPPEARED! THE WHOLE THING! GONE! It was right there! Can I reinstall from Time Machine??!!
Not sure what just happened. There I was, sitting at my desk savoring life in 10.5.8 a happy MAC user. I decided to take the plunge and UPGRADE to 10.6 Snow Leopard. I inserted the upgrade disk into my Mac Mini drive. The install GUI came up. Yes, Yes, No, Remind me later, then I pushed ENTER... and THAT's when it happened. THE WHOLE FREAKING THING JUST DISAPPEARED! THE WHOLE THING! GONE! It was right there! Can I reinstall from Time Machine??!!
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Call me a troll if you will, but I just experienced this problem two days ago and wasted whole day recovering data from Time Machine backup, reimporting music to iTunes due to broken links, etc.
I've never had any problems with Mac in my 11 years of being a Mac user, but this bug struck me out of nowhere and really shook up my faith in Apple today. I've made a post at discussion forum and send Apple bug complaint about this, but that doesn't recover the time and energy wasted in repairing the damage SL has caused me. Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry.
By the way, my Genius friend warned me to avoid using Time Capsule for backups for there's no way to recover data from it when its power system goes out as you could with normal hard disks. Whatever happened to quality control.
I've never had any problems with Mac in my 11 years of being a Mac user, but this bug struck me out of nowhere and really shook up my faith in Apple today. I've made a post at discussion forum and send Apple bug complaint about this, but that doesn't recover the time and energy wasted in repairing the damage SL has caused me. Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry.
By the way, my Genius friend warned me to avoid using Time Capsule for backups for there's no way to recover data from it when its power system goes out as you could with normal hard disks. Whatever happened to quality control.
Call me a troll if you will, but I just experienced this problem two days ago and wasted whole day recovering data from Time Machine backup, reimporting music to iTunes due to broken links, etc.
I've never had any problems with Mac in my 11 years of being a Mac user, but this bug struck me out of nowhere and really shook up my faith in Apple today. I've made a post at discussion forum and send Apple bug complaint about this, but that doesn't recover the time and energy wasted in repairing the damage SL has caused me. Guess I'll hang my tears out to dry.
By the way, my Genius friend warned me to avoid using Time Capsule for backups for there's no way to recover data from it when its power system goes out as you could with normal hard disks. Whatever happened to quality control.
This is why I dont change until the OS or program has had at least half a years worth of updates, If I have a choice. (Excluding Adobe products and Linux Software)
lol
But seriously, I understand that for the people where it happend it is a pain, but overall SL is a great system not in anyway comparible to vista. And anyway, it can be fixed with a back-up. If you don't have a back-up well you have been asking for it...
Fewer than 100 Snow Leopard users have reported experiencing data loss. During its launch weekend Apple sold 2 million copies of SL. The bug is extremely rare, and it's still undetermined as to whether files are actually erased or just moved.
It's embarrassing for Apple, but even a critical bug on SL seems to be rather elusive and for most users, impossible to replicate. No wonder Apple's been downplaying it. A fix is on the way, anyway.
Those stats would be great if it was only 100 users. There is a huge difference between quoting sales numbers and the number of users that ACTUALLY complain about an event.
The site I look after at work has about 1/2 million unique viewers each day, when it went down for 2 hours we had 2 emails of people who actually bothered. I'd have to be a master PR magician to connivence our board that 2 people were effected.
Short story, Stats are BS. From my experience from Apple, if they actually acknowledge an issue.... its big!
First the Java crap, then SATA problems, Printer drivers and now to top it off, data loss? Data loss on a Mac? Seriously... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Apple?!
People seem to have very short memories on this thread. It's not like 10.5 didn't have its share of earth-moving bugs which included data loss and partitioning problems, which also resulted in lost ones and zeros.
They'll sort it out by 10.6.5 probably, which does nothing to justify Apple's stunning incompetence in both instances. Still, I'm not prepared to call "Vista" on SL just yet.