If you are using Snow Leopard and are NOT using Time Machine, I'm not sure what advice I could give.
People backed up their computers long before Time Machine existed. If you are not using Time Machine (which sucks in my opinion due to lack of options), you continue your regular backup routine.
It's a serious bug and I hope they can fix it quickly.
However I still think local data storage is superior to the cloud. Because as the last few days have demonstrated, when accidents happen in the cloud everyone's data can be effected, but when accidents happen locally it is just the local users.
Wasn't there also an issue with Panther (or maybe Jaguar) where it would involuntarily format your Firewire drive during OS installation?
Nope. Drives were never formatted by Panther or Tiger. The drives were fine, it was the outdated chipsets used by the vendors who made the external cases.
How often are people using this generic "Guest" account anyway? Data loss is a serious issue, but I don't think people use the "Guest" account on a daily basis to make this a huge problem.
Same reason why I don't use the Data Vault to secure my home folder. When that first arrived there was a bug that could make the data unaccessable after encryption. Once I read about that, I avoided that feature, and still do.
To add to the main topic, if the average user isn't smart enough to do a clean install, who's to say they'd even have an external drive, know about back ups or use time machine?
How about being smart enough to know that no such option actually exists?
Still, for allowing guests in your home to use your Mac, a non-admin account should suffice.
That is all I use if I have someone watching the house while I am away. I can also configure the non-admin account for internet use, iTunes, etc using the parental controls and not have to worry about anything (like data getting wiped out by some auto-deletion feature).
Reports of a potentially critical Snow Leopard bug that can erase a user's account data have continued to surface since the operating system's debut.
The issue has prompted numerous threads (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) on the Apple Support Discussions, with reports suggesting the issue cannot be reproduced with any exact certainty. Apple has yet to publicly acknowledge the issue.
There is an adage that says, that "perception is reality."
Perhaps this is not the case here. I have perused through the threads linked above, and by a quick account there are significantly more commentators attempting to replicate and/or help fix/guide the handful of unique users who have actually encountered the problem.
I find it is also interesting, that there are a number of commentators who keep repeatedly cropping up for other issues in the Apple Support Discussions.
Considering that nobody here has faced the issue with Snow Leopard, most of the action around the subject is just talk and much of that is 'helpful' attempts to fix the problem that nobody can really replicate.
Are you referring to main or guest accounts here? I thought admin privileges allow to install new apps. I'm interested in hearing about that added level of security.
I use a guest account and am in agreement with the guys about it's benefits. I'm a little anal about people using my computer anyway, so I'll just let them do what they need to on the guest account. Seeing what other people have google searched while on my macbook has gotten me into trouble just a few times
To add to the main topic, if the average user isn't smart enough to do a clean install, who's to say they'd even have an external drive, know about back ups or use time machine? I don't have an external hard drive (just backing data up onto my old PC and iDisk)...
When you run as an admin you can install/change apps without having to input an admin password. When you run as a normal user, you have to put in an admin username and password to alter certain folders and files. This is the added security I talk about.
I don?t agree that an OS disc that allows for an update in 2009 should be seen as a warning sign. That should work out of the box, especially with the simplistic Mac OS X hierarchy. You shouldn?t have to wipe your drive in order to update your OS. This isn?t an issue for Windows 7 and it hasn?t historically been an issue for Mac OS X.
No no no, Apple did it first! Remember the iTunes fiasco from a few years back?
Quote:
Originally Posted by LE Studios
No what Happened?
iTunes 2.0 installer had a bug, which was not widespread. If the name of the hard drive was renamed to begin with a space (rarely did anyone do that), the installer erased the hard drive. I think some did that so the hard drive would appear at the top of Mac OS 9 open and save dialog boxes. It was corrected with iTunes 2.0.4.
When you run as an admin you can install/change apps without having to input an admin password. When you run as a normal user, you have to put in an admin username and password to alter certain folders and files. This is the added security I talk about.
That depends. If the application installs with a drag-and-drop, no password will be required when logged into an admin account. However if an installer is run, then a password will always be required.
Quote:
I don?t agree that an OS disc that allows for an update in 2009 should be seen as a warning sign. That should work out of the box, especially with the simplistic Mac OS X hierarchy. You shouldn?t have to wipe your drive in order to update your OS. This isn?t an issue for Windows 7 and it hasn?t historically been an issue for Mac OS X.
Agreed. An upgrade is going to work 99.5% of the time. If something goes wrong with a standard upgrade, the next logical step is an Archive and Install. An Erase and Install is almost never necessary or advisable.
That depends. If the application installs with a drag-and-drop, no password will be required when logged into an admin account. However if an installer is run, then a password will always be required.
I just opened a terminal window with my admin level user account and tried creating files in various places. I can touch a file in /Applications and /Library but not /System. So the OS itself is protected against even admin level accounts
Edit: unless that account sudos, but that would need the password.
If you are using Snow Leopard and are NOT using Time Machine, I'm not sure what advice I could give.
you should not give any when your advice is as stupid as it can be. Almost like: have a badly designed macbook? you should have gotten a macbook pro...
this bug is almost as good as the ctrl + X fiasco some leopard ago.
Comments
If you are using Snow Leopard and are NOT using Time Machine, I'm not sure what advice I could give.
People backed up their computers long before Time Machine existed. If you are not using Time Machine (which sucks in my opinion due to lack of options), you continue your regular backup routine.
However I still think local data storage is superior to the cloud. Because as the last few days have demonstrated, when accidents happen in the cloud everyone's data can be effected, but when accidents happen locally it is just the local users.
Wasn't there also an issue with Panther (or maybe Jaguar) where it would involuntarily format your Firewire drive during OS installation?
Nope. Drives were never formatted by Panther or Tiger. The drives were fine, it was the outdated chipsets used by the vendors who made the external cases.
The Guest account deletes all files and history when it's logged off. This makes is convenient for places like libraries. A non admin account doesn't.
Ah, thanks. I thought there must be a reason. Still, for allowing guests in your home to use your Mac, a non-admin account should suffice.
Indeed. Assuming your Time Capsule hasn't reached its 18 month failure milestone.
Caution: urban myth in progress.
Same reason why I don't use the Data Vault to secure my home folder. When that first arrived there was a bug that could make the data unaccessable after encryption. Once I read about that, I avoided that feature, and still do.
To add to the main topic, if the average user isn't smart enough to do a clean install, who's to say they'd even have an external drive, know about back ups or use time machine?
How about being smart enough to know that no such option actually exists?
Still, for allowing guests in your home to use your Mac, a non-admin account should suffice.
That is all I use if I have someone watching the house while I am away. I can also configure the non-admin account for internet use, iTunes, etc using the parental controls and not have to worry about anything (like data getting wiped out by some auto-deletion feature).
Or Carbon Copy Cloner. That's what I use. Mighty fine it is too.
SuperDuper! is also a great program too.
Reports of a potentially critical Snow Leopard bug that can erase a user's account data have continued to surface since the operating system's debut.
The issue has prompted numerous threads (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) on the Apple Support Discussions, with reports suggesting the issue cannot be reproduced with any exact certainty. Apple has yet to publicly acknowledge the issue.
There is an adage that says, that "perception is reality."
Perhaps this is not the case here. I have perused through the threads linked above, and by a quick account there are significantly more commentators attempting to replicate and/or help fix/guide the handful of unique users who have actually encountered the problem.
I find it is also interesting, that there are a number of commentators who keep repeatedly cropping up for other issues in the Apple Support Discussions.
Considering that nobody here has faced the issue with Snow Leopard, most of the action around the subject is just talk and much of that is 'helpful' attempts to fix the problem that nobody can really replicate.
Are you referring to main or guest accounts here? I thought admin privileges allow to install new apps. I'm interested in hearing about that added level of security.
I use a guest account and am in agreement with the guys about it's benefits. I'm a little anal about people using my computer anyway, so I'll just let them do what they need to on the guest account. Seeing what other people have google searched while on my macbook has gotten me into trouble just a few times
To add to the main topic, if the average user isn't smart enough to do a clean install, who's to say they'd even have an external drive, know about back ups or use time machine? I don't have an external hard drive (just backing data up onto my old PC and iDisk)...
When you run as an admin you can install/change apps without having to input an admin password. When you run as a normal user, you have to put in an admin username and password to alter certain folders and files. This is the added security I talk about.
I don?t agree that an OS disc that allows for an update in 2009 should be seen as a warning sign. That should work out of the box, especially with the simplistic Mac OS X hierarchy. You shouldn?t have to wipe your drive in order to update your OS. This isn?t an issue for Windows 7 and it hasn?t historically been an issue for Mac OS X.
No no no, Apple did it first!
No what Happened?
iTunes 2.0 installer had a bug, which was not widespread. If the name of the hard drive was renamed to begin with a space (rarely did anyone do that), the installer erased the hard drive. I think some did that so the hard drive would appear at the top of Mac OS 9 open and save dialog boxes. It was corrected with iTunes 2.0.4.
When you run as an admin you can install/change apps without having to input an admin password. When you run as a normal user, you have to put in an admin username and password to alter certain folders and files. This is the added security I talk about.
That depends. If the application installs with a drag-and-drop, no password will be required when logged into an admin account. However if an installer is run, then a password will always be required.
I don?t agree that an OS disc that allows for an update in 2009 should be seen as a warning sign. That should work out of the box, especially with the simplistic Mac OS X hierarchy. You shouldn?t have to wipe your drive in order to update your OS. This isn?t an issue for Windows 7 and it hasn?t historically been an issue for Mac OS X.
Agreed. An upgrade is going to work 99.5% of the time. If something goes wrong with a standard upgrade, the next logical step is an Archive and Install. An Erase and Install is almost never necessary or advisable.
.... APPLE IS DOOMED
I would recommend trademarking the phrase!
That depends. If the application installs with a drag-and-drop, no password will be required when logged into an admin account. However if an installer is run, then a password will always be required.
I just opened a terminal window with my admin level user account and tried creating files in various places. I can touch a file in /Applications and /Library but not /System. So the OS itself is protected against even admin level accounts
Edit: unless that account sudos, but that would need the password.
I would recommend trademarking the phrase!
Come on. Like I haven't tried!
Or Carbon Copy Cloner. That's what I use. Mighty fine it is too.
Super Duper works well too. Been using it for years with great results.
If you are using Snow Leopard and are NOT using Time Machine, I'm not sure what advice I could give.
you should not give any when your advice is as stupid as it can be. Almost like: have a badly designed macbook? you should have gotten a macbook pro...
this bug is almost as good as the ctrl + X fiasco some leopard ago.
I would recommend trademarking the phrase!
Or have it tattooed on my arm
Use Time Machine? That might be good advice.
Or SuperDuper! if you don't want to wait around before you can actually get back to work.
Scary stuff !!
Leopards and Tigers and Bears!
Oh My!