Comments on: I Shake My Fist at the Apple Store http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/ A blog with delusions of grandeur. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:04:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Andy http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-13075 Andy Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:58:30 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-13075 Taking your old hard drive to a large magnet before they replace it would solve your problems... Taking your old hard drive to a large magnet before they replace it would solve your problems…

]]> By: leigh http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12505 leigh Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:41:21 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12505 matt - that situation sucks. especially since you've had identity theft issues in the past. thanks for the head's up though - maybe it's time to get some of my important passwords/bank account info off my laptop and onto a piece of paper which i hide between the mattresses. matt - that situation sucks. especially since you’ve had identity theft issues in the past. thanks for the head’s up though - maybe it’s time to get some of my important passwords/bank account info off my laptop and onto a piece of paper which i hide between the mattresses.

]]> By: matt http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12310 matt Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:32:09 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12310 As far as I can tell, the drive wouldn't mount in both senses: the Finder wouldn't show it on the desktop, and Apple's Disk Utility couldn't see the drive. While at the Apple store, I didn't think to fire up Terminal to see if I could <code>mount</code> the filesystem, but I'd be surprised if that'd worked. No idea what DiskWarrior was doing, but based on the errors it was spitting out, the drive seemed pretty unhappy. Anyway. Point is: drive is hosed from a standard user perspective, but the data is not inaccessible, which brings me back to being paranoid. As far as I can tell, the drive wouldn’t mount in both senses: the Finder wouldn’t show it on the desktop, and Apple’s Disk Utility couldn’t see the drive. While at the Apple store, I didn’t think to fire up Terminal to see if I could mount the filesystem, but I’d be surprised if that’d worked. No idea what DiskWarrior was doing, but based on the errors it was spitting out, the drive seemed pretty unhappy.

Anyway. Point is: drive is hosed from a standard user perspective, but the data is not inaccessible, which brings me back to being paranoid.

]]> By: JC http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12300 JC Sat, 13 Oct 2007 01:51:47 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12300 > In the sense we use it in data recovery actually, that's more just the generic "UNIX sense" moreso than anything Data Recovery specific. > In the sense we use it in data recovery

actually, that’s more just the generic “UNIX sense” moreso than anything Data Recovery specific.

]]> By: JC http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12299 JC Sat, 13 Oct 2007 01:51:01 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12299 If that's the case, that's a different story all together, then, but that's not how your initial post sounds. It's all good, otherwise. We might be talking about different terms when we talk about "mounting" then ... it's actually possible for a drive to "mount" without it showing up on the desktop, a fact on which DiskWarrior usually relies. In the sense we use it in data recovery, we take it to mean that the device is seen by the OS and attaches to some point in the filesystem. The Finder, for better or worse, does things to the mountpoint that aren't strictly necessary; at that point (which is fairly common), a drive can mount, and still not be seen in the Finder. If that’s the case, that’s a different story all together, then, but that’s not how your initial post sounds. It’s all good, otherwise.

We might be talking about different terms when we talk about “mounting” then … it’s actually possible for a drive to “mount” without it showing up on the desktop, a fact on which DiskWarrior usually relies. In the sense we use it in data recovery, we take it to mean that the device is seen by the OS and attaches to some point in the filesystem. The Finder, for better or worse, does things to the mountpoint that aren’t strictly necessary; at that point (which is fairly common), a drive can mount, and still not be seen in the Finder.

]]> By: matt http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12287 matt Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:54:09 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12287 I'm not twittering! Nor am I being pedantic. You just don't have the whole story but are weirdly angry about it. (I'll admit I could have been clearer in the post.) I <em>was</em> able to access the drive with DiskWarrior, and to easily copy files off of it to an external FireWire drive. The only thing DiskWarrior couldn't do (this second time) was repair the errors and get the drive to mount again. Fact is, the drive was and is in a state that a $99 piece of software can recover, and I stand firmly by my assertion that “if it won’t mount, it’s pretty much gone” is just not true. Not mounting puts the drive out of reach of the OS, but not of even minimally sophisticated tools like the $99 DiskWarrior. (Let me just once again plug the total awesomeness of DiskWarrior.) I’m not twittering! Nor am I being pedantic. You just don’t have the whole story but are weirdly angry about it. (I’ll admit I could have been clearer in the post.)

I was able to access the drive with DiskWarrior, and to easily copy files off of it to an external FireWire drive. The only thing DiskWarrior couldn’t do (this second time) was repair the errors and get the drive to mount again.

Fact is, the drive was and is in a state that a $99 piece of software can recover, and I stand firmly by my assertion that “if it won’t mount, it’s pretty much gone” is just not true. Not mounting puts the drive out of reach of the OS, but not of even minimally sophisticated tools like the $99 DiskWarrior.

(Let me just once again plug the total awesomeness of DiskWarrior.)

]]> By: JC http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12254 JC Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:52:11 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12254 Don't be pedantic. When you went in the second time, DiskWarrior was no longer seeing the drive, and that's the incident you're twittering about here. When you handed them your drive, it was not in a state that a $99 piece of software could have recovered it. Don’t be pedantic. When you went in the second time, DiskWarrior was no longer seeing the drive, and that’s the incident you’re twittering about here. When you handed them your drive, it was not in a state that a $99 piece of software could have recovered it.

]]> By: matt http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12239 matt Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:08:35 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12239 Sure, except: I, who am not a former Mac Genius, nor the owner of a data recovery company, was able to get the data off the drive using $99 software that I bought at the Apple Store. The barrier to mischief is really quite low here. "If it won’t mount, it’s pretty much gone" is just not true. Sure, except: I, who am not a former Mac Genius, nor the owner of a data recovery company, was able to get the data off the drive using $99 software that I bought at the Apple Store. The barrier to mischief is really quite low here.

“If it won’t mount, it’s pretty much gone” is just not true.

]]> By: JC http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12231 JC Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:32:57 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12231 I say this as a former Mac Genius, and as the current owner of a Data Recovery company: They're not really "in possession of your data"; they're in possession of a device that once held your data. If it won't mount, it's pretty much gone. If the Geniuses or anyone else in the supply chain feels like spending $1000+ on your drive, there's a chance that _maybe_ they could get at it, but ... well, even when I was a Genius, and in a position to do something dastardly like that, I wouldn't have had the cash to blow on the off chance it worked, nor would I have had the time to pursue the matter. And Apple sure as hell doesn't have the equipment on hand at either the Store or their warehouses/disposal facilities.... I say this as a former Mac Genius, and as the current owner of a Data Recovery company: They’re not really “in possession of your data”; they’re in possession of a device that once held your data.

If it won’t mount, it’s pretty much gone. If the Geniuses or anyone else in the supply chain feels like spending $1000+ on your drive, there’s a chance that _maybe_ they could get at it, but … well, even when I was a Genius, and in a position to do something dastardly like that, I wouldn’t have had the cash to blow on the off chance it worked, nor would I have had the time to pursue the matter. And Apple sure as hell doesn’t have the equipment on hand at either the Store or their warehouses/disposal facilities….

]]> By: matt http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12181 matt Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:45:05 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12181 Hey, look! It's Captain Reading Comprehension! My data is all backed up, thanks. My complaint isn't that my data is lost; it isn't! It's all right here, safe at home! My complaint is that Apple technicians are now (also) in possession of my data. Hey, look! It’s Captain Reading Comprehension!

My data is all backed up, thanks. My complaint isn’t that my data is lost; it isn’t! It’s all right here, safe at home! My complaint is that Apple technicians are now (also) in possession of my data.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12178 Anonymous Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:30:32 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-12178 Hmmm…Whatever happened to, you know…BACKING UP your stuff so this wouldn't be an issue in the first place??? Hmmm…Whatever happened to, you know…BACKING UP your stuff so this wouldn’t be an issue in the first place???

]]> By: matt http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-11993 matt Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:04:30 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-11993 LB: I think I would have needed to open the laptop case up in a warranty-voiding way. But I was sorely tempted. The Consumerist seems to suggest that I put a hold on the order, ask them to take the drive out and give it to me. Then I can try to wipe the drive and give it back to them in exchange for the new one. Seems like a pain in the ass. LB: I think I would have needed to open the laptop case up in a warranty-voiding way. But I was sorely tempted.

The Consumerist seems to suggest that I put a hold on the order, ask them to take the drive out and give it to me. Then I can try to wipe the drive and give it back to them in exchange for the new one. Seems like a pain in the ass.

]]> By: ac http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-11984 ac Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:33:25 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-11984 You are not the first person to run into this problem. http://consumerist.com/consumer/apple/apple-no-you-cant-have-your-data-back-were-keeping-it-249967.php You are not the first person to run into this problem. http://consumerist.com/consumer/apple/apple-no-you-cant-have-your-data-back-were-keeping-it-249967.php

]]> By: LizardBreath http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-11964 LizardBreath Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:56:43 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-11964 I'm way, way untechy, and this is annoying as it's 'what you could have done' rather than anything that will help now. But could you have found someway of getting your old hard-drive in a strong enough magnetic field to scramble it, before turning it in? (I don't even know if that would work, or what you'd need magnet-wise.) I’m way, way untechy, and this is annoying as it’s ‘what you could have done’ rather than anything that will help now. But could you have found someway of getting your old hard-drive in a strong enough magnetic field to scramble it, before turning it in? (I don’t even know if that would work, or what you’d need magnet-wise.)

]]> By: Rachel http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-11941 Rachel Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:41:50 +0000 http://www.unlikelywords.com/2007/10/11/i-shake-my-fist-at-the-apple-store/#comment-11941 Come on, honey, you're being oversensitive. It's not like identity theft is some kind of epidemic plaguing the country and that any of your information has ever been compromised and used for nefarious purposes before...oh, wait. Come on, honey, you’re being oversensitive. It’s not like identity theft is some kind of epidemic plaguing the country and that any of your information has ever been compromised and used for nefarious purposes before…oh, wait.

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