pool@milton.u.washington.edu (Jonathan Pool) (07/05/90)
Central Point Software's new MacTools Deluxe contains a Backup program that has a bug that could cause you to lose data. The program lets you save lists of folders to be backed up, in files called "setups". The setups, when opened, are intended to cause the folders to be selected automatically. The trouble is, THE CORRECT FOLDERS ARE NOT NECESSARILY SELECTED. What is actually selected is, for each folder that was originally marked, the FIRST folder in the volume's directory tree with the same name. And, in that folder, only the files (if any) with the same names as the files that were in the originally selected folder. Suppose you have 2 folders called "Chem 101" and "Chem 102", and in each of these you have 2 more folders called "Tests" and "Grades". Suppose you select "Chem 102" and its subsidiary folders (using Shift-Click) and save this selection in a "setup". When you try to back up your Chem 102 files by opening that setup, you will actually be backing up only Chem 101 files, specifically any files in Chem 101/Tests that have the same names as files in Chem 102/Tests, and similarly for /Grades. If you were to fail to notice that the wrong folders had been selected, and you deleted the Chem 102 files from your volume in reliance on the backup files as an archive, you would permanently lose your Chem 102 files. CPS says neither in-house testing nor extensive beta-testing discovered this bug. CPS says it has now reproduced the bug and says it will explore with the 3rd-party developer of this product what to do. I have not received yet any promise that the bug will be fixed or that purchasers of the product will be notified of the bug by CPS. I intend, personally, to inform CPS (if it comes to that) that this bug violates the product warranty (which, to CPS's credit, actually promises that the software will work) and I want it fixed under the warranty. If other owners of the product do the same, it can only help. CPS's customer assistance people seem sympathetic, knowledgeable, and somewhat frustrated with the support they don't always get from the back office.
nagel@wintermute.ics.uci.edu (Mark Nagel) (07/05/90)
pool@milton.u.washington.edu (Jonathan Pool) writes: >Central Point Software's new MacTools Deluxe contains a Backup program >that has a bug that could cause you to lose data. Waitasec -- go back a step. Has this actually been released? I ordered this some large number of months ago and haven't received anything yet... -- Mark Nagel UC Irvine Department of ICS +----------------------------------------+ ARPA: nagel@ics.uci.edu | Help! Somebody! I'm being repressed! | UUCP: ucbvax!ucivax!nagel +----------------------------------------+
pool@milton.u.washington.edu (Jonathan Pool) (07/05/90)
Yes, MacTools Deluxe has been released and (at least to me and a few other posters) shipped--of course, with a letter that says how much we should appreciate the extra testing they did during all that time we were waiting.
lars@spectrum.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen) (07/07/90)
pool@milton.u.washington.edu (Jonathan Pool) writes: >>Central Point Software's new MacTools Deluxe contains a Backup program >>that has a bug that could cause you to lose data. In article <26925193.2402@ics.uci.edu> nagel@wintermute.ics.uci.edu (Mark Nagel) writes: >Waitasec -- go back a step. Has this actually been released? I >ordered this some large number of months ago and haven't received >anything yet... I received my (free) upgrade kit a couple of days ago. Like you, I had more or less given up ... In the mean time, I bought DiskFit, and that's what I use for backup now. -- / Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer CMC Rockwell lars@CMC.COM
lars@spectrum.CMC.COM (Lars Poulsen) (07/10/90)
In article <1990Jul6.234710.11351@spectrum.CMC.COM> I (Lars Poulsen) wrote: >I received my (free) upgrade kit a couple of days ago. Like you, I had >more or less given up ... Today, Ronald Buttiglieri <ron_b@apollo.com> sent me: > Message-Id: <9007091048.AA20909@xuucp.ch.apollo.com> > Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Apollo Division; Chelmsford, MA > Lars, why did you say 'free'? I thought it was a $15 upgrade fee. Are they > waiving the fee due to the 4 month delay?? Do tell! I mailed in the $15 upgrade fee way back; when they got stuck in quality assurance, they refunded my $15 and apologized for having cashed the check before thay had shippable product, and promised a free copy of the product as a way to make amends. I thought that was very classy, but seemed a little suicidal. So yes, I got a free upgrade. In the mean time, as I said, I have bought Disk Express (the old version) and DiskFit, so I may not ever use MacTools. (Unless, of course, my hard disk dies ... touch wood!). -- / Lars Poulsen, SMTS Software Engineer CMC Rockwell lars@CMC.COM
twatson@pbs.org (Thom Watson) (07/14/90)
In article <26925193.2402@ics.uci.edu>, nagel@wintermute.ics.uci.edu (Mark Nagel) writes: [about Central Point Software's new MacTools Deluxe] > > Waitasec -- go back a step. Has this actually been released? I > ordered this some large number of months ago and haven't received > anything yet... I got my copy yesterday... only three days *after* I got a card from Central Point asking me to evaluate the copy I should have already received, and telling me they "hope [I've] already had the opportunity to experience the dozens of enhancements... packed into this new package." > -- > Mark Nagel > UC Irvine Department of ICS +----------------------------------------+ > ARPA: nagel@ics.uci.edu | Help! Somebody! I'm being repressed! | > UUCP: ucbvax!ucivax!nagel +----------------------------------------+ -- Thom Watson ================= \ ============================ twatson@pbs.org Public Broadcasting Service \ ...{uupsi,vrdhxq,csed-1,ida.org}!pbs!twatson 1320 Braddock Place /\ "What sane person could live in this Alexandria, VA 22314-1698 ==== / \ ==== world and not be crazy?" U.K. LeGuin