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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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12

Apple's Snow Leopard Devouring Data

Logging onto guest accounts can cause massive data loss

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(Newser) – A rare but extremely damaging bug is causing users of Apple's Snow Leopard operating system to lose huge amounts of data. Apple says it's working on a fix for the bug. The glitch wipes out personal data for users who have upgraded from Leopard to Snow Leopard and log on to their machines on a guest account. Users are advised to immediately back up all their data.

Only some 100 users have so far reported trouble with the bug, but it could threaten many more and is a major embarrassment for Apple, an IT expert tells Wired. Apple is downplaying the problem "to an asinine degree,” he said. “It’s actually pretty serious to the end-user, and Apple is likely working hard to get their legal department ready to respond to massive lawsuits.”

Snow Leopard.
Snow Leopard.   (©hildgrim)
"We are aware of the issue, which occurs only in extremely rare cases, and we are working on a fix," said an Apple representative.   (©somegeekintn)
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My home folder had been replaced with a ’straight out of the box’ home folder. Standard desktop, standard dock, nothing in my documents folder, standard library. My entire home folder is gone.
- A Snow Leopard user

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12 comments
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pitiful_pulp
Oct 14, 09 3:14 AM CDT
"massive lawsuits" ? how if they have already admitted to the bug. 100 reports in a month for a problem that could be fixed with one-click back-up Time Machine. MASSIVE LAWSUITS Apple fails! Reply
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Yourself
Oct 14, 09 10:25 AM CDT
not to mention, if you don't have the data to prove how much you've lost, then isn't it just heresay, and if you do have the data to prove it, then why should you be suing? just use that data to recover what was lost. This is so moronic it's not even funny. Though it does go to show just how lawyer happy people are these days.
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Rattydog
Oct 14, 09 4:25 AM CDT
As a Windows user we are used to this. Nothing new for us. Mac users welcome to our world. Reply
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+5
IN RESPONSE:
AClotfelter
Oct 14, 09 2:48 PM CDT
Really? When is the last time Windows deleted your home directory?
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+1
drlarrymitchell
Oct 14, 09 4:34 AM CDT
One should ALWAYS back-up important data, particularly when upgrading software. I'm not an Apple fan, but this article implies guilt when the situation is analogous to blaming the gas station attendant for your car crashing after you forgot to put the car's gear shift into Park. Reply
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