Think your
Snow Leopard woes are finally over? Don't go logging into that Guest account, then. A flurry of reports have surfaced around the web explaining that even an accidental login to one's Guest account within
Snow Leopard could lead to mass deletion of all user files on the primary account, and when we say "mass deletion," we mean "
mass deletion." The problem goes something like this: if one clicks on the Guest account after upgrading their machine to OS X 10.6, and everything hangs, there's at least a decent chance that all of your data will be evaporated whenever you surf back over to the main profile.
Apple has yet to address the issue (at least publicly), but we'd probably recommend disabling Guest accounts on your rig(s) until all of this gets sorted. You know, unless you actually enjoy watching your data vanish.
[Via
Neowin]
posted Oct 12th 2009 11:05AM
Well, here's something to complain about.
yea, between this and Microsoft's sidekick screw up--these are two pretty bad issues for both companies.
Yeah, talk about not being "hackable", now you got to watch out for the leopard ravaging files. ROAR!!!
About time that Apple "borrows" a "feature" from Microsoft! lol. Seriously though, what a zune! Clean it up Apple!
This combined with failure of one's backup with their Time Capsule = complete failure for Apple. The guest account deletes users files? This didn't get caught when going through testing? Wow, tells you a lot right there.
I'm not saying this in a fanboish manerism, but I'm deeply amused that after years of claiming it "just works" and that Macs are problem free Apple is now having lots of problems now that they're more popular.
I'm a mac, and I delete everything you care about
I'm a PC - whoa wait... you did what?
Complain? No way. Apple is just taking my security seriously. I mean, if someone logs onto my Apple and they don't do it under an account I created, they're obviously a hacker. and hackers are bad. So Apple is being proactive- destroying all my data ensures it won't fall into the hands of a nefarious hacker-- even if that hacker is just my 7 year old cousin trying to log in to the guest account so he can check the news.
Not deleting your data is a $20 option.
October is "delete user data month", didn't you know?
WTF man. I've had zero problems with SL so far, but this is a pretty effing big problem.
Unfortunately details are scarce -- I can't even understand why this would theoretically happen. Maybe if the guest account does not exist, it tries to forcibly create the directory, but some variable somewhere still has the current users userID stored, and that gets used to forcibly create the dir over the existing one?
It doesn't seem clear from the article, but it appears that Time Machine data should still be safe. That said, I skipped Leopard so SL is my first experience with Time Machine -- I dig it, but I'm also slightly nervous about trusting my OS to perform the backup for me. Any user data deletion bug could just as easily affect your automated backups too. My system's full of drives, but perhaps I'll grab the biggest one I have laying around and use it for occasional manual rsync backups of my user data.
Had something of this sort been done by Microsoft Windows, this post by Engadget would have been different.
The way things are going the Mac Vs PC ads will be laughed at like the Mac Switch ads 3 years ago...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80IKfayPMz4
Here's a fix for those affected. Also to prevent this, disable the guest access and re-enable it in SL. Apparently it only affects those who upgraded from Leopard to SL.
How to restore Lost home folder after logging in as guest in Snow Leopard
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10356505-263.html
in soviet russia, apple deletes you!
holy crap...that actually works for once!!! thank you yakov smirnoff
"Had something of this sort been done by Microsoft Windows, this post by Engadget would have been different."
Well yeah, because for all the many, many, many flaws of Windows and Windows fans...there is no assumption that Windows is a perfect product, bringing metaphorical heavenly gifts to the true believers. It's human nature to delight when arrogance is brought low. Don't tell me you didn't giggle a bit in your fanboy heart when that BSOD happened on a live demo of Windows with Gates in attendance.
But here's the icing on the cake: The article wouldn't exist anyway because the guest account on windows 7, Vista, or XP doesn't delete your data.
A fix from another site... I thought it might be handy
1) su in terminal
2) mv username username.old
3) create account username
4) mv username username.new
5) mv usermane.old username
6) chown -R username username
And people said VIsta was bad........wel it was.
btw i cant wait to see the apple fanboys saying how good it is.
"i like loosing my files. better than windows. blah blah blah blah"
I got 6 accounts on my rig. no problem here. Been going back and forth with all users since it came out. What's that, a month now.
I LOVE MY MAC. WITH A MAC YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. IT JUST WORKS AND WINDOZE IS FOR LUZERS.
I had more, but I lost the second part in the mass deletion.
@Mega-Japan What are you talking about, there is nothing to complain about here! Apple said Snow Leopard will reclaim hard drive space! They just forgot to mention it deletes all the stuff you care about...
I think its funny that if this would have happened on Windows there would be a huge uproar about it, which would have been fair enough as that is a MAJOR glitch but when it happens on OS X its just pushed off with a bit of sarcasm.
"It just works"....against you.
Damn, you should sell that line to Microsoft! Nice!
Still better than the OS that requires biannual format-reinstalls in order to be at peak performance.
@ben, that's only because Linux distro users like to keep their software up to date not because it slows down. :P
OSX doesn't need viruses when it's got Apple
Seems like a pretty serious issue but no different to Windows Product Activation. Don't contact MS in time and you get locked out. Though WPA is not a bug.
@Adrian
Lock out and user deletion are two COMPLETELY different things. Not even on the same level.
Anyone else remember that Mac Hate vid on YouTube? Thought it was getting old but maan is that guy right: ''You idiot! You own a Mac! The file is f#%& gone! It's just GONE!'' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqN76gYKHMs
It's so easy to use you don't even need to get a virus to delete all your files-it's built right into the OS!
@iDavey
Maybe but you still can't access your data anymore so you might as well delete it.
You said it yourself. You're locked out. How are you going to delete stuff if you can't access your files? :P Think first, before countering with some futile pro-Apple fanboy comment.
Apple screwed up. Period. It'll only be a matter of time before that "rock solid" OS X will be infested with "the bad stuff".
@ Blitizkrieg
What I was trying to say is that it's as good as deleting it, Plus I don't remember saying Apple did not screw up. By the way I am not a fanboy like you claim I'm just trying to counter the relentless Apple hate on this site by chumps like you.
Mwahahahaha... i be on your guest profilz eatin all ur filez.
***insert picture of menacing kitten by keyboard***
LOL!
CATS!
Woah.
Well said
This has to be one of the few articles that I haven't seen Mac users defending their product. Talk about a massive blow...
INTERNET SUPERHERO:
In other words, to mac fanboys, sort of like finding out your supermodel girlfriend did it with 2 guys in high school aka chasing amy style.
The love is still there (hence the casual attitude), but deep down it's a complete let down (anger).
Man I'm glad I never use the guest account. I would of been really pissed if I lost my stuff.
I've never found a practical use for the guest account, probably went untested altogether with the release of 10.6
There's a massive glitch in the OS that deletes almost all of your files and you play it off casually:
"Apple has yet to address the issue (at least publicly), but we'd probably recommend disabling Guest accounts on your rig(s) until all of this gets sorted"
I'm not usually one to believe this shit has Apple bias, but holy shit
Clearly your sarcasm detector is switched to "off."
We just told you an OS could eat all of your data. And you think "probably recommend" actually means "probably?"
Here's a clarification: please, for the love of all that's good, disable your Guest account unless you couldn't care less about possibly losing all of your data.
Better?
I agree with Cardbored, the tone here is pretty casual. If this were a Win 7 bug I am sure the tone of the reporting will be different, with snarky remarks thrown in for good measure.
At least the headline wasn't an embarrassing typo like "Bust Buy" (in case you missed the RSS/Twitter feed or saw the article last night).
+1
sigh... i've said this before guys, but call out the editors when they actually deserve it. otherwise it discredits your claims and makes you look like a whiny troll. there are some times when the editors deserve to be called out, but there was nothing wrong with this article/post.
Exactly. If this were a Microsoft glitch, it would be BREAKING NEWS (like the T-Mobile/Microsoft ordeal) and we'd have a post filled with tons of sarcasm and mocking.
But no, Macs are superior in every way.
?
i'm no apple fanboy by any means, just trying to blow this off. i might actually classify myself as a Microsoft fan. but i don't really have a problem with this article/post (do we have a consensus on what we call what the editors wright?).
@KIFF
Yeah man, because "You know, unless you actually enjoy watching your data vanish." isn't snarky *at all.*
Ever heard that you see what you want to see? It applies to you.
its funny that it was big news when an early windows 7 beta (!) ruined mp3s and now this final (!) os deletes _all_ your data and it aint a big deal...
Who says the MP3 thing _wasn't_a_big_deal_? But the point is, that was on BETA software and was patched as soon as they found out.
when does apple not fail to address the situation publicly? Brush-off is jobs' middle name. Always fail to address their "beloved" users, mahahahahaha...
What is it about major IT corporations deleting your stuff?
Ehm? Just that they're doing it!
That's what happens when you trust all your data to other people. This is why I keep everything I care about stored locally and backed up. I learned long ago that it is dangerous to store important files in OS folders.
I am so tempted to try that on one of my work machines that I'm testing Snow Leopard on... but I won't. (Not that I would lose that much data on it since it's a test machine). So tempting.... I mean I was one of those nuts during the Zune 30 leap year bug turned on their zune after reading what it did just to see if it was true.
You're my kind of insane!
This is part of Apples new virtual house party feature, you can have guests come along and destroy all your stuff without any of that bothersome socializing
Admittedly, that would be fun.
The data isn't lost, it just got sent to Apple for review. After Apple approves of the data on your machine, you will get it back.
Jesus.H. Christmastrees, I split my sides laughing.
Win.
Brilliant!!
Some consider me an Apple fanboy... but I must admit, that was funny.
Well thats good news they get it back, but the approval process is now backed up and wont be reviewed for months. Hope you didn't need any of those files for a while...
Instead of "give" you back your data, you will have to download it off iTunes for $0.79 - $1.29/MB depending on content type.
+2
The Apple approval process strikes again.
Next up: FCC will arrive to save the day.
And currently,
Based on the current volume of submissions, 95% of data reviews are being approved within 14 days.
Last updated: Oct 9, 2009
And here i taught ,macs were immune to stuff like this o_0
Glad to see you're still stuck on stupid.
You taught wrong, my friend.
I taught I taw a puttycat!
I just got a new Macbook Pro a couple of weeks ago. It seems that SL does have quite a few bugs to work out. For instance, I noticed that the firewall is not working correctly. I turned on stealth mode in the firewall settings, but when I surf the web I noticed that it is not operating in stealth mode. If I view my system info, under firewall, stealth mode says "no" even though the box is checked in system preferences. I do have guest accounts turned on, so perhaps it is time to turn that off for the time being.
C'mon guys..... It's not a bug. It's Apple fot God's sake!!!!
It's easter egg features.....
Hail King Jobs....!!!
Of course. Apple is infallible and plans everything. This is clearly one of their clever marketing schemes to sell more Time Capsules!
Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature!
This is software.
There's a bug.
Bug will be corrected.
every apple fanboy today learns that OS X is a software like others, not the Holy Spirit's sacred gift to humankind.
Oh, if only that were true...
Evidence? Testimonials? Anything to substantiate the claim?
Read link? Click it? Find the info you want?
Clicked the link. Found "reports" (plural) linked to "report" (singular) and through my own investigation found only one other example...so yes, I guess technically there are "reports" (plural) but it's two of them that I've seen and could be some extremely rare problem, not an insane epidemic as the article makes it out to be.
Wanna help you but can't read your comment.
Think how much damage someone could do with a virus that does nothing but open the guest account O.o
lol xP rotflmao(i fell out of my chair when i read that)
PC:Hey Mac how r u today ?
Mac:Hi PC i have a major bug in my guest account and i lost all my data :(
PC: LOL well now u know that its better to have viruses then guest account bug's
Mac: :'(
you paid all that money for this? Macs they just work 0_o
Still stuck on stupid. Keep them coming, I'm compiling a greatest hits.
@billg
if only engadget would let me "thumbs up" your harassment of sergio!
Apple's Vista ??
The most overrated and buggy OS ever - it's Apple's Vista. Can't wait for the 22nd.
Hey ... I just said that right above you
I am just waiting to see
what happens if one upgrads the Vista to Win7 ...
I think everything will be deleated.....
But i dont know if one can do that if it takes 22 Hours....
So win7 will not have that problem anyway....
So dont say bad things about something which you dont use......
Hehehehe, I have no guests to use my MBP :)
Good for you. Here's a cookie.
so you admitted you have no friends?
Guys this is just a feature to make sure your gf doesn't catch you with porn. Thank you Apple for keeping my disgusting browsing habits safe my my relationship alive.
my my? I should be down voted for my inability to check my posts before a submission. You guys are slipping :p.
I was surprised that this didn't get uncovered sooner, because I was expecting something like this. Apple has had one of these major bugs with every major release since 10.3, except in the past it was a problem in the .0 release that got fixed with a very small (and VERY quickly released) .1 fix. 10.3.0 had the problem of instantly corrupting FireWire 800 drives whenever they were connected and resulted in probably the tiniest update package ever (10.3.1 was something like 650 KB); 10.4.0 had the issue of corrupting a user's entire profile if they had more than 2 GB of data and FileVault was enabled; and 10.5.0 had a bug of similar severity that I can't remember the moment. Sigh...