Mac Data Loss Vulnerabilities Discovered

A U.K.-based data-recovery organization has warned Apple Macbook users that they risk potential data loss due to a design flaw on certain hard drives.

Retrodata has come across "many dozens" of failures affecting Seagate Technology LLC 2.5-in. Serial Advanced Technology Attachment drives, commonly found in laptops such as the MacBook or MacBook Pro. Apple Inc. desktops that use laptop-oriented components, such as the Mac Mini, are also at risk.

"The read/write heads are detaching from the arm and plowing deep gouges into the magnetic platter," explained Retrodata Managing Director Duncan Clarke. "The damage is mostly on the inner tracks, but some scratches are on the outer track -- Track 0 -- and once that happens, the drive is normally beyond repair."
:eek:
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9045520

A U.K.-based data-recovery organization has warned Apple Macbook users that they risk potential data loss due to a design flaw on certain hard drives.

1. So far this is one guy making this claim. Obviously it is all over the internet by now, with people quoting people who quoted people who quoted him.

2. Does anyone think that Apple would be the only manufacturer using these drives? Like, should Dell customers, HP customers, Gateway customers, Acer customers etc. etc. watch out as well?

2. Does anyone think that Apple would be the only manufacturer using these drives? Like, should Dell customers, HP customers, Gateway customers, Acer customers etc. etc. watch out as well?

Well since Dell, HP, Gateway, Acer, et al don't make the iPhone, and don't have iMacs that have constant lock up issues, and don't have people pulling out of iTunes I don't think they are affected.

People love to find and/or create news items directed towards/against Apple even if it can involve other computer companies, yet they leave those other companies as well. But because it's Apple or Apple has those components or potentially can be involved, news writers LOVE to single out Apple.

In regards to recent news of course they are gonna single out Apple.

Category: Apple Hardware
Link: MacBooks face lost data risk
Description:: none

Posted on MacBytes.com
Approved by Mudbug

ANY hard disk can crash and lose data; that is why we have backups. I would never operate any computer, especially a laptop, without a good backup. Perhaps these drives are worse than average and should be fixed, but there is no reason for losing months or years of data due to this.

Hmm... very interesting. My mother-in-law's MacBook HD recently died, and she lost a bunch of stuff. I fixed it for her and set her up with a system to back her data up in future, but I'm wondering now if she was a victim of this "flaw".

This happened to my hard disk I wonder if it was due to this malfunction.

I have seen enough to know there is a problem with them, any Apple Mac that uses a 2.5 inch drive is at risk.

Not quite true! My MBP has a Fujitsu so mine is not at risk from this guys claimed mass fault!

My blackbook's HD failed at the beginning of August, so I can see this as a legit topic.

When I took it in to get replaced the apple genius' (genii? lol) at the Chicago store actually high fived me for telling them "do what you need with it, I have a everything backed up at home." I guess they don't get that kind of responsibility all the time.

Lesson: All drives face the risk of failure, so go spend the (now) sub 100 dollars to get an external drives to save your stuff. DUH. Apple makes it easy for you now with Time Machine if you didn't know how to drag and drop your folders before.

I hope Apple gets on this quickly; I'm thinking of getting a new laptop sometime soon, and I'd hate to have it crash on me. Thankfully I already have an external HD so it wouldn't be hard to backup what I needed.

I agree with the other posters though, an external HD is just a good investment, especially with the prices dropping to pretty affordable rates.