Crash

I know a number of bloggers I read use Apple computers, so I thought I’d give a heads-up on a potential problem for those who use Techtools Pro, the program Apple includes with their extended warranty.

Since I had an unidentified squeak in my G5, I decided to run the program after checking to see whether there was a newer version available and being informed I had the latest version available, 3.03. Everything except the Volume Structure checked out fine. Since the program suggested I should fix the “problem,” I told it to go ahead and fix it.

Big mistake.

The System was shredded beyond repair. I had to use the Tiger disk to boot my computer, and, though I could then see the hard drive, nothing I owned could repair the system, though Techtool still said it was fine.

When I called Apple, they told me there were some known problems between Tiger (10.4) and Techtools Pro but their documents said that though Techtool would misdiagnose the problem, it wouldn’t hurt the drive to let Techtool try to fix it. I guess I was the exception. They told me I would have to erase the drive and start over.

To make a long story short, I’ve spent much of the last two days restoring the drive and redoing some things I did last month, like balance my checkbook.

I would have had much more fun walking through the woods, playing with Photoshop, or finishing reading Creeley’s poems.

6 thoughts on “Crash”

  1. Point of clarification.

    What comes with AppleCare Protection Plan CD is TechTools Deluxe, not TechTools Pro.

  2. I had the exact same problem. My fancy new G5 is fried! I simply cannot beleive it. I’ve ordered the upgrade from Tech Tool Deluxe to Pro 4.0.4. If it can’t fix the problem then I’ll have to erase & reformatt. In 20 years of owning Mac’s I’ve never had a problem as bad as this!!!

  3. I also got screwed over by Applecare when they mailed me my applecare CD with Tech Tools. After running it and calling them back, they just told me to wipe my drive and suck up the data loss. If you haven’t backed up your stuff to another drive, you can use Data Recuse to recover your files (http://www.prosofteng.com/products/data_rescue_info.php). I had great luck with it, and another friend of mine got back all his stuff too. Its expensive at $100, but well worth the money if you’ve lost a lot of personal files.

    I still can’t believed I was scammed into paying for Applecare just so they could have me run software that destroys my data. They turned my minor hardware problem into a disaster.

  4. Just had the same thing happen! I haven’t been able to pull my jaw off the floor! I’m waiting for a new version of Techtool from Apple. I’m not crossing my fingers. I wouldn’t be surprised if this results in a class action suit against Apple. What a crock!!
    Alex

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