Mavericks corrupts external hard drive

Arthur Engels wrote:

Drew Reece Have you used it on Version 10.9

Yes, EtreCheck was fine on 10.9 too.

It's the easiest way to see what is installed & show it to other users on here.

Thank You might try it.

Jasmine Green It's safe to install Mavericks if you have backed up all your data. Back up alll the data on your computer hard drive and all the data on any external hard drives. As long as you have backups and copies, if anything goes wrong at any time you can quickly and easily go back to a prevous setup.

But, why the rush? Mavericks update 10.9.1 is testing and will be released soon. Wait for that at least, and then maybe wait some more to see what issues spring up with people using that update....

If and when you update, before doing so make sure all your current programs and software are up to date (especially in regards to the main topic of this thread; any WD software you may have). Get rid of anything you no longer use or need. Follow the advice posted here on using EtreCheck and tidy up your machine if necessary. Back up everything. Back up the back ups. Then go ahead and install....

PlotinusVeritas wrote:

... Im still convinced, until it is shown otherwise,...that the WD smartware or otherwise WD-ware has / is / was causing a fsck corruption

...

The key word here is a.

As I have documented in this thread ad nauseam... I have on numerous occasions reproduced long (8 min) fsck_hfs runs on a Seagate 3T FW800 drive with a single partition formatted with Disk Utility. And I have posted the EtreCheck listing showing that there is no WD software on my clean install of Mavericks. Hence not all fsck issues are due to WD software. It may be the other way around -- whatever causes the fsck issues may trigger the WD software to take the wrong actions (e.g. to repartition the drive).

--GetRealBro

GetRealBro wrote:

whatever causes the fsck issues may trigger the WD software to take the wrong actions (e.g. to repartition the drive).

on numerous occasions reproduced long (8 min) fsck_hfs runs on a Seagate 3T FW800

fsck has (below) outputs to command different actions, as such multiple fsck runs only confirms one aspect of same.

f = force fsck even if clean (preen only)

n = assume a no response

p = just fix normal inconsistencies

q = quick check returns clean, dirty, or failure

r = rebuild catalog btree

u = usage

y = assume a yes response

B (WD-ware) causing A (fsck command) when on platform C (Mavericks),

or A causing B on platform C

Known -- A fault B, or B fault A not occurring on platform D and E (ML and Lion)

WD-ware (B) is forcing A to perform false command,... there is no logical likelihood that a false A is causing B to fault the HD, (open to correction)

1. One or more aspects of WD-ware is/was (dependent upon version) Mavericks incompatible

2. Once resident in Mavericks, the WD-ware can/is possible of cross-populating this fault to any HD,....WD, Seagate or otherwise

3. Indications of fsck commands in conjunction with WD-ware ON Mavericks causing repartitioning / corruption.

4. fsck commands in conjunction with WD-ware ON Lion & Mountain Lion had no such occurrence.

ergo, B fault A-as-C-resident = current issue

B fault A-as-D-or-E-resident = not possible

Resolution: remove B on C-resident,

Avoidance: format all new HD, never install B

The problem has spread to WD, Seagate and many others. Not restricted to one make.

Mavericks is a big problem with this. Only WD showing any interest in resolving it and Apple are keeping conspicuously dead quiet, denying it has anything to do with them.

Time for Apple to stop evading it and step up and fix it, it seems

It seems many people on this thread are finally getting off the "it's a WD problem" merry-go-round and steering this back towards Mavericks as the bottom line culprit. Again though - where's Apple's response?

jeffsphoto21 wrote:

back towards Mavericks as the bottom line culprit.

In the premise of a "EFI / Mybooks" corruption, WD is not only at fault, but WD itself has confessed to same.

In any fault between two operational software systems, the unnecessary minor system (WD-ware in this case) needs to be either removed or adjusted.

If X brand of tires dont work on a new car, you dont change the car (OS / Mavericks), you change the nature of the tires, obviously. WD additionally had ample time to verify the validity of its product WD-ware on the new OS.

To take the analogy further, nobody needs WD-ware, further validation that nothing on the side of the OS needs to be "fixed" or changed.

Meager APPS/ software are adjusted/ fixed to accommodate the OS, ... never the other way around.

Or, the tail (WD-ware) isn't going 'wag the dog' (OS) 😊

That this began at Mavericks, doesnt implicate Mavericks, rather inaction on the part of WD making its wares compatible.

As mentioned earlier, there is only one single post of this occurrence on the Seagate forum.

Numberless ones here and on the WD-forum (both ala WD-ware)

Plotinus V,

I've been an avid Apple supporter for some time. Sadly,

that's the pompous response received from Apple until now. It changed this morning ;-)

I do suggest you search a little deeper and you'll realize that the dog has perhaps oopsed here as it is affecting makes across the board, not just WD. Why the silence from Apple? I know their engineers are probably working around the clock, now they've realized the severity of their denial and complacency.

When in business, my opposition was my greatest asset because of their smug complacency.

Time will eventually tell but for the moment I'll wait to see the eventual result.

.

douglasfromauburn wrote:

Time will eventually tell but for the moment I'll wait to see the eventual result.

You are not waiting very patiently. Half a dozen posts in similar threads in the last couple of hours. 😉

Cheers

Pete

douglasfromauburn wrote:

(1) I do suggest you search a little deeper and you'll realize that the dog has perhaps oopsed

(2) as it is affecting makes across the board, not just WD

To continue your analogy, there is a new breed of dog (OS) with an incompliant 'tail' (WD-ware) wherein which the fault lies with WD who had much time to test their WD-ware on Mavericks.

As WD will admit its their responsibility to make their products adapted to the product its designed to serve.

To your point (2), it is impossible to blame Mavericks for a non-WD drive corrupted as "EFI/ Mybook", since the 'MyBook' has its source not in Mavericks (it doesnt exist there natively), but in WD-wares.

Mavericks itself cannot output a "MyBook" onto a corrupted HD

Or, as stated above:

2. Once resident in Mavericks, the WD-ware can/is possible of cross-populating this fault to another HD,....WD, Seagate or otherwise

This thread however has been populated by many people have 3 totally diff. occurrences.

1. EFI/ MyBook corruption

2. failure for the HD to sleep in Mavericks

3. Arbitrary mounts/unmounts.

i can not confirm that mavericks corrupts harddrives, but i would like to mention that i have two western digital mypassport 2,5" each 2GB from 2010 and 2013, and since i installed 10.9 they will not mount in the finder and will not show up in apple´s hard disc utility or anywhere else.

the data on the discs is not important, so i dont have an urgent problem to solve,

but this would mean, that it is no defective SATA controller or defective usb cable/port or defective apple computer, as i tested all available usb3.0 slots of my two brand new shipped macs:

- imac 27" late 2013

- macbook air 13 mid 2013

to be on the safe side, i requested a brand new mypassport at wd, shipping in advance (warranty) and sent the "old" one back. the brand new is the third one, i tested now, and it behaves like the ones before, wont show up anywhere.

i did NOT install any wd driver or tool before, but i considered it to help mount the drive, so i gave it a try and installed the latest wd turbo driver for mac, the wd security app and wd disc tools... nothing happened, no mount. even wd disc tools cannot reformat the discs, it shows up in the wd disc tool app with serial number, but it cannot be mounted or dismounted, so i got an error when i tried to format it with the wd disc tool app (could not format the disc because of an unknown error)

lets hope this will be fixed with 10.9.1 or any firmware update by wd,

thanks

PlotinusVeritas wrote:

Im still convinced, until it is shown otherwise,...that the WD smartware or otherwise WD-ware has / is / was causing a fsck corruption.

That doesn't fit the symptom of the drive being reformatted with a partition named "MyBook."

Tom, thanks! I didn't know 9.1 was on it's way. I am happy to wait for it.

I have backed up whole hard drive using SuperDuper onto Seagate external drive. I made a bootable clone just in case. I just started backing up CrashPlan. It still needs awhile to finish. I'm also replacing the battery so I wanted to have it backed up, also just in case!