Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!wuarchive!udel!oscar.ccm.udel.edu!johnston
From: johnston@oscar.ccm.udel.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Re: StuffIt Deluxe Installer from Hell!
Message-ID: <40101@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: 27 Dec 90 22:56:41 GMT
Sender: usenet@ee.udel.edu
Organization: Univ. of Delaware, CCM
Lines: 36
Nntp-Posting-Host: oscar.ccm.udel.edu

In article <1990Dec27.195645.22056@svc.portal.com>, daven@svc.portal.com writes...
>In article <40020@nigel.ee.udel.edu> johnston@oscar.ccm.udel.edu writes:
>>The following is posted as a warning ... e-mail to Aladdin has gone 
>>unanswered since Monday ... I would hate to see this happen to anyone else.
>>The result was similar to the "Folder from Hell" problem that has
>>been described on the net.  [Much description of problem deleted]
> 
>I've had the opportunity to use the StuffIt Installers many times
>and I've never seen a problem like this.

I have received "me too" e-mail from several people who experienced
exactly the same problem.  The disturbing thing is that one of them
reported the problem to Aladdin in August, and evidentally they are
still shipping the same package.  My StuffIt Deluxe Installer 
included a copy of *** DISINFECTANT 1.8 ***, for pete's sake.
Gee thanks!  What a way to let a new buyer know that the shrink-wrapped
package has be gathering dust for a while, without improvements!
The StuffIt Deluxe Installer has a "Get Info" creation date of July 6,
1990.

Another e-mail response suggested that the problem had been experienced
by "only 1% of users".  Well excuse my ignorance, but if ANY user
is forced to reinitialize a hard-disk in order to use a UTILITY program,
that's too many.  If I bought the package on July 7, and they fixed 
the problem straight away, no problem.  I have tested plenty of new
or beta software and taken my lumps when they crashed.  But this product
has been out for six months;  any problem that should have been fixed by now.

>When you reformatted your HD, did you do anything to collect bad
>sectors? You may just have a problem with a sector that happens
>to be where part of the directory catalogs fall.

No, I didn't.  I run a hard disk utility regularly and have never
had the slightest indication of a 'bad sector' problem.

-- Bill (johnston@oscar.ccm.udel.edu)