QuickBooks Updater Deletes Desktop Folder
QuickBooks Updater Deletes Desktop Folder
by , 10:45 AM EST, December 17th, 2007
QuickBooks 2006 and 2007 for the Mac users received a rude wake up call from Intuit over the weekend when the accounting application's auto-update feature began deleting user's Desktops. Many users are reporting the loss of gigabytes worth of data thanks to the updater.
The story seems to be the same for every QuickBooks user so far: After launching QuickBooks, they get an alert telling them a new software update is waiting. Once the update begins downloading, their Desktop directory along with all of the files on their Desktop, are deleted.
While some QuickBooks users have speculated that this may actually be some kind of exploit, there is no evidence so far to indicate this is anything other than a problem with Intuit's installer process.
Intuit's QuickBooks forums are filled with comments from disgruntled users that lost data along with their Desktop directories.
The company is advising users disable the auto-update feature until the problem is corrected. To disable the feature, do this:
- Launch Terminal. It's in Applications/Utilities.
- Enter this command: defaults write com.intuit.QuickBooks2006 QBCheckForUpdatesKey NO
- Press Return.
If you have already lost data thanks to the auto-update and don't have backups of your important files, your only remedy is to rebuild your files, or use a data recovery utility like Data Rescue II from Prosoft Engineering.
[Thanks to TMO reader Paul Isaacs for the heads up.]
Observer Comments
Wouldn't they notice in the beta version of the update that it deletes everything on the desktop? I mean, that's hard to not notice.
Well, if I ever see the name Intuit on some piece of software, I'll know, "These guys are dumb as ****. I shouldn't buy their stuff."
I sure hope they don't actually except people to pay money to use their stuff... it would sure suck to pay money and loose whatever is on your desktop.
This is the first time I've had to use Time Machine. It worked to the tune of over 3.5 GB!
I think Intuit is in for a big pile of lawsuits. A lot of people work all their stuff from their Desktop - they are screwed if they don't have Time Machine, or something similar!
The cool thing was that the update was an automatic update when you opened Quickbooks - it automatically deleted the Desktop! NeatOh!
Mon Dec 17, 2007 6:07 pm Subject: It happened to me
This is the first time I've had to use Time Machine. It worked to the tune of over 3.5 GB!
I think Intuit is in for a big pile of lawsuits. A lot of people work all their stuff from their Desktop - they are screwed if they don't have Time Machine, or something similar!
The cool thing was that the update was an automatic update when you opened Quickbooks - it automatically deleted the Desktop! NeatOh!
Mon Dec 17, 2007 6:14 pm Subject: Forgot to mention
This is insane. If it had wiped data that the Quickbooks owns, that's one thing. Still just as egregious, but at least there would be some logic to it.
But to blow away the desktop folder, that isn't directly related to QuickBooks... that's just incredibly lazy on the part of the developer and whomever tested this update on Mac.
Sure, we should all have backups, and luckily MacOS' Time Machine saved a lot of people's butts.
But I don't think "Now developers can write crap software that causes major data loss and not worry!" was part of the time machine ad campaign?
And we Mac users thought there were no viruses for Mac? Never mind, Quickbooks now fills that role nicely.
Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:38 am Subject: Simple solution
QuoteGuest wrote:
T
I think Intuit is in for a big pile of lawsuits. A lot of people work all their stuff from their Desktop - they are screwed if they don't have Time Machine, or something similar!
One word: DON'T. Don't run anything from the Desktop. It's inefficient, costs you time when you can't find stuff, clutters the desktop, and more. Instead, build your own filing system and use it. I was shocked that Leopard includes a "Downloads" folder. I've had one for years, going back to OS 7.5. I have a "Work" folder, with active projects, and others like "Data," "Reference," "Shopping," etc., all in "George's Stuff," a folder inside the Documents Folder. The Documents Folder gets cluttered by all the stuff various applications add, so I created another just for my personal stuff. The ONLY file in my Desktop folder is an alias for my printer, like the Desktop printers of yore.
For what it is worth (and realizing that finding information on this issue is tough) - I've just checked with Intuit, as my QB Pro 2007 for Mac is calling for an updater.
Proceeding very cautiously - they have confirmed that updating to R6 (as it is attempting to do) is safe - the problem with the destroyed desktop files was, according to them with QBooks 2006, R5.
Does that seem to fit with everyone else's experience?
G.
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