From: gerlach@greyrock.mso.colostate.edu (Scott Gerlach)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Letter to ASD Software (Re: FileGuard Troubles)
Date: 29 Jul 92 16:59:36 GMT
Organization: Computer Training & Support Services, Colorado State University

Following is a copy of a letter we have written to ASD Software
concerning problems our lab has encountered with their FileGuard
package.  We are posting a copy to help make potential users aware of
any possible problems before they make a large purchase.

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July 28, 1992



ASD Software, Inc.
4650 Arrow Hwy., E-6
Montclair, CA  91763
Fax: 714 626 9574


Dear President, Programmers, and Technical Support People:

We have some new serious problems with your product.  This is the
second fax I am sending and the start of a series of faxes to various
insiders, BBS services, and computer gossips.

We are upset, to say the least!  We are tired of spending untold hours
correcting problems brought on by release 2.7.3.  It has essentially
ruined the hard drives of all our lab computers.  Even when we have
downgraded to version 2.7.1 we still have problems.  They are:

1)	Volume protection turns itself on and off unexpectedly and
	randomly.

2)	This usually indicates that more serious problems are
	impending.  Such as:
		o	access privileges changing unexpectedly.
		o	access privileges changing dynamically right
			before our eyes.
		o	the Desktop becoming write-protected, even to
			the Administrator, though it was not before.

3)	The "spinning clock routine" (spinning clock routine defined:
Mac boots; desktop is drawn; menu bar is drawn; mouse pointer turns
into a watch; menu bar disappears; drives do not mount; repeat ad
infinitum.  The only way out is boot from a floppy.)  seems to recur
on drives formatted by the Apple HDSC formatter, i.e., original
equipment.  Hard drives with non-Apple drivers seem somewhat immune to
this problem.  Why?  And what is the problem?  Our ONLY cure for this
is to reformat the drive with another formatter and restore data.  A
terrible time waster.

4)	Apparently machines that had been upgraded to 2.7.3 are
damaged in some way which prevents us from downgrading to 2.7.1 in ANY
way that provides us with a reliable, working computer.  Our only
solution for reliability after a machine is corrupted by 2.7.3 is a
complete reformat of the hard drive.

5)	The discovery that even version 2.7.1 is not really compatible
with AppleShare 2.01.  We can't protect folders from the System 7
Sharing menu on a client's local drive if the server is active (the
server volume doesn't even have to be mounted).  A definite
inconvenience.  The folder icons don't correctly reflect privileges
when attached to an active server.  Folders retain incorrect ownership
tabs.  Finally, we loose the belted folder icon on folders so
protected on the local drive.

What do we do?  Or better yet, what will you do?  We need solutions
and we need them fast.  We have over 100 licenses of FileGuard.  We
bought it in good faith as a product that would provide solutions to
our security needs.  Now that cure is worse than the disease.  We need
to get back to an acceptable, reliable working environment.


Sincerely yours,

Phil Friedman, Manager
CNS Mac Lab
Colorado State University


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--
Disclaimer: My opinions don't necessarily reflect those of my school or
my employer, but it's great when they do.

************************************************************************
* Scott Gerlach                   | gerlach@greyrock.mso.colostate.edu *
*								       *
* "No, I'm from Iowa... I only work in space." -James T. Kirk (ST:TVH) *
************************************************************************
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps