| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to partitioning errors and the inability to access data on large external drives has happened again within the same organization (Apple). Users reported encountering the error "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size" when using some drives in Mountain Lion, leading to drive inaccessibility despite no partitioning being performed. The issue persisted even after reformatting and connecting the drives to different versions of OS X [15044].
(b) The software failure incident of partitioning errors and drive inaccessibility with large external drives has not been reported to have happened at multiple organizations. The article suggests that the issue may be specific to certain makes and models of drives when used with Mountain Lion, or could be due to a bad batch of drives. Users are advised to try replacing the drive with a new one or using alternative driver management tools to address the problem [15044]. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is related to the design phase. The issue with large external drives encountering partitioning errors and becoming inaccessible on Mac computers running Mountain Lion is attributed to a bug in the operating system. Users have reported encountering errors such as "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size" without performing any partitioning actions on the drives. This indicates that the problem is likely due to contributing factors introduced during the system development or system updates, specifically related to how Mountain Lion interacts with certain drive makes and models [15044].
(b) The software failure incident is not directly linked to operation or misuse of the system. The reported issues with external drives on Mac computers running Mountain Lion are more likely a result of a bug in the OS rather than user error or misuse. Users have experienced problems with drive accessibility and partitioning errors even when following standard procedures, indicating that the root cause lies in the system design or development rather than operational factors [15044]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
The software failure incident described in the article is related to the boundary of the system. The issue with large external drives encountering partitioning errors and becoming inaccessible on Mac systems running Mountain Lion is attributed to potential bugs within the OS X operating system [15044]. The error message "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size" indicates an internal issue within the system that affects the drives' accessibility and functionality. Additionally, the suggested fixes such as replacing the drive, using alternative driver management tools, and adjusting drive sleep options all point towards addressing issues originating from within the system itself. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions:
The software failure incident described in the article is related to a bug encountered by Mac users when using large external drives with Mountain Lion. The bug causes partitioning errors and the inability to access data on the drives, even though no partitioning of the drive has been performed. This bug seems to be a software issue introduced without human participation, as users are facing the problem without making any changes to the drive themselves. The error message "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size" indicates a failure in the software's ability to handle the drives properly, leading to their inaccessibility [15044].
(b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions:
The software failure incident described in the article does not indicate any contributing factors introduced by human actions that led to the bug affecting the drives. Users are simply connecting their drives to Mac computers running Mountain Lion, and the issue arises without any specific actions taken by the users themselves. Therefore, the failure does not seem to be a result of human actions [15044]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 15044 is related to hardware. The incident involves issues with large external drives connected to Mac computers, specifically in the context of using them with Mountain Lion OS. Users have encountered partitioning errors and the inability to access data on the drives, leading to the drives becoming inaccessible. The error message "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size" indicates a problem with the drive's partitioning, which is a hardware-related issue. Users have tried reformatting the drives and using different versions of Disk Utility, but the problem persists, suggesting a hardware-related bug or compatibility issue with specific drive makes and models [15044]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article is non-malicious. It is related to a bug in which using certain large external drives in Mountain Lion results in partitioning errors and the inability to access data on the drives. Users encounter errors like "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size" even though no partitioning of the drive has been performed. The issue seems to be a bug in OS X that affects specific makes and models of drives when used with Mountain Lion, leading to drive inaccessibility and data loss [15044]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
accidental_decisions |
The software failure incident described in Article 15044 seems to be more related to accidental_decisions. The issue with large external drives encountering partitioning errors and becoming inaccessible on Mac computers running Mountain Lion appears to be a result of unintended consequences or mistakes rather than poor decisions. Users are facing errors like "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size" without intentionally making any changes to the drive partitions. Additionally, the suggested fixes involve troubleshooting steps and workarounds to address the problem rather than addressing poor decisions made during the development or implementation of the software. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident described in the article seems to be more related to development incompetence. Users encountered a bug in which using certain drives in Mountain Lion resulted in partitioning errors and the inability to access data on the drives. Despite no partitioning of the drive being performed, an error message stating "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size" appeared. Additionally, even though some drives worked fine after repartitioning and formatting, others continued to show the same error when checked with Disk Utility, indicating a potential issue with the software's handling of drive structures [15044]. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident described in the article is temporary. Users encountered an apparent bug in which using some drives in Mountain Lion resulted in partitioning errors and the inability to access data on the drives. The drives became inaccessible and showed errors like "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size." However, in some instances, the drive worked fine after repartitioning and formatting, indicating that the issue was not permanent [15044]. |
| Behaviour |
other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the article is not related to a crash where the system loses state and does not perform any of its intended functions. Instead, the issue involves partitioning errors and the inability to access data on drives when using them with Mountain Lion [15044].
(b) omission: The software failure incident is not related to a failure of the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The issue described involves errors in partitioning and accessing data on drives, rather than the system omitting any specific functions [15044].
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to a failure of the system performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The issue discussed in the article pertains to partitioning errors and drive inaccessibility, not timing-related problems [15044].
(d) value: The software failure incident is not related to a failure of the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. The issue described involves partitioning errors and drive inaccessibility, rather than the system executing functions incorrectly [15044].
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to a byzantine failure where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The issue discussed in the article pertains to partitioning errors and drive inaccessibility, rather than erratic or inconsistent behavior of the system [15044].
(f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident is related to partitioning errors and the inability to access data on drives when using them with Mountain Lion. Users encounter errors like "Error: Partition map repair failed while adjusting structures to fit current whole disk size," leading to drive inaccessibility despite no partitioning being performed. The issue may be specific to certain drive makes and models with Mountain Lion, suggesting a potential bug in the OS [15044]. |