MREDRUP  The company is effectively gone bust, although you can still buy a lifetime upgrade option I dont know why as it seems all development has ceased. The website just feeds their bank account only.  
(Version 2.8.1)

RRNOWELL  Intech seems to be utterly unresponsive. I went to their web site (www.speedtools2.com) in search of status on Mac OS X 10.6.x Snow Leopard support. Mac OS X 10.5 is the last acknowledged level of support.

I tried several of their tabbed pages. Upon trying the SUPPORT FORUM page I received the following:

phpBB : Critical Error

Error creating new session

DEBUG MODE

SQL Error : 145 Table './phpbb_mysql/phpbb_sessions' is marked as crashed and should be repaired

INSERT INTO phpbb_sessions (session_id, session_user_id, session_start, session_time, session_ip, session_page, session_logged_in, session_admin) VALUES ('5f9f6587a62530ad7efdc33146224ec8', -1, 1253370893, 1253370893, '44e1fc16', 0, 0, 0)

Line : 187

File : sessions.php

I proceeded to try the DOWNLOADS tab which worked however since my introduction to the product is through OWC external drive purchases I have the OEM version 2.8.1, therefore I couldn't access the non-OEM area. I proceed to try the OEM area and learned that it appeared to work but the date on the 2.8.1 zip file is February 6, 2008. That is over 18 months old with no updates (seems a little long in the tooth for a product and makes me wonder if there is any support.

"I next tried the REGISTER tab which took me to a page with this on it:

Product Registration

We're sorry our product registration page is down while we update to our new system. We hope to have the new system back up and runnning shortly. Thank you for your patience."

No date on it so I don't know how long it has been since anyone has registered.

Finally I tried the CONTACT tab which took me a page that appeared promising. It gave me an address and a FAX phone number, but no other phone number. Hmmm. Time for an internet phone directory search? Well before that I decided to try the links on the CONTACT page.

The links were FORUMS, EMAIL SYSTEM, TRY OUT SELF-SERVE LOOKUP SYSTEM, and LOGIN.

I first tried FORUMS and received this error:

phpBB : Critical Error

Error creating new session

DEBUG MODE

SQL Error : 145 Table './phpbb_mysql/phpbb_sessions' is marked as crashed and should be repaired

INSERT INTO phpbb_sessions (session_id, session_user_id, session_start, session_time, session_ip, session_page, session_logged_in, session_admin) VALUES ('987fbbc124ae4fec6cf807eed7a1cd48', -1, 1253371639, 1253371639, '44e1fc16', 0, 0, 0)

Line : 187

File : sessions.php

I next tried the EMAIL SYSTEM and got this error message:

phpBB : Critical Error

Error creating new session

DEBUG MODE

SQL Error : 145 Table './phpbb_mysql/phpbb_sessions' is marked as crashed and should be repaired

INSERT INTO phpbb_sessions (session_id, session_user_id, session_start, session_time, session_ip, session_page, session_logged_in, session_admin) VALUES ('e778da0b4602e6963ab15e8982b2fcbe', -1, 1253371687, 1253371687, '44e1fc16', 1, 0, 0)

Line : 187

File : sessions.php

Next I tried the TRY OUT SELF-SERVE LOOKUP SYSTEM but it requires a login that only non-OEM purchasers supposedly can get.

Effectively for me an OEM user the site was costly in that I spent time and effort and came up blank.

I would not recommend this product because of the problems I encountered.  
(Version 2.8.1)

MREDRUP  is company would now appear to be no longer trading although they will take your money you wont get any further support ... do not buy.  
(Version 2.8.1)

ERIC @ INTECH SOFTWARE  "Troubleshooting by Anonymous",

Yes, this was a known issue with versions of our software released prior to MacOS 10.4.0. Within a few days after MacOS X 10.4.0 was released, we had this issue solved and free updates were posed on our website (available to both OEM and Retail version holders). To solve your particular problem, download and run the latest QuickBack updater. The update is available here: http://www.speedtools.com/DCX.shtml

- Eric @ Intech  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  My computer, a Mirrored Drive Doors PowerMac did neither shutdown nor reboot under 10.4.2. After trouble shooting this myself I found the culprit --> QuickBackStartupItem

Once I deleted it and therefore the whole SpeedTools stuff, my computer is working fine once again.

The one serious conviction that a man should have is that nothing is to be taken too seriously. So take it easy and solve it :D  
(Version 2.3)

ERIC @ INTECH SOFTWARE  Hi Guys,

We are in the process of updating the website and the SpeedTools Manager new update notification now to reflect all the revision changes. However, the 2.3 version download is live now when you login here: https://secure.speedtools.com/intech/support/dl_login.html.

And as of last year, anyone who has misplaced their original Intech online order number can request a new one using the link at the bottom of the login page (link above) at no charge.

Enjoy the new version! (lots of improvements)

- Eric @ Intech  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  I own the retail version and I don't see any version 2.3 available for download. Where did this information come from?  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  I hope this version overcomes a compatibility problem with OSX 10.4 (Tiger) which for some Macs (e.g. PowerBooks) didn't allow the computer to shut down on command.  
(Version 2.3)

TROUTNC  I, too, purchased HDST and CDST years ago, and they went the way of OS 9 (for me, anyway) when I moved to X about 3 years ago. IMO that is not intech's fault or responsibility.

Still, were it not for receiving an OEM version of their SpeedTools Utility Suite with firewire drives from OWC, I would not have their software, right now.

And, I'd like to have the full retail version which offers a few more utilities than the OEM version, but I am waiting for an upgrade path from the OEM version, or from HDST if that should occurr.

intech are good guys in my opinion, with good product and fair prices.  
(Version 2.3)

ANONYMOUS  This comment is meant specifically for the Media Scanner component.

There really needs to be an "automatic" preference because as it stands now with version 1.1, you have to manually hit the reassign button whenever a bad block is encountered. Then once that happens, a nice little "Reassign Successful" box with an OK button pops up that also needs to be dismissed.

IMHO, this is rather asinine if you are talking about mapping out even a few hundred bad blocks. Now maybe Intech developers have trained monkey's that can hit these all day long but I personally do not have this luxury (lack of space for one plus our building specifically does not allow any pets) and have to go through this process manually on my own.

This seems to be the typical engineer solution as opposed to looking at it from a user friendly/common sense approach (but then again in the real world, common sense isn't so common).  
(Version 2.0)

ANONYMOUS  All this begs the question whether anyone really NEEDS these capabilities, especially at near-$100 a pop. Nevertheless, understanding how to do these operations is worth some money.

Certainly, if you FEEL you need it, and soothing the feeling is worth the price, then OK.  
(Version 2.0)

G. HALL  Indeed...the Intech Software Team is not alone in the head scratching dept...I too purchased both HD and CD/DVD Speedtools back in Sept. 2001 and apparently grossly misunderstood the concept behind the "Free updates for life" policy. I thought it meant that I'd have versions of these products that would be compatible with (read: functioning within) whatever Apple offered in the way of an operating system. I was wrong.

Free "updates"does not include "upgrades."

Intech is doing what every other software company has done...use OS X as a means to change the "effective version." That in itself does not bother me. What does is that they represent themselves within the text of their "free updates for life" policy as being different from that, when in fact they are not. Changing the name of the software does not in my mind hide what is to me merely a game of semantics.

I feel so used at this point, that were Intech to even offer a so-called upgrade path, I would shun it.  
(Version 2.0)

CHRIS KARR  Dear anonymous,

We're scratching our heads here at Intech trying to figure out how we can go beyond the best update policy in the software business: HDST and CDST products have been revised over 30 times each (and counting), all freely distributed. Furthermore, they remain active, viable products. We started the free update for life policy back in 1996, and we remain head and shoulders above the imitators.

Regarding an "upgrade path," we are very much in favor of rewarding loyal customers. While we are working diligently improve the capabilities of our web server and our products, right now we simply don't have that ability. But we are working on it, and hope to have a program available shortly.

The Intech Software Team  
(Version 2.0)

ANONYMOUS  "FREE UPDATES FOR LIFE" ....

um, yeah, right.

until they discontinue the software you'd PAID for -- e.g., BOTH "Hard Disk SpeedTools" & "CD/DVD SpeedTools" in my case -- and provide no upgrade path "because its different software".

don't be a chump like me ... steer clear of these folks. unless of course you have $$$ to burn ...  
(Version 2.0)