January, 2006
Many types of damage to a Helix collection file can be repaired automatically by the utility programs that ship with Helix, however the utilities can not repair all types of damage. Serious damage to the data in a database is indicated by a "fatal error" report in the Helix Utility and results in a ‘chipped’ collection - the upper right corner of the icon is missing). Structural damage is reported as a "not corrected" error and diagnostic code in Update Collection followed by a 3 or 4 digit error code and results in a ‘cracked’ collection - the icon is split completely in two from top to bottom. If your database has sustained serious damage that the utilities can not automatically repair you will probably need to send it in to us for repair.
If you are at a point where your collection file can not be repaired by one or both of the utilities, you have a few options. The first option is to revert to a backup copy that does not have the damage. Second, if you are not using the latest version of Helix, you may want to try using the latest utilities since they are able to effect more types of repairs than the earlier ones. You can download the latest utilities from our website and test their effectiveness on a copy of the damaged collection. Helix Utility is able to repair older collections without forcing you to upgrade, but Update Collection is not. You may find that you can repair your collection and continue to use your current version, in which case you do not need any further assistance from us. But if you can not, you must decide whether to purchase an upgrade to Helix or to have us repair the collection in your existing version. Feel free to contact us to discuss the options.
There are also a couple of techniques that you can sometimes use to repair a collection yourself. If you have structural damage (reported by Update Collection) you can try to copy and paste the structure into a new collection, or if you believe you know where the damage is (often seen as a system crash when accessing the damaged icon) you can try pasting structure from an older, non-damaged collection onto this structure. If you have data damage, you may be able to dump all (or most) of the data out of the collection and load it into a good backup copy.
Ignoring reported damage is dangerous: you may not notice any problems with your collection, but unrepaired damage is like a landmine, lying in wait for something to ‘stumble’ over it. When it is triggered, the result is further damage to your collection and possible data loss. We strongly recommend that damaged collections be repaired as soon as possible and that they be backed up frequently until the repair is done.
The collection repair is billed on an hourly basis, as defined in our User Support Unit (USU) policy. If you do not have USUs on your account, you can purchase USU units in advance (at discount rates) or arrange for ‘pay-as-you-go’ support. Collection repairs will not be completed until payment is confirmed.
Although it is impossible to know exactly how much time a specific repair will take, a typical repair takes 8-10 USUs. (2 to 3 hours) An estimate can be done upon request; the charge is based on the time required, typically 2-3 USUs.
It is our goal to have your repaired collection returned to you within 24 hours. (And we succeed about 95% of the time.)
For mission-critical collections, we can accelerate the repair even more. For ‘I need it now’ service, we charge 2 USUs for each USU actually used.
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Contact technical support before sending a collection for repair. A technical support case number (TS#) will be assigned and the repair scheduled. Use this TS# in all further correspondence regarding the collection repair. Payment for collection repairs must be made in advance, so please be prepared to make payment arrangements when you contact us.
Note: if you discover the collection damage during hours when our technical support department is closed, you can go ahead and upload the collection before you receive a TS# — but please lable the file clearly so that we can identify it as yours.
- If possible, send us a copy of the collection that has not been run through either of the Helix utility programs. If the collection has run through Helix Utility (indicated by a chip taken out of the upper left corner) then Helix Utility has attempted automatic repair. We need to see the collection in its pre-repair state, if at all possible. If you did not make a backup before you ran the utilities, then you should be prepared to send us two collections: the current one and the most recent copy that is neither chipped (Helix Utility failure) nor cracked (Update Collection failure).
- Document for us the name of a contact person, the email addresses, phone number(s) and times they can be reached, and a username/password that allows us access to full mode. Failure to include the username/passwords necessary to open the collection in full mode can delay the repair and add to the repair cost.
- (Optional) Compress the collection. You can reduce the transfer time, often significantly, if you compress (or ‘archive’) the collection before sending it. If you are using OS X 10.4 or later, you can easily create a ‘.zip’ archive by right clicking on the collection file (hold the control key down and click if you do not have a two button mouse) and choose ‘create archive...’ from the contextual menu. A file is created in the same folder, but ending with ‘.zip’ and looking nothing at all like a Helix collection. That is an encoded archive that can be sent faster (and safer) than a regular collection file. Do not attempt to use the built-in archiving capabilites of OS X 10.3 or earlier. It often fails and the archived collection is destroyed.
If you do not have OS X 10.4 or later, you can also use Stuffit or any other data compression software to encode the collection for transfer.
If you are not familiar with these concepts, feel free to ignore them and transfer your collection in its native format, assuming you use one of the safe methods listed below.
Note: Never compress a damaged collection with the Helix Utility’s collection compression option. This can make repair much harder and more costly. - Send the file to us. We accept collections in many ways…
- Preferred: Using Timbuktu: send the file to support.qsatoolworks.com. No username or password is necessary. (Note: do not use the ‘exchange’ or ‘control’ option in Timbuktu - there is nobody at that machine to respond and grant permission.) This is a safe method: native collections can be transferred with this method.
- File Exchange, Mac OS 8-9: open the Chooser, click on AppleShare then on the Server IP Address Button at the bottom. Enter "support.qsatoolworks.com" in the server address field and click Connect. Choose ‘guest’ access and click connect. Select the folder named mstrange and click OK - close the Chooser and you will see a volume named mstrange on your desktop. Open it and drop your file in the locked folder labeled ‘Drop Box’. You won’t be able to see your file once it is in there, but neither will anybody else.
This is a safe method: native collections can be transferred with this method. - File Exchange, Mac OS X: In the Go menu, select Connect to Server then in the Address field, enter afp://support.qsatoolworks.com and click Connect. Choose ‘guest’ access and click connect. Select the folder named mstrange and click OK - close the Chooser and you will see a volume named mstrange on your desktop. Open it and drop your file in the locked folder labeled ‘Drop Box’. You won’t be able to see your file once it is in there, but neither will anybody else.
This is a safe method: native collections can be transferred with this method. - Instant Message: During our regular business hours you can also send your collection to us via an instant message if you are on the AOL/.mac IM network. Contact mstrange (at mac.com) and if we are available we’ll accept the file.
This is a safe method: native collections can be transferred with this method. - FTP Upload: FTP transfers are currently not supported. If you must use FTP, contact us so we can set up a special link for you. (Because of the time involved, there is a one USU charge for this service.)
This is not a safe method: you must encode your collection before it can be transferred with this method. - File Download: If you have a file server (FTP, iDisk, etc.) and prefer that we pick up and deliver the file to it, provide us with the URL, username, password, & directory needed to retrieve the file. (Because of the time involved in this for us, there is a one USU charged for this option.)
This is not a safe method: you must encode your collection before it can be transferred with this method. - Email: Collections that are 10 MB or smaller (after compression/encoding) can be sent via email. Attach the archive file to an email send to the address given to you when you received your TS case number.
This is not a safe method: you must encode your collection before it can be transferred with this method. - Physical Shipment: Sending the file via one of the other methods is significantly faster, as shipping times add significant delays to the repair process. (Even the slowest internet connect can transfer most collections faster than the two days it takes to ship a disk back and forth.)
Note: there is a $60 processing fee for handling physical shipments.
We recommend Federal Express for the best service on all shipments.
We can not read every disk format ever created. We currently can support these formats: CD, DVD (but not DVD-RAM), Jaz 1GB & 2GB, Zip 100MB (but not 250MB or 750MB), and SyQuest 44, 88, 200MB cartridges. You can also send collections on external Firewire or USB drives or even internal IDE or SCSI hard disk mechanisms. The shipping address is: QSA ToolWorks: TS#___, 72 Sherwood Street, Mansfield, PA 16933-1125. (The "TS#___" in the address should be replaced by the technical support case number assigned in step 1 above.)
- If you transfer the file via the internet, contact us and let us know when it has been completely transferred to our server. If you ship the collection contact us and provide us with the tracking number.
Every effort is made to get the collection back to you as soon as possible. Once we receive the file, an initial assessment is done to determine the complexity of the repair: if it appears that the repair will take more than 24 hours, we will contact you to inform you of the situation. When the collection is done we will call or email you with the results.
After the repair we hold as copy of the repaired collection on site for two weeks in case any issues arise. If we have not heard from you within two weeks, we assume that the collection has been put back into use with no further problems, and destroy all copies in our possession. Upon your request we will destroy all held copies before two weeks has passed, but we can not hold them longer.
We understand and respect the privacy of your data. We don’t usually even need to go into full mode and look at the data, but occasionally we must. To be honest, we’re focused on the repair, and the data is rarely even noticed. However, if the data is of a sensitive nature, we are more than willing to sign a non-disclosure, guaranteeing the confidentiality of your data.
In some situations (e.g: a password reset request), we may require you to sign our Repair Services Agreement before we can do the repair.