Not clear on the concept

[kengr]

Sunday's CSI: Miami had them cloning the drive of a laptop just before the feds seized it as evidence.

Later they are attempting to access some encrypted content. And they are worried because they only get two tries before the program will erase it.

*Wrong!*

When you work on a drive like that, you work on a *copy*. In this case, a copy of the copy.

So you blow it and it erases. You take another copy and try again.

Comments

[scott-sanford.livejournal.com]

And this is where you're surprised at CSI inaccuracies? Isn't this show a major offender in the 'computer enhancement to infinity' category?

Of course, it's anyone's guess why investigators would use the drive's decryption program anyway.

[kengr]

It's like anything else it's the egregious errors in your own field that you get upset at.

Besides, unlike the usual computer errors (like the fact it only took a few minutes to clone the drive *without* opening the laptop), this one was a "what were you thinking?" on the part of the writer.

I mean, he's *already* had them clone the drive. So unless they are utter *idiots*, there's no danger of losing data *because* they can work on a clone of the clone.

But with regards to your other point, yeah. I'd *love* to have one of these programs show the enhancement *properly*.

"Sorry, that's the best we can do. The original image just doesn't have the resolution...."

[xander-opal.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, like many, the writer was unclear on the concept of 'always keep a backup'.

[kengr]

"Always mount a scratch monkey"

[mistresscayenne.livejournal.com]

And that is right on the spot! Back-up back-up back-up. Always keep multi level back ups.