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General discussion

How can I safeguard my PC's data when it is out for repair?

Mar 13, 2015 9:00AM PDT
Question:

How can I safeguard my computer's data when it is out for repair?


Hi, everyone, I hope you can answer my question. I plan to have my 5-year-old laptop running XP turned in for service as it doesn't boot up. In order to get the laptop serviced, it will need to be left behind with the service technician with hard drive and all. The big concern that I have is that my hard drive contains all my sensitive data. Is there any way to lock my sensitive data from the technician while it is with them? I have my data backed up. In fact, I have bought a new laptop already. But because of this outstanding concern, I still have not brought in the old laptop because I do not know how to safeguard my data. Can you help? Even though I have bought a new laptop, the situation could very well happen again with this new laptop and again I will be at a loss on how to handle protecting my data when it's being serviced. Any advice is appreciated.

--Submitted by: Carlos C.

Discussion is locked

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Swap the hard drive
Mar 13, 2015 8:49PM PDT

Hi Carlos,
I understand where you are coming from - I keep and use older machines as well! Over the life of a machine one of the things I almost always find necessary it to install a bigger hard drive. I don't throw the old drive away, after I'm happy with the new one, I wipe the old one and re-install a base operating system on it. Then if I ever need to take the machine to a repairer, maybe because it needs special tools, I swap out my current hard drive and put the old one with the base operating system on it back in. Then there is nothing to steal on the machine taken in.

In your case, this would have an added bonus, after you put the old drive back, try and boot it. If it still won't boot the machine still has the fault and it's suitable for the techie to have a go at. If it does boot, then the fault is either on the current disk you just took out or in the software on it. You do the right thing and keep your backup up to date, so a new disk, a restore on to it and you are off to the races!

o look at the economics of the repair - I hate to throw things away but sometimes that's the only sensible action.

And for the future, do consider encrypting your sensitive date.

Good luck!

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As a tech there is not much I can't get to on your machine.
Mar 13, 2015 11:52PM PDT

That being said, unless yours is a forensics job, I don't care what personal data is on your machine. It would take too long to look at and I have neither the time nor interest for that. I lead a full life.
The clients I do have, with these concerns, I encourage them to be present when I work on their machine. For the clients who can't be, I show them how to backup their data, if they are not doing so already, and encourage them to offload/backup personal data to another source. They should be doing that anyway.
I do not have this concern for myself. All of my personal information lives on a NAS drive at my home and business and on an external USB drive if I must travel with it. In the cases when I cannot travel with it or have a sudden remote need, I simply tie to my home/work machine with remote access software. I will not store anything in the cloud other that my own cloud that I have exclusive highly encrypted control over.

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Something to think about...
Mar 14, 2015 7:32AM PDT

Even if you boot to a Live CD of Linux and "delete" your files. All a person will need to get to those files and retrieve them is a recovery software such as Recuva which is a free program for just that purpose. It recovers deleted files.

You say that you already have copies of all your data backed up so you don't really need to move it off of the machine. If this is in fact the case, why not just do a complete OS re-install of XP -OR-, better yet, choose and install a distro of Linux? As someone else pointed out, since XP is obsolete, why keep it around, anyway? By installing a distro of Linux you can obliterate your sensitive data and still be able to use your laptop for a spare and a toy to play with and learn Linux.

Of course, this is only possible if the reason the laptop won't boot is OS/software related. Wink

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Use both PC's and 'USB To SATA/IDE Adapter' !
Mar 15, 2015 2:09AM PDT

Hey,
Thinking out of the box helps here.
1. Situation: 1 old PC to be revised with 'sensitive'data, 1 new PC (with all back-up data?). Old PC wouldn't start up again.
2. Result: - you cannot remove the sensitive data (I assume because of the not start-up capability).
- You have made a back-up already, so your sentive data are still in your position somewhere else than the old pc hd.
3. Requirements: - You need to know where the sensitive data (which folders on your old pc) is stored.
- A small piece of additional hardware (approx 30 &euroWink
4. Possible solution: transfer of the data of the data to your new PC and removal of the the sensitive data on your old laptop. This can be done with a 'USB To SATA/IDE Adapters & Cables' -device.
If you use this device, you will be able to transfer / delete the sensitive data on the HD of your old PC.
5. Way to go ahead:
- Buy a 'USB To SATA/IDE Adapter'.
- Remove HD from old PC
- Follow instructions for use on 'USB To SATA/IDE Adapter' on the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS-xTR7Puu8
- Then you can see the structure of your old-pc's HD through the operating system of your new laptop and delete
or move data from your old pc to the new one.

Greetz,

Bjerre

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How can I safeguard my computer's data when it is out for re
Mar 16, 2015 12:49AM PDT

remove hard drive and install in USB caddy, copy all data to working computer, then delete from drive. if only mildly paranoid run defrag on that drive several times, if very paranoid use a security program to clean the spaces on the drive

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A simple way to remove and safeguard your data is as follows
May 1, 2015 11:33AM PDT

For about 12 dollars or less oyu can purchase a USB to hard drive cable adapter. On a running system remove your non-bootable hard drive attach it to a running system and then do a search for all the following data file EXTENSIONS that you wish to remove from the non-bootable harddrive. (Keeping in mind if it is a non-working hard drive this will not work) Now search for the GIF, img, jpeg, doc, docx, excel and all other data files saving them jointly (same extensions) into a folder so named jpeg, doc, img etc while collecting them from the search results don't do a copy do a cut and then paste. once this is completed all your personal information has been both removed and wiped from the old drive. Is this a forensic wipe no however unless someone is really got a lot of time on their hands it not worth the effort to attempt to recover them. Also I have been repairing systems for many years and it is seldom that I have been able to RESTORE an operating system to a bootable state without having to reload it onto the disk. This system also works well, if you are giving your system away and want to preserve your data for future use in a new system. Keeping in mind that if your system is up and running there is no need to use the apater or remove the hard drive from the operating computer.

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Old computer booting problems
May 1, 2015 11:56AM PDT

hello

How best to safeguard your data?
The best way is to not have a stranger handle your machine. And learn how to fix your computers on your own.

But ultimately it's all about trust, what techs/repair companies can you trust with your old data, for this I suggest doing extensive web searches on your choices of computer repair shops and see what other people think and see if they have had problems. Then choose accordingly.

Like other's have replied, repair techs don't have time to steal data because they are generally working on multiple machines at the same time since they have multiple machines waiting to be fixed.

Also, like other's have asked or stated if this is an old machine and you have already purchased a new replacement, then why spend the time and effort to get it working anyways? Simply pull the drive with your old data out of the machine, physically destroy the old HDD and then donate or e-cycle the remaining laptop chassis. Because should you get the old laptop running again, then it's still going to be an old laptop and it would have limited use PLUS you would have spent time, money and effort to get it running again.

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Buy a new 2.5" laptop drive and replace it.
May 1, 2015 11:58AM PDT

Have the Tech reinstall the OS then put the old harddrive in a 2.5" external case and copy your data back over.
They can't access your data if they don't have the drive.

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safeguard pc?
May 1, 2015 1:01PM PDT

First of all, do not take your laptop our for repairs anywhere, you do not need to.
Here is what to do:
Remove the hard drive, throw(recycle) the old XP laptop away. Plug the old hard drive into someone's working PC that you know and trust, and take the data off your old hard drive, then transfer it to your new laptop.
Don't waste your money and your time on an old outdated non functioning laptop, and do not trust your data to a shop.

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Trust for computer technicians
May 1, 2015 1:05PM PDT

First off, if your computer is that old and you have already purchased a new computer, I would remove the hard drive from the computer and recycle the rest. Now go to Ebay and buy an external hard drive case that will fit your hard drive and transfer your important information by USB cable to your new computer.

There is no way to transfer programs unless you have the install programs either on disk or on your old hard drive and the license information. Also, many of the programs that are old might not work on the new computer.

Next, once you have removed your data, destroy the hard drive by taking all of the screws out and physical destroy the internal disk of the drive. This way no one can get information that you hold near and dear.

I build custom computer for many people and service at lot. I share this same information to them. If you know of someone that is reliable, then they might be of help. If not, the above is the safest way.

The drive for a computer that old is not very good to even save for a backup drive since the price of drive has fallen and the technology is so advanced. It wouldn't plan of keeping the drive around.

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Fit a new hard drive.
May 1, 2015 6:33PM PDT

Fit a new hard drive and put Linux on it, then get it serviced. It's much easier than you think and for £60 or so you're 100% safe, in fact security is usually worth more than any laptop. The hard drive may well be the problem anyway and it's good to be familiar with swapping them around for many reasons.

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My tuppence on safeguarding data
May 1, 2015 7:12PM PDT

First : assume the most sensitive files were password protected? Even encrypted the Documents folder? Not that password protection in files will withstand a brute-force attempt, but it will thwart a technician's casual curiosity.

Then : a dozen years ago some retail chain routinely scanned the harddisk of each computer "to ensure there were no gremlins lurking". This reportedly included a scan which reportedly identified photos with a relatively large proportion of skin tone, and after a visual inspection of photos suspicious images were reported to the police. The practice became known when a grandparent who kept pics of a grandchild was prosecuted; the grandparent was eventually cleared in court, after the court satisfied themselves that there was a fair resemblance.

There are also reports of 'security services' intercepting intra-company mail from foreign companies competing with domestic ones : this was reported concerning several German and French industrial companies.

Given the age of the laptop, and that the original poster already has a new computer I'd be tempted to retire the old computer.

There are occasional reports of harddisks from scrapped computers being recovered and sold on the second hand market, with data recoverable. You will be aware that formatting a disk only changes one character in the filename, thus marking the space occupied as free to write? Therefore the following suggestion :

When retiring the computer one should give thought to booting from a live Linux USB drive, copying the sensitive files, then overwriting the free space so that casually browsing technicians and follow-on users can not gain access to files.

And if you decide to scrap, recycle, or donate the computer, consider removing the harddisk : it's not that difficult, you do not need to be concerned about damage to the circuitry, and this allows you to keep the disk somewhere under your control till the documents are no longer sensitive : business quotes, contracts and reports loose their value to competitors in just a few years.

And if you've been 'up to no good' : only right that you should be found out, I'd say.

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a page from the floppy disc era
May 1, 2015 9:02PM PDT

Don't put the sensitive data on the computer's main drive. It's too late for you this time but maybe with your new computer you can try this. Back when (yes I'm that OLD) the personal computer first came out they used cassette tapes and floppy drives. Your data was always removed from the computer because there wasn't enough internal storage to hold it. So you took your data with you and the computer was not a storage risk. More often you lost your data by misplacing the data media or the media broke down.

So take a page from the floppy disc era. Use an external drive, a large flash drive or a second internal drive for the sensitive data. That way the data does not have to remain with the computer when it is sent out for repairs.

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Taking the HDD out before sending it to a PC Tech
May 3, 2015 3:52AM PDT

Here in Brazil 3 years ago a famous actress sent her laptop for repairs, the tech found she had some... let's say, compromising selfies in it, made a copy and tried to blackmail her.. in the end he sent the photos to the web, making her life a bit miserable.
As a PC tech myself, I offer the option of removing and letting the hdd in the owner's home (carefully protected, of course), while I take the rest to fix.
When it's a hdd format (or any other hdd mess) issue, I keep a data destroyer program (DBAN) to clean my own hdd after I backup the files then back to the original hdd. Of course, I explain to the client all the details.

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How can I safeguard my computer's data
May 4, 2015 4:28AM PDT
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Take the hardrive out !!
May 4, 2015 12:35PM PDT

Never send your computer anywhere with your hard drive in it unless you want to allow them to access your data, for example to fix your Windows software installation from virus infection.
No good computer repair place requires your own hard drive to test and repair the computer. If they want to test it they will boot it off a Linux distro with investigative tools that are not even available for Windows.
They may find there is nothing wrong with your computer and it was your own hard drive that was the problem.
You should do some basic investigation yourself before you send it anywhere.
Put your Windows XP CD in andreboot your computer does it boot into the Windows CD ?
If it does boot into the Windows CD the hard drive is most likely the problem...
If it doesn't boot into the Windows CD and you know your CD drive was working properly, the computer may need repair, take your hard drive out and send it for repair.

Also, If it does boot into the Windows CD...
Get a new hard drive and a USB hard drive caddy. Put the new hard drive in your laptop and run your Windows CD to install Windows on it.
Put the old hard drive in the USB hard drive caddy connect it to USB and see if your new installation of Windows can access the old hard drive as an external hard drive.
If it can you can copy your files off it.
If it can't detect the old hard drive as an external device then that old hard drive is probably physically damaged and your data may only be able to be retrieved by specialized data recovery.