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OT: Need feedback on a laptops hardrive

islandcreation

islandcreation

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I have a IBM thinkpad and the hardrive finally went out. Is it safe to take the hardrive out and sell the laptop? Or is there still personal info on the laptop itself? Please educate me on if its a good idea or bad. Thanks
 
NP.. All your data are on the hard drive. Good luck selling it.. What model is it?

Next time you can post stuff like this here
http://www.bareefers.org/discussion/index.php?board=7.0

Look like the mod had moved your thread :) ..
 
I'd flash your memory first as it can be pulled out even with no HD in place.
 
[quote author=GreshamH link=topic=4367.msg52968#msg52968 date=1219160470]
I'd flash your memory first as it can be pulled out even with no HD in place.
[/quote]

Now thats beyond what I can do, unless its a easy process. Thanks for giving me the heads up on that.
 
I have to disagree with Gresham on that, Once you shut the power off what's in your memory is gone for good. I'd like to see a story where someone can retrieve data from RAM that's been turned off.
 
[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=4367.msg52981#msg52981 date=1219165469]
I have to disagree with Gresham on that, Once you shut the power off what's in your memory is gone for good. I'd like to see a story where someone can retrieve data from RAM that's been turned off.
[/quote]

I agree, there is no stored memory in the RAM, other than the BIOS on the MB, flahisg that is risky, because if its incomplete or corrupted it could be impossible to rebuild the BIOs and you end up with a POSPW.
 
IIRC CIA protocol is to flash it so there is some concern some place that it can in fact hold data :)

Non of my past machines have been usable so I have never had to worry about that. My mother boards usually get fried and I strip them before giving them to recycling :) Sure I have a pile of old RAM, but hey, I have a pile of old RAM :)
 
Google dram data remanence for some cool geeky reading.

Here's some interesting stuff:

http://www.usenix.org/events/sec01/full_papers/gutmann/gutmann_html/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_boot_attack

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_remanence
 
[quote author=Mr. Ugly link=topic=4367.msg53001#msg53001 date=1219173894]
Google dram data remanence for some cool geeky reading.

Here's some interesting stuff:

http://www.usenix.org/events/sec01/full_papers/gutmann/gutmann_html/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_boot_attack

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_remanence
[/quote]

haha, total geekfest. The memory stored in DRAM will be dependent on the reference HD, if the original HD is not present you can't cold boot.

When you power down your laptop to remove the HD (before which you should remove the battery to protect the comp) the electro-decay in the DRAM will occur probably in minutes, after an hour there should be no remanence data left.

Do any of you guys OC? I got into it over the last year, not for gaming but actually for work.

Cheers,

Josh
 
[quote author=islandcreation link=topic=4367.msg53013#msg53013 date=1219176477]
Wow, never knew a topic like this would have so much input. Thanks for everyone advice. So the verdict is I'm fine, correct?
[/quote]

haha, you know you're in Silicon Valley if:
 
again with data retentionof seconds to minutes at room temperature and "a full week without refresh when cooled with liquid nitrogen."
Click to expand...

CIA protocol aside I think you're safe leaving the ram in there, personally I'd wipe the HD with NSA protocol methods which I'm sure you can find a freeware program to do it, just to add a bit more resale value to the laptop.
 
BIOS does store some data such as Asset info, company name, system name... Those info are there ONLY if you input it in. You can reset the BIOS easily by reset it to factory setting. Should be in one of the option. Just look in there.

If you can remove the keyboard, there is a BIOS battery on the system board that you can remove and it will reset the BIOS also. The new Dell Laptop doesn't have removable battery so you can't do that.
 
[quote author=MontanaBay link=topic=4367.msg53009#msg53009 date=1219175139]When you power down your laptop to remove the HD (before which you should remove the battery to protect the comp) the electro-decay in the DRAM will occur probably in minutes, after an hour there should be no remanence data left.[/quote]

Yah, those links were more for the sake of what's possible vs. what's probable.

I do have a liquid nitrogen dispenser about 150' down the hall though :D
 
Anyone got access to an electron microscope? I have some stuff that would be a blast to take photos of :) I know Lawrence Livermore has one and they used to be itching for stuff to look at.
 
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