sboots wrote:
jaylach wrote:
One should NEVER keep personal data on their system drive... Just my opinion.
That's a good piece of advice, but advice that very few would actually follow. Most people would purchase a system with a single drive for system and data -- especially since most people are using laptops and tablets these days. And most people don't spend the little extra for an external drive. You are I are the oddities with multiple systems and terabytes of storage.
I don't even remember how many external drives I actually have these days! I know that I have two on my desk that are actively used as backup locations connected to two different PCs. I have a bunch in the cabinet that I haven't used in quite some time.
-steve
I agree, Steve, that most will not have an external or separate internal drive for such things but we are talking specifically about BB in this thread and he does, in fact, have such drives. Still, that applies to his usable systems, not this 15 year old machine.
One thing that I question is that he has nothing personal on this 15 year old system. Yes, I can understand trying to protect stuff that may be there from the previous owner but I just can't go with the extreme concern for data on such a drive.
Is there a possible risk? Of course there is but what are the chances? Sure, an intact formatted (not a quick format through Windows) system drive MAY have stuff one would not want out there but the chances of this happening through a recycle center is next to zero. Just the cost of delving into every drive that came in would make this kind of checking totally out of the picture.
As I think it is known I have taken in computers and parts to put together systems that I donate to families with kids that can't afford a system. I have never worried about this kind of security concern as the systems are going to people that have to be shown how to start the danged thing. Should I destroy the drive and not be able to donate?
I just believe that this is a totally over blown concern. Face it, if someone is going to crack your drive after a recycle they already have while it was active on a system. Actually I believe an active drive is much more susceptible to potential attacks than one that is scrapped.
Mayhaps I'm wrong but I would NEVER destroy a drive that I might be able to use in a potential donation system.
