I Own a Computer Repair Shop

If you're going to get rid of a computer. Run CCleaner or something similar, then find a family member you trust to remove your personal data. Better yet, learn how to do it yourself.

Old people and people to whom money is no concern -- those are my main customers

in the later category, they could easily just buy a new computer, but need me for data recovery

to those of you who don't back up your files -- you *will* lose them one day -- though maybe a guy like me can get them back

just don't let me find anything illegal, or your ass is grass, and I'll be the mower

And you are what we in the IT industry call a undercover voyeur. Ive seen creeps like you run “computer shops”. When a good looking lady comes in the door you take her computer and go straight for the Photos folder.Im sure you slip a few onto a USB drive for later too, OP.

Ive owned a IT business for 20 years and while you are correct about imaging customers dives and copying personal data, I never look through someones personal shit. I just back up all and replace after a format etc.

Who the fuck gives you the right to play police with peoples lives?
Granted, If I saw CP from a glance I would call police. But for fucks sake man, I'm not so deluded to think I’m some super sleuth on every customers computer to uncover nudes.

Your a degenerate. Plain and simple.

Go mow your mothers fat hairy ass

As I type this I'm using a vintage Windows ME box, 866 MHz Pentium III, 384 MB RAM. KernelEx installed, which allows me to use newer programs that aren't designed for Win9x.

There have been other updates for Win9x by a dedicated community... you can still browse the web, albeit not 100% of course, but I'm still able to get around with it... and I've yet to come across another Operating System that I trust, except for maybe something like Puppy Linux.

I'm using Retrozilla web browser which supports the latest TLS 1.2 encryption. Which is another BS scam to force people onto the latest, greatest web browsers. It's ridiculous, people throw away perfectly good hardware because some version of FireFox, Opera, or Chrome won't load.... JUST BECAUSE GOOGLE OR MICROSOFT says so. Horse shit. I've literally received several free computers over the years because people just blindly toss them once they get scared into "updating their insecure browser."

Guess my point is, I've never taken this computer into a shop in twenty years. Sure, I've formatted it plenty of times and had to re-install, but never will I need to activate or register this computer online. Microsoft didn't implement that BS until Windows XP.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing illegal on my computer. Just tons of old DOS games, windows games, source code that I've accumulated for years, and other old versions of software. And my photography. Yes, you can actually process photos on Windows 9x. Shocking!!!! XnView, IrfanView, FastStone Image Viewer, CompuPic Pro, PhotoFiltre 7.... they all work on Windows 9x. Surprise!! Maybe not the latest bloatware versions, but that doesn't matter.

But for privacy, a computer shop is the last place I'd trust with it. And you basically confirm what I already thought: some sleazy dude is snooping through everything.

Well, whatever. To each their own. People should really be less trusting, and actually learn how to fix their own computer! But after 20 years, my machine is tweaked just the way I like it. I can still do enough with it. Everybody falls for that horseshit that just because you're browser is old, you gotta toss your whole computer.

And no, I don't do online banking on it!

looks like we have a "pizza" lover here --

I'd love to get hold of your hard drive , so I could get you sent to "pound me in the ass" prison for a loooong time

OPie have you ever planted CP on Chad's\Stacey's\a rude customer's machine? And if not--why the Hell not?

because, I wouldn't want to harm an innocent person

I'm only interested in ruining the lives of pedos

it's always so satisfying, making that call to the police, then turning over the drives

knowing that some lowlife is about to have his life destroyed ...

Windows ME guy again...

At the very least, people should have CCleaner or some other History/Privacy deleting program on their computer. And run it before either selling the computer or taking it to a repair shop. That way all your internet passwords won't be stored in your browser... you know, passwords for you email and banking accounts, and whatever.

Backing up your "stuff" is another matter. Most people don't organize shit. They just dump everything into the "My Folder" directory or their "My Picture" directory... and they end up with 1 million files there. The concept of organization and backing up at regular intervals will never cross their minds. Sorry.

If you're going to get rid of a computer. Run CCleaner or something similar, then find a family member you trust to remove your personal data. Better yet, learn how to do it yourself.

I've come across second-hand laptops where people never cleared their cookies, passwords, cache, and browsing history. You can just log into their Gmail account by going to Google because the browser settings remember the password. It's crazy. People will just dump those off at the pawn shop without a second thought. And the people who work there, don't seem any smarter about doing the bare minimum of removing personal data.

Old people and people to whom money is no concern -- those are my main customers

in the later category, they could easily just buy a new computer, but need me for data recovery

to those of you who don't back up your files -- you *will* lose them one day -- though maybe a guy like me can get them back

just don't let me find anything illegal, or your ass is grass, and I'll be the mower

Windows ME guy again...

At the very least, people should have CCleaner or some other History/Privacy deleting program on their computer. And run it before either selling the computer or taking it to a repair shop. That way all your internet passwords won't be stored in your browser... you know, passwords for you email and banking accounts, and whatever.

Backing up your "stuff" is another matter. Most people don't organize shit. They just dump everything into the "My Folder" directory or their "My Picture" directory... and they end up with 1 million files there. The concept of organization and backing up at regular intervals will never cross their minds. Sorry.

If you're going to get rid of a computer. Run CCleaner or something similar, then find a family member you trust to remove your personal data. Better yet, learn how to do it yourself.

I've come across second-hand laptops where people never cleared their cookies, passwords, cache, and browsing history. You can just log into their Gmail account by going to Google because the browser settings remember the password. It's crazy. People will just dump those off at the pawn shop without a second thought. And the people who work there, don't seem any smarter about doing the bare minimum of removing personal data.

You realise that can find fully-functioning old i3s with 4GB RAM in skips outside offices, don't you? And that Windows has been full of backholes since 95 onwards? (Though I suppose you're mostly safe, as no exploit is going to be targeting 9x machines.)

I mean, I'm all for recycling older tech, but at some point, you've just got to move on.

Anyway... for anonymous browsing, try creating a virtual HD with VeraCrypt and running a portable browser on it. Even better if you use an encrypted USB stick that you remove when not in use (if ME can recognise such cutting edge technology, that is--even Win 7 doesn't natively recognise USB 3.0 ports.)

You realise that can find fully-functioning old i3s with 4GB RAM in skips outside offices, don't you? And that Windows has been full of backholes since 95 onwards? (Though I suppose you're mostly safe, as no exploit is going to be targeting 9x machines.)

I mean, I'm all for recycling older tech, but at some point, you've just got to move on.

Anyway... for anonymous browsing, try creating a virtual HD with VeraCrypt and running a portable browser on it. Even better if you use an encrypted USB stick that you remove when not in use (if ME can recognise such cutting edge technology, that is--even Win 7 doesn't natively recognise USB 3.0 ports.)

As cheap as ssd are nowdays why would anyone go to a fucking repair shop. You business is dead.

OP is literally a peeping Tom who secretly spies on his customers' private stuff, breaking the trust placed in him as a professional. What a lowlife. I'd bet he saves anything illegal he finds for himself before ratting out the customer to the police in an attempt to fake moral virtue.

In related news, the guy who reports a dead body found in the woods is always the prime suspect of the murder! Criminals often think acting sanctimonious and calling the cops will protect them, but it really just draws the police's attention to them.

hey Computer Shop guy, you're not doing anyone a service. The NSA already has all the data.

If you bring a computer into my shop, first thing I'm going to do is image the hard drives.

Next, I'm searching for all media and personal files.

If I don't have time, I'll search through the image I took later

If I find anything illegal, I'm calling the police.

I don't get paid for that -- it's a public service, to keep our kids safe

Lol. No they don't. They can barely keep track of Hunter Biden.