What would you do if you?

[ChantelleCD]

Ok so.... I have a dilemma. This probably wont be a great deal for a large proportion of you but what do you think?

My Macbook has just conked out, I've only had it for 10 months so its still under warranty. I need to take it back to the store for them to take a look at it, HOWEVER... all my pics are on my desktop. So once/if they get it working, I'm outed to some random people in an Apple store. I know this wont be an issue to a lot of you peeps out the closet and who are happy to walk around in the shops during the day. But for me, to say the least am pooing myself at the prospect of walking into a shop with more or less everybody knowing my private life! :o Errrrr what shall I do? Take it to the shop and enjoy the embarrassment as its likely to turn out that way or live a life without my Macbook Pro??
Heeelllpppp!!

Chantelle X

[BRANDYJ]

I would feel just like you. So what I would do is copy all pictures or other very personal and private things to a removable media. That is IF my notebook is able to boot up to access those files and pictures. But if it won't boot at all, then I guess I'd have to take it in and hope they don't snoop. But if they did, they probably have already seen it all. I'd have to trust that they will respect my privacy and not say a word to even me.

[Mary Morgan]

I'd worry less about who sees my photos at the Mac store, and be more concerned with losing them if they clear the memory of your device.

[GG Kathy]

I have to agree with Mary on that one. Besides a lot of places send the work out. The people in the store may never even see the "inside" of your computer.

[DJBelhaden]

I understand your feelings: getting outed could have very serious consequences to your life. But I don't think you have to worry, because the technicians don't have time to snoop. They need to get your computer fixed and out because there's another right behind it. Also, they have their own interests, and they're not interested in you.

But if you're not reassured, you can always take the machine to another shop, in another city, or another neighborhood.

Enjoy our hobby!

DJ

[Roberta Marie]

I really doubt if you have anything to worry about. I suspect that the techs are so busy that they will not take the time to see what is on your computer, other than perhaps a scan to find any corrupted files that might be causing the problem. And if they should come across any pictures, I seriously doubt that they care, unless they contain children. Child pornography they would probably report to authorities, but adult men dressed in women's clothes, they would not blink an eye to. They've probably had machines with much more graphic porn come across their bench.

I think that those of us in the closet worry about things that are not worth worrying about. Once we come out of the closet, one of the great lessons that we learn is that most people could care less about how we dress.

Just my opinion.

[Gina X]

There is a piece of equipment I'm not sure what it's called that allows you to take the HD out of your computer and save the contents to another computer then you can wipe the HD and put it back in the faulty machine. Tricky I know and you need to be a bit of a Teckie to do it. The other thing that comes to mind is if it is a power problem, pattern power supplies are available very cheaply on E-bay, my son just bought a brand new one under G'tee for his Samsung laptop for £5.50 inc post which isn't too bad, The other very long shot is to find a CD compuer engineer locally and see if they could help.I hope some of this is of use to you................

[DebsUK]

It does depend on what's wrong with your computer (and I'm no expert, expecially with Macs), but are you able to use a boot disc to start it up? Is the problem the monitor so you might be able to connect it to an external monitor and manipulate the files? Are you able to borrow anthe computer and share the files?

The worst case scenario, you take it to the Apple Store, they see your pictures. What then? OK, you may be a little embarassed collecting your newly repaired machine, but do you know anyone there? I know they will know someone who knows someone who maybe knows you (the old 5 degrees of separation thing), but at the very worst it would get back to someone as "We had this guy brought his computer in and it had loads of pics with him dressed as a woman!". Even if they find their way online somehow, who cares? You aren't doing anything illegal, immoral or fattening (unlike, say, Gary Glitter) and will anyone really know it's you under the makeup and dresses? The pics wouldn't end up in the New of the World, OK, Hello or even Carp Fishing Today. And if anything did happen you'd have a very good case against the store and might be able to take them to the cleaners

[Misty G]

Mostly they only want to fix the computer. i personally would fix it myself as I have done many times. I have been known to work on friends computers and never snoop. I only snooped one time and it was my step daughters and probably saw things I wasn't supposed to but I kept it to myself.

[MarcyRex]

As a former Sysadmin and PC repair person, I'd have to agree that we see many electronic footprints that provide insights into the user. Professional and/or experienced techies don't really care except if it crosses the legal line of mandatory reporting, ie child porn. What I have done in the past, is for those customers who are obviously embarrassed, concerned and ask for discretion I provide reassurance, quick lesson on privacy settings and recommendation for software anon proxies.
The first couple of times it was chuckling and a couple of OMGs I didn't know that about that person, but seeing how common the sex drive is and diverse in the variety, I don't bother anymore unless formally tasked to investigate.

[msniki48]

The way i see it Chantelle....you don'y look anything like that model in the computer in male mode...so you take pics of an aspiring model!:battingeyelashes:

Based on the avatar:daydreaming:

[LitaKelley]

What it boils down to really is this.. What's more important to you.. Having your Mac back up and running, or your "secret" remaining a "secret".... Yes, maybe some random strangers might see something, but don't fret.. you'll probably never even see these people ever again, unless of course you frequent this apple store often

[joannemarie barker]

well if they're pics of you Chantelle they'll probably think the pics are of your gf :)

[Breannah]

well if they're pics of you Chantelle they'll probably think the pics are of your gf :)
Id completely agree, You not only look 100% passable in ur pic, you look damn hot!

[Ressie]

If you give more details of what is wrong with the macbook maybe someone can help you get it working long enough to back up your files. What happens when you attempt to boot?

[Christie ann]

no second thoughts, get the computer fixed. Perhaps you will get a date out of the whole thing???

[sara1985]

The way i see it Chantelle....you don'y look anything like that model in the computer in male mode...so you take pics of an aspiring model!:battingeyelashes:

Based on the avatar:daydreaming:



That's what I was thinking too.

[Cheryl T]

Unless they are pics of you in a "compromising" position then I wouldn't worry about it.

[Fab Karen]

As others are saying, EVERYONE won't know. Secondly, based on your avatar, they'd assume it was some cute chick you know.

[Inna]

I've got one, let your facial hair grow enough that comparative recognition shall be null. Then go to the furthest store in furthest city, distance you feel comfortable with and have it fixed. On the other hand, this might be the sign from heavens that its time, babe! Then just go to the nearest store ask them to fix it, and await what shall come next :)

[dawnmarrie1961]

As a former owner of a computer repair shop I have had some first hand experience with handling situations like this. It is a matter of professional ethics. Any good and reputable establishment would have a policy not to disclose, or copy without permission, any data contained on the computers they are working on. That includes giving information to law enforcement. I've had estranged wifes come in demanding to have me disclose what websites or photos that their husband had on his computer. I would politely explain our policy of non disclosure.

[Kimburly]

There are times when we must trust a professional to act like a professional. No problems in my recent experience with a computer tech, and my machine is full of lifestyle info.
It does need a leap of faith, though.

[cassandra.932]

Hi,

Most engineer would not bother what is in the computer or would not have the time to. However, there is still a possibility in which you cannot rule out.

If you really do not feel confortable. You may have to spend a little.

I am not sure about Mac, but Dell in this part of the world does provide phone and on-site support if you signed up for it. The technician would advise on the phone. And arrange for on-site support. Should they need to replace any component you can watch what they are doing. Should it be necessary to replace the hard disk you can insist you wish to keep the old one. That way you can be sure no one has access to the information.

My view is, if you have anything confidential, my advise is never dispose of your hard disk in whatever circumstances. Always remove them and keep it whenever you replace your PC/laptops. For mobile phone, always keep them and never recycle or sell them. You can't recover much cost from those items anyway.

[Chastitycd]

Coming from someone who works on computers on the side, as long as its a hardware problem take the hard drive out before you take it to them. A decent repair tech will have a hard drive with the diagnostic tools they use already loaded on it and will use it anyway. If its a software issue, you can get a wipe program off then net usually for free, wipe the hard drive then either re-install the OS (which usually fixes a software problem) or take it in with a clean hard drive.

[nvlady]

The technician that works on your computer won't know whether a man or a woman brought it in, and when he sees a womans picture on it he will just see a womans picture. He will have no time or reason to give it more than a glance.

[busker]

Ok so.... I have a dilemma. This probably wont be a great deal for a large proportion of you but what do you think?

My Macbook has just conked out, I've only had it for 10 months so its still under warranty. I need to take it back to the store for them to take a look at it, HOWEVER... all my pics are on my desktop. So once/if they get it working, I'm outed to some random people in an Apple store. I know this wont be an issue to a lot of you peeps out the closet and who are happy to walk around in the shops during the day. But for me, to say the least am pooing myself at the prospect of walking into a shop with more or less everybody knowing my private life! :o Errrrr what shall I do? Take it to the shop and enjoy the embarrassment as its likely to turn out that way or live a life without my Macbook Pro??
Heeelllpppp!!

Chantelle X

it is someone else's computer but I think you are right to be a little concerned. After all, it will be you that gets outed, and unless you really want that, think twice. Having worked in a photo store many years ago, I can tell you, that people DO LOOK and sometimes copy so in your neighborhood, someone might eventually see your stuff, because unless you lie about your name when you take your lappy in, they will know y9ur name and wht is on your pc. When this kid in Arizona shot the Congresswoman, the folks at Walmart got his pictures from the bin and gave them to police so folks know who is who and what is what. He was wearing some g-string thing holding a gun.
You didn't say exactly what was wrong, but if it will boot, you could reinstall the os, which won't damage your pics, only the original programs will be replaced. I always save to portable media, thumb drives are just to cheap now to not do it that way.
More info on whats wrong might get someone here to assist you in a better way. That is if you haven't already gone to the shoppe.
good luck:2c:

[NatalieBliss]

Unless your pics are marked "me crossdressing" or something similar I think you are probably going to be fine keeping your secret a secret.

[Christy_M]

I couldn't live without my computer for any length of time. I would be mortified knowing what was going to be found and would already have the movie of the week played out in my mind. Then the fear of laughter when I went in to pick up my fixed device. Then, as I walk out of the store with my recently repaired life force the realization comes over me that all was unfounded and none of it actually happened. We really do make assumptions about the way we will be perscuted by the masses with torches and pitchforks and at the end of the day, if it does happen it will be someone insignificant in our lives that we will probably never see again.

[lingerieLiz]

OK for all of you who have pictures etc. on your computer when it crashes. Go to a quality repair shop and tell them you want to purchase a new drive for your computer since it crashed and it has legal, sensitive and propritary information on it. You would like them to remove your old drive and replace it with the new one while you watch. DO NOT LET IT OUT OF YOUR SITE! The tech can simply remove the old drive without booting the machine up. Hand you your old drive. Insert the new drive and rebuild your machine/software. At that point buy an external housing for your old drive. Tech can insert it into the housing for you. Then take it home and plug it into your newly restored computer. Once the directry shows you then can move files at your leisure at home.

Next get yourself software that lets you encrypt a directory or what ever and keep your secret life on it.
Last but not least. Because you deleted the files they still reside on the disc. Formating only keeps the amatures out. I have recovered files that were formated over several times. You must wipe your disc clean by writing over every bit on the disc. Several times if you don't want big brother to read it.

[Maddie]

I go to people's huoses everday and see alot of things

Unless it involves child porn or sedition I could care less

You know what the say " What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"

Plus if things got arround then the customer base goes to crap

Return bussniess is the key

[SuzanneBender]

I am sure the techies see lots of stuff a lot worse than you crossdressed. Here is how I would handle it. And yes I do still have at least foot in the closet.

Don't take it to your local Apple store take it to the next closest one. Ask them to do the repair. Then when you go pick it up look the technician in the eye, who is assuredly a stranger because you are not in your home town, and say, "don't say your not impressed" while giving him or her a wink.

If the technician knows about your pictures he will be so flabbergasted that he will have no idea what to say and if he hasn't seen your pictures he will be so confused he won't know what to say. Either way its fun to mess with the 20 something computer geeks behind the counter. I just consider it revenge for all the time the help desk people at work give us a hard time for not being masters of our virtual world.

[MargaretJ]

If my computer went down and I had to send it of, I would be apprehensive, but I would rely on their profesionalism not to disclose to third parties my personal information. I'm sure companies would not want word getting round that they could not be trusted with confidential/personal information.

Also if it involved pictures, I'm sure you could get them for breach of copyright.

[Maria 60]

A close relative of mine fixes computers, he doesn't like to spend to much time on them, so he will reformat the computer first thing. You lose everything but i got in the habit of saving most of my stuff on mini disks. He only fixes his relatives or close friends computers as he does it to help people out. I was at his house about a week ago and a friend had dropped his computer to him. He stared to do threw his friend pictures and his past history. I asked him what he was doing, he told me everyone has a skeleton in there closet and if your going to find it your going to find it in there computer. I guess everyone loves dirty laundry. I now know where not to bring my computer.

[Kathi Lake]

Chantelle, If you have an external hard drive, try booting from your Install DVD. Hook up your external hard drive and, if your internal hard drive is at least working, you can copy all of your pictures off and delete them. Of course, due to time pressures, I seriously doubt the tech will look at much of anything anyway.

Kathi

[PretzelGirl]

One thing that hasn't been discussed is what to do after this trip. If you are going to be apprehensive about what is on your drive, then I would recommend having an encrypted section so if it has to go in for repair, the techs can't see it, at least without some major hacking. And they certainly don't have time for that. True Crypt is one offering and is available for the PC, Linux, and Mac.

If you are afraid of what they are going to see on your hard drive, then the pictures may be the tip of the iceberg. Can they see all your email? Tax forms from Turbotax? Use something like Quicken? These people get computers all day long so they have to be grounded in recognizing the privacy of their clients because each computer probably has something critical to the owner on it.

[Ginger]

Chantelle

If the pictures look as good as your avatar I would not worry but as stated previously go further away and get it fixed remember the 60 mile rule. All the best
Ginger

[ReineD]

Coming from someone who works on computers on the side, as long as its a hardware problem take the hard drive out before you take it to them. A decent repair tech will have a hard drive with the diagnostic tools they use already loaded on it and will use it anyway. If its a software issue, you can get a wipe program off then net usually for free, wipe the hard drive then either re-install the OS (which usually fixes a software problem) or take it in with a clean hard drive.

:yt:

Same thing happened to me. I brought my Macbook Pro to an Apple certified place in a city two hours way and left it there so they could run diagnostics. Since they were so far away, I had them remove the hard drive, since they don't need it to run diagnostics, and I put it in an external hard drive case ($20) that comes with USB cables so that I could plug it into my older G5 and still use my files.

[qaws123uk]

I dont really know Macs but when my PC laptop wouldnt boot up I took out the hard drive and backed up the data to another computer.

I did need to put the hard drive into a special enclosure thing which I could then plug into the USB of another computer.

Maybe you can do same for your laptop??