Bought a laptop with someone's stuff still on it..

[sammyc]

Bought a spares & repairs machine off ebay (where else), turned out to still have someone's files & folders on, from around 8 years ago. Including photos letters cvs etc (as far as I can tell; I have only checked out one likely-looking file to see if I could get contact details.)

Have sent an email to the address I found, which did not bounce back or anything, but no reply. Obviously it's a bit difficult not to make it sound like 'I have your laptop!' (slight sinister overtones) but I did my best.. still, they have either not opened, it's gone to spam or not been seen at all.

The seller sold it as not working ie won't turn on, & had other similar machines. Seller's name & address unrelated to owner's. How likely is it that someone would pass a machine on in an above board way with their stuff on - laziness or not bothered - is it more common than I think? Surely not that likely, with family photos & personal info? Failing that being the reason, would you go to further trouble to track them down - it's no trouble to me to hang onto it indefinitely as it was cheap but the intention was to sell it on. Just wondered what would you do..

[Ferral]

Back the stuff up to a DVD if possible or a pen drive then keep it for a few months to see if they contact you, if not destroy said DVD.

At least this way you can format the machine and start using it.

[sammyc]

I did wonder about that, as otherwise I'd definitely have visions of them getting in touch the day after I'd done something. Would that cover anything they could possibly want off it? I keep thinking there would be something I'd miss in doing that.. something that would get lost along the way.. logically not, but just thinking all round it..

[Ttaskmaster]

Could you not contact the seller via eBay?

[sammyc]

I can but.. as I say I'm fairly sure it's not originally theirs and/or been passed on to sell by a friend or family, & can't really ask where they got it & was it by legitimate means..

[Macman]

Try a google search on the email address?

Try searching the email address via Facebook?

You may already attempted this but an idea.

[jim]

You did say the material is 8 years old. On a moral level, I wouldn't feel bad at making a reasonable effort to communicate and then leaving it in their hands (as you seem to have done).

If you fancy doing some detective work, then obviously there's nothing to stop you, but I wouldn't feel obliged to do it.

[mikeo01]

Well assuming it isn't the original owners on eBay if there is email address, phone number etc you could track them down. Email address wise if they pop up and it is outdated you could search for their images (Google Image) to see if something pops up. Reverse tracing ideas.

Phone number on CV? Give them a phone I would you never know, they could be breaking their hearts over their lost memories (not to make you feel awful or anything!)

That said I assume said person had backed everything up and chucked the computer up for sale or something.

Besides if they haven't overwritten the data I would be fairly certain most of the personal stuff you'll find to be in your bog standard locations "My documents" and "Pictures".

[peterb]

I guess your concern is that it has ben nicked, and then fenced on E-bay?

[sammyc]

Lost, stolen, or in some way not passed on voluntarily, I suppose.. it just has the look of a machine someone hasn't finished with if you know what I mean. Or maybe people really do just pass on things as casually as that.

Try a google search on the email address?

Try searching the email address via Facebook?

You may already attempted this but an idea.

A search for the email brought up nothing, & I don't really do Facebook, so that would be my last resort. Searching for the name isn't conclusive.

Well assuming it isn't the original owners on eBay if there is email address, phone number etc you could track them down. Email address wise if they pop up and it is outdated you could search for their images (Google Image) to see if something pops up. Reverse tracing ideas.

Phone number on CV? Give them a phone I would you never know, they could be breaking their hearts over their lost memories (not to make you feel awful or anything!)

Well I was hoping for an email back immediately saying pretty much that gutted to have lost their photos, thrilled to get it back, mystery solved, etc etc. A 'no reply' doesn't answer anything really.. all I have is an address which would seem to have person/s of that surname still living there; phone appears to be ex-direc. That leaves some sort of letter which is a much less appealing choice than email. Could still go astray, & they may have had the email & ignored it, in which case after 2 types of contact I could start to look like a pest..

That said I assume said person had backed everything up and chucked the computer up for sale or something. Besides if they haven't overwritten the data I would be fairly certain most of the personal stuff you'll find to be in your bog standard locations "My documents" and "Pictures".

Thanks. I do doubt they would need the actual machine desperately & want to start recovering files from it etc, but just on the off-chance I would much rather they'd popped up and said 'yes send machine back to me plz'. I haven't looked at any more than 1 of the files - on the basis I wouldn't want someone to do so in my shoes.

To write or not to write.

[OilSheikh]

I would hold the data owner hostage until he/she paid you a good sum.

Kidding...

[Domestic_Ginger]

Any compromising pictures? Blackmail was my first thought too :\

Letter; wait two weeks then format it. You could always burn it onto a DVD then format. I reckon two weeks should cover any holiday.

[sammyc]

You blackguards No idea about compromising content as I haven't looked (I know, there aren't many like me around.. ahem, polishes halo..) Seriously I wouldn't unless I had absolute reason to.

The original email was a while ago already so it's less a matter of on holiday etc, & more of whether they just haven't opened it/not seen it, for whatever reason. It's no odds to me really whether it sits on a shelf indefinitely; I would have liked a yes do/no don't want it answer out of curiosity as much as anything.

Has anyone here bought an unformatted 2nd hand machine, does it happen much? Can't imagine many on here selling one on, I have no idea if I'm underestimating how common it is though.

[stevie lee]

you cant underestimate the lack of knowledge of the average computer user.

I've been given a few scrap machines over the years that because they didn't turn on, the owner thought the data was not retrievable.

one I saw, they were shocked when I logged on as another user on the machine (that had admin rights) went into explorer, clicked C:\windows\users\<theirname> gave myself access rights and then looked at all their files (they were sat next to me when I did that)
"but you don't know my password. how can you see all my files?" "i thought they were protected by my password?"


I'm sure many on here have similar experiences.


all my old hardrives, i've disposed of via the 'unscrew/drill out the screws on the case, wodge the platters out with a big screwdriver, see how long it takes the smash with a big hammer' method.

i've got 4 more that need destroying, maybe I should do a video of it

[herulach]

I've had 2 machines with stuff on I bought as spares/repai (one for a screen the other for a hinge) both had data on. Your general dude in the street doesn't really think of it I don't think.

[sammyc]

you cant underestimate the lack of knowledge of the average computer user...

This is the 3rd machine I have bought on the premise that it doesn't work/doesn't turn on; you get a feel for listings where 'doesn't work' means I haven't bothered to try it or the battery's dead. I'd like to fondly imagine I'm not quite in the ranks of the examples you speak of, nowadays, but I would probably be on very dodgy ground.

You get through hard drives, don't you..?

I've had 2 machines with stuff on I bought as spares/repai (one for a screen the other for a hinge) both had data on. Your general dude in the street doesn't really think of it I don't think.

I can see how people would maybe pass on their own machine, it's the fact this doesn't seem likely to be the seller's that made me doubtful. Interesting to hear it does go on, thanks.