Laptop Repair and Paranoia

[Jo_anna]

Ahh! My laptop's on it's way out and I need to replace the hard drive.

My boyfriend's friend has offered to replace it, buy it, install it for around £70 (£10 labor, £60 for the new hard drive).

It's an awesome favor he's doing for me but I just couldn't give him my laptop just now even though he could take it away and get it fixed soonish and I'd just have to send him the money.

But now I feel anxious and paranoid about giving him my laptop. I've never let anyone look through my computer since my mum used to go through my pc and it didn't end well. I still get anxious when I let people use my computer.

It's something I've just realized really but knew was always there. I just hate feeling like I have something to hide and not being able to trust someone.

I don't know what to do. I could get my laptop repaired by a random person who I won't see again and won't have to worry about them finding out something about me I don't want them to know. But it would cost more money and probably offend my friend and make me seem ungreatful :( I already feel so bad for not just giving it to him just now without any real valid reason I could tell him :(

[fozzy is crying]

Ahh! My laptop's on it's way out and I need to replace the hard drive.

My boyfriend's friend has offered to replace it, buy it, install it for around £70 (£10 labor, £60 for the new hard drive).

It's an awesome favor he's doing for me but I just couldn't give him my laptop just now even though he could take it away and get it fixed soonish and I'd just have to send him the money.

But now I feel anxious and paranoid about giving him my laptop. I've never let anyone look through my computer since my mum used to go through my pc and it didn't end well. I still get anxious when I let people use my computer.

It's something I've just realized really but knew was always there. I just hate feeling like I have something to hide and not being able to trust someone.

I don't know what to do. I could get my laptop repaired by a random person who I won't see again and won't have to worry about them finding out something about me I don't want them to know. But it would cost more money and probably offend my friend and make me seem ungreatful :( I already feel so bad for not just giving it to him just now without any real valid reason I could tell him :(

What makes you think it is the hard drive?

[Sparkle1984]

If there's any particular files or folders you don't want your boyfriend's friend to see, you can always try password-protecting them. How you do this depends on what operating system (eg Windows XP, Windows 7) you have.

[Tyke]

Hi Jo anna

I would feel exactly the same. Could you treat yourself to a new laptop at all and just use that transferring backed up files on to it? Then you could say it's no longer necessary to repair as you've written off the old one. Failing that could you tell him that's what you're thinking of doing and get someone else instead who doesn't know you, even if you have to pay more? You could always say to your boyfriends friend that you changed your mind in the end and someone else fixed it cheaply, but thank him for his offer.

I think it's quite natural to want to protect your privacy, I would hate to think of people going through personal stuff on my computer unless I really trusted them. You shouldn't agree to anything you're uncomfortable with as you can't change it afterwards and it would no doubt add to your anxiety not knowing what might have been accessed.

Tyke

[blue October]

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

[nomorepanic]

Can you backup the data and remove it before it goes for repair.

I will just tell you a little story that will confirm what you are saying though...

A guy I used to work with offered to mend one of the receptionist's daughter's laptops for her and he was being a bit nosey and found she had taken semi-naked pics of herself that we assume the mum didn't know about!

So yes you do need to be careful!

[Jo_anna]

Tyke - I can't afford a new laptop and my laptop is only 2 years old & a high spec so it's worth replacing the hard drive.

Anyways I took all my files off and put them temporarily on my boyfriend's hard drive. I gave my laptop to his friend and now it works fine I think (only got it back last night). I just bit the bullet. He offered to do something nice for me and I am pretty greatful he is in IT and knows about these things and can fix these problems at 'mate rates'

I need to learn to trust people more otherwise I'm just going continue to push people away and avoid things.

I got my laptop back fine and he doesn't seem any different with me so I'm guessing I'm out the woods so to speak.

Thanks for all your replies!