Concerning an Upgrade.

I intend to put my box in for a MB and chip upgrade,
and I have a very expensive proprietary Thoroughbred
database on my fixed Hard drive.

I am concerned about security of the data, any suggestions
how I may approach this.

Thank you.

"Rodney" wrote in message
...

I intend to put my box in for a MB and chip upgrade,
and I have a very expensive proprietary Thoroughbred
database on my fixed Hard drive.

I am concerned about security of the data, any suggestions
how I may approach this.

So remove the drive. If it includes your C:\ and
you want the repair shop to test the new MB
(prudent) just buy a new drive and instal on it
the OS and nothing else.
1. Disconnect electricity and open case
2. Locate drive and find out how it is secured.
Most are screwed into a drawer that slides an
inch or two forward or back.
3. Write down how drive is connected, i.e.
which way the power cable (four wires) and
data cable are connected (so you can connect
the new drive identically.)
4. Disconnect drive i.e. unplug the data cable
and power cable. Unscrew whatever fastens
the drive into the PC and remove it.
5. Check jumpers on the old drive (probably
set for "master") and ensure the new drive
is jumpered identically.
6. Connect and secure new drive.
7. Power on, boot from start/instal floppy,
and FDISK and FORMAT new C:\
8. Instal the OS on the new C:\
For repair shop test purposes you do not
need to instal drivers for video card, modem,
etc. But it will save time to copy your OS
instal CD and any other drivers to the hard drive.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Thanks very much Don.


| So remove the drive. If it includes your C:\ and
| you want the repair shop to test the new MB
| (prudent) just buy a new drive and instal on it
| the OS and nothing else.

Back up your data to external media before submitting the machine for
repair. The repair shop will require you to do this anyway, as they do not
promise to preserve your disk or data. Then delete whatever is sensitive.
Then restore the data from backup when it's returned to you.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Rodney" wrote in message
...
I intend to put my box in for a MB and chip upgrade,
and I have a very expensive proprietary Thoroughbred
database on my fixed Hard drive.

I am concerned about security of the data, any suggestions
how I may approach this.

Thank you.

Thank you Jeff,
I have another computer with a cloned image for absolute BU.
Whilst I appreciate your advice,
the 5 million record database and the responsibility I have
to my partners, makes your solution a little hair -raising
for someone like me.
I will be asking the upgrade tech to supply his own win98se
HDD, and I'll swap my orig afterwards.
(hope that's not too much to ask), otherwise I have 20 odd spare
low capacity HDD's I can load 98se onto.

Thank you very much for replying.



"Jeff Richards" wrote in message ...
| Back up your data to external media before submitting the machine for
| repair. The repair shop will require you to do this anyway, as they do not
| promise to preserve your disk or data. Then delete whatever is sensitive.
| Then restore the data from backup when it's returned to you.
| --
| Jeff Richards
| MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
| "Rodney" wrote in message
| ...
| I intend to put my box in for a MB and chip upgrade,
| and I have a very expensive proprietary Thoroughbred
| database on my fixed Hard drive.
|
| I am concerned about security of the data, any suggestions
| how I may approach this.
|
| Thank you.
|
|

Ummmm - if you don't already have a suitable off-line backup regime where
you are 100% confident of your ability to restore your data simply and
quickly, then you are not looking after that responsibility very well.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Rodney" wrote in message
...
Thank you Jeff,
I have another computer with a cloned image for absolute BU.
Whilst I appreciate your advice,
the 5 million record database and the responsibility I have
to my partners, makes your solution a little hair -raising
for someone like me.
I will be asking the upgrade tech to supply his own win98se
HDD, and I'll swap my orig afterwards.
(hope that's not too much to ask), otherwise I have 20 odd spare
low capacity HDD's I can load 98se onto.

Perhaps I wasn't clear.
I have a cloned image of the OS and Database on another computer.
Updates, corrections are run in Tandem.
In effect then, I have 3 copies.
Responsibility covered, no glitches yet in 8 years, whilst maintaining
my limited knowledge and experience.


| Ummmm - if you don't already have a suitable off-line backup regime where
| you are 100% confident of your ability to restore your data simply and
| quickly, then you are not looking after that responsibility very well.
| --
| Jeff Richards
| MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)

In that case I do not understand your question - why not simply delete the
sensitive data before handing the system over for the upgrade?
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Rodney" wrote in message
...
Perhaps I wasn't clear.
I have a cloned image of the OS and Database on another computer.
Updates, corrections are run in Tandem.
In effect then, I have 3 copies.
Responsibility covered, no glitches yet in 8 years, whilst maintaining
my limited knowledge and experience.

It's probably hard for you to understand,
you have to come down to my level,
As any neophyte will tell you, when employing outside tech help
the guy sits down, there is little conversation, and their fingers
tap out commands like tracer bullets.
One has no idea what the hell is going on.

I've had a tech repair my machine at $60 an hour regarding a
modem problem, and discovered I was paying for at least 1hr
whilst he carried out a defrag.
Another instance, a tech inadvertently moved a folder which
had my LHA .exe in, the Database could not locate it's
folder for update melts.
I spent an hour of panic before I realised what happened.
The Database and subsidiaries, probably are housed in
5 different localities, yet are dependent on each other.

I try to minimise stress by taking the route that I feel
I can recover from. That route no doubt differs from yours.
I drive the car, I am not the mechanic.



"Jeff Richards" wrote in message ...
| In that case I do not understand your question - why not simply delete the
| sensitive data before handing the system over for the upgrade?
| --
| Jeff Richards
| MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
| "Rodney" wrote in message
| ...
| Perhaps I wasn't clear.
| I have a cloned image of the OS and Database on another computer.
| Updates, corrections are run in Tandem.
| In effect then, I have 3 copies.
| Responsibility covered, no glitches yet in 8 years, whilst maintaining
| my limited knowledge and experience.
|
|

Your concern about the possible ineptitude of the technician is no doubt
well founded.

But the point is, if you have a reliable and simple backup procedure then
there should be no reason why you wouldn't simply delete the sensitive data
before handing the machine over, and then restore it after you get the
machine back.

If this option is difficult, complex, or makes you feel nervous or
uncertain, then you do not have a reliable and simple backup procedure.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Rodney" wrote in message
...
It's probably hard for you to understand,
you have to come down to my level,
As any neophyte will tell you, when employing outside tech help
the guy sits down, there is little conversation, and their fingers
tap out commands like tracer bullets.
One has no idea what the hell is going on.

I've had a tech repair my machine at $60 an hour regarding a
modem problem, and discovered I was paying for at least 1hr
whilst he carried out a defrag.
Another instance, a tech inadvertently moved a folder which
had my LHA .exe in, the Database could not locate it's
folder for update melts.
I spent an hour of panic before I realised what happened.
The Database and subsidiaries, probably are housed in
5 different localities, yet are dependent on each other.

I try to minimise stress by taking the route that I feel
I can recover from. That route no doubt differs from yours.
I drive the car, I am not the mechanic.