Going To Upgrade Laptop - Help

[Lavindathar]

I'm planning on upgrading my laptop...

Here are the current specs:

P4 2.66Ghz
256mb DDR-Ram (Motherboard Supports up to 3GB )
40GB Hardrive @ 4600RPM
Nvidia Geforce 4 64mg Graphics Card

I want to upgrade one of these, and firstly I think it best be the hard drive.

I'm thinking, buy an 80GB HDD, and use the 40GB as an external HDD via a caddy.

But, what is a decent spin speed for the HDD? Some people have said 5600RPM will be good enough, where others have said don't go for lower than 7200RPM.

What do you guys think?

Also, if I buy a new one, and use the current one as an external, they will need to clone my current one on to the new one, and then prepare the old one for external use.

My question is, during cloning, what can they see/access? I have a lot of confidential agreements/contracts/files on my laptop HDD for work, and it's in my contract that I can't show anyone/allow anyone access to these files.

Can the technician who clones it access any files, or can he only see file names (as if you were copying a normal folder in windows?)

Thanks for your help,

Lavi

[andrewas]

When they clone the disk, they will have access to everything. There have been a few cases where technicians have found child porn on customers systems while doing this kind of work, so you can't be sure they wont look.

As you should have known (or been told) before being entrusted with confidential data, the only real way to keep it secure is to encrypt it. And even that wont hold it forever, given time any encryption can be broken. The only way to absolutely prevent someone getting that data is to not give them the disk, and physicaly destroy the disk when you are through with it.

On the other hand, most people wouldn't be that interested in random data files on some strangers computer, so just encrypting them should be sufficient.

On the HDD speed, you'd have to look up the data throughput of the various drives available, and the throughput the motherboard can handle. I wouldnt bother too much about it, 5600RPM is adequate.

Id also look into putting a bit more RAM in - 256Mb is pitiful these days, its the bare minimum to run windows XP.

[Bungleau]

Like Andrewas said, if you give a tech a drive, they have full access to it. Encrypting that data is the simplest way out long-term.

If you're concerned about that stuff, burn it to a CD and remove it while they clone the drive. Then put it back. 'Course, in between you deleted it from the current drive... [img]smile.gif[/img]

In terms of the upgrades... how full is the hard drive now? If you've got 36GB on there, it's definitely worth upgrading. If you've got 15G on there, I'd go for the memory first.

[Lavindathar]

Well, I'm on 36GB at the momemnt, so the HDD is essential.

I've been told that 5600RPM is the quickest speed available for a laptop HDD, where as desktops can go higher.

So, I think it'll be 100GB 5600 HDD, and use the 40GB as an external/transporter.

Regarding the files, I wasn't bothered about them reading the file names, just accessing them. But, the confidential ones start : confidential lol.

It isn't a technician doing the work, it's the local computer shop doing it, so although I doubt he'd be interested, ya never know.

Plus, I doubt he could be arsed trekking though my files.

Can I request to be present, to make sure nothing is accessed?

How do I encrypt files to a sufficient standard that access cannot be granted to a the guy doing it? Do I need a program or anything?

I suppose I could just burn them to a CD in the meanwhile...

When he clones the drive, is it just like starting a program and waiting for it to finish, or does he have to manually select every file?

I'm just worried about the files he will get to see. They are nothing special, just confidential financial figures, tech specs of various prototype engines and the like. But it's in my contract not to show anyone...

Btw, I'm a marine engineer if anyone is interested...

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

Originally posted by Lavindathar: Well, I'm on 36GB at the momemnt, so the HDD is essential. I've been told that 5600RPM is the quickest speed available for a laptop HDD, where as desktops can go higher.

Yes, this is the highest disk speed for a laptop.

Originally posted by Lavindathar: So, I think it'll be 100GB 5600 HDD, and use the 40GB as an external/transporter.

Just a point incase you didn't know, (won't affect this), 100gb is the max 5600RPM disk you can get for a laptop at the moment (2.5")

Originally posted by Lavindathar: Regarding the files, I wasn't bothered about them reading the file names, just accessing them. But, the confidential ones start : confidential lol. It isn't a technician doing the work, it's the local computer shop doing it, so although I doubt he'd be interested, ya never know. Plus, I doubt he could be arsed trekking though my files. Can I request to be present, to make sure nothing is accessed? How do I encrypt files to a sufficient standard that access cannot be granted to a the guy doing it? Do I need a program or anything? I suppose I could just burn them to a CD in the meanwhile... When he clones the drive, is it just like starting a program and waiting for it to finish, or does he have to manually select every file? I'm just worried about the files he will get to see. They are nothing special, just confidential financial figures, tech specs of various prototype engines and the like. But it's in my contract not to show anyone... Btw, I'm a marine engineer if anyone is interested...

I would say not to worry too much regarding the cloning. Chances are, a technician at a local computer shop, who gets computers thrown at him everyday (obviously not literally [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) will not give yours any "special treatment" if you get my drift. Thus your files should be safe.

[ 06-09-2005, 02:26 PM: Message edited by: RoSs_bg2_rox ]

[Lavindathar]

I've just burnt all the stuff to CDs...

All good now...

[Eagle eye]

Ahhhhh! I'm lost... to much scientific talk.