Found a porn stash while repairing laptop - now what?

[Obtech]

OK all,

You've all come across this, so I need your advice on how you dealt with it!

A customer drops me her sisters laptop, saying 'it's got a virus', 'damn kids are always on blah, blah, blah....'. So I ask 'and what age are the kids'. And she says: 'oh, they're teenagers, you know what they're like....'!

So I check out the laptop, and the 90 Gb C: partition is 98% full, and D: is empty. So, I think, let's move some stuff over to D:.

OMG!!! At least, 60Gb worth of porn pics and vids. So, I'm thinking, is this the teenagers stash? Or is it Dads?
or is it MOMS????
OR IS IT MY CUSTOMER??????

Who do I need to advise about the need to be careful when downloading porn - in case they get re-infected.....with computer another virus!

OBTech

 

[16k_zx81]

"there was some adult material that was using up a lot of the space on C, so I moved that across to D. You need to keep space on C because... "

"I would suggest that the best thing you could do with this machine is improve your malware protection, because you are vulnerable with the current free product"

 

[Mr I]

Tell the customer that there are a lot of files (60GB) that can be moved in a different drive to free some space in the HD. Charge for that backup, that's an extra $$$.

As technicians we should be looking at 1's and 0's, not the content of the files.

 

[ljtechservices]

"there was some adult material that was using up a lot of the space on C, so I moved that across to D. You need to keep space on C because... "

"I would suggest that the best thing you could do with this machine is improve your malware protection, because you are vulnerable with the current free product"

yeah thats pretty much all a person can say.

 

[Obtech]

Guys, smell the coffee!

Chances are that Mom is unaware of what is on the laptop - she barely knows how to turn it on!

I think I need to make her aware of it, if for no other reason than in case she comes back and says 'why did you put that filth on my computer'.
Cos neither big Johnny or little Johnny aint going to fess up!!!

 

[mraikes]

Tell the customer that there are a lot of files (60GB) that can be moved in a different drive to free some space in the HD. Charge for that backup, that's an extra $$$.

As technicians we should be looking at 1's and 0's, not the content of the files.

+1 for this. I choose not to pay attention to any files on customer computers. It's not my business.

And that goes double in this case. She already told you it's not her laptop. She dropped it off for her sister. I wouldn't share anything about the contents of the computer with her. Only discuss the work completed or needed - and the word "porn" isn't necessary for any part of that conversation.

 

[Methical]

If you stumbled across someones porn on there computer; then take a copy Lol.

All jokes aside, the only time I would jump in and act on it, would be if it was kiddie-porn.

 

[gunslinger]

Guys, smell the coffee!

Chances are that Mom is unaware of what is on the laptop - she barely knows how to turn it on!

I think I need to make her aware of it, if for no other reason than in case she comes back and says 'why did you put that filth on my computer'.
Cos neither big Johnny or little Johnny aint going to fess up!!!

I agree. As for the person that said as techs we should only see 1's and 0's, yeah well in the real world it don't work that way. Sometimes you just see stuff. I have used certain programs to find out where the disk space went and have been pointed to large porn stashes.

This is just a fact of our work. Just wait until you are working in front of a female customer and her "home brew" porn comes up.

 

[ljtechservices]

+
And that goes double in this case. She already told you it's not her laptop. She dropped it off for her sister.

I misread that first go around.

we aren't tattle-tales. Just say you moved a lot of movies and pictures to D: and let it go.
got enough drama of my own to get involved in someone else's.

 

[BryanVest]

You continue the service like normal and dont mention it. Its something that embarasses most customers and will chances are have them look elsewhere in the future because they will be embarassed to come back.

 

[ljtechservices]

You continue the service like normal and dont mention it. Its something that embarasses most customers and will chances are have them look elsewhere in the future because they will be embarassed to come back.

I agree. A few months ago I ran across a husbands porn stash while I was on-site. His wife was looking over my shoulder while I was working.
very awkward.
She gasped a bit. I just continued on as if it was normal.

 

[Xander]

1s and 0s.

Had a machine this week with a fake AV. While scans were running, I opened IEHV to see where the browser had been. Tons of Craigslists links for people looking for threesomes. None of my concern. And nothing else, otherwise, really stood out as obvious/suspicious sources. {shrug}

 

[RegEdit]

I don't go rummaging through my customer's files. That's the fastest way to lose customers and piss people off. How would you know that it's porn unless you OPENED their files???? Even if there was porn on there it's not your job to play "police officer". Sometimes viruses put pics on a PC.

 

[MobileTechie]

You can't help seeing file names sometimes.

 

[Obtech]

Ever seen Win7 folders Reg?

I know a BIG ASS when I see it peepin' outta one of those folders!!

The virus argument is a good one! It was good enough to get a court judge off a 'home computer with kiddie porn' hook here in Ireland 6-7 years back.

 

[RegEdit]

What are you gonna say? Sir I snooped around and opened some of your files because the file names looked suspicious and I found this picture. I'm gonna need to see this girl's ID. Can you provide me with a driver's license or other valid ID? You will also need to bring her by the shop so that I can match the ass with the picture. If you fail to comply I will contact the police.

 

[agile]

You continue the service like normal and dont mention it. Its something that embarasses most customers and will chances are have them look elsewhere in the future because they will be embarassed to come back.

exactly how I approach this type of thing.

 

[Xander]

When a drive is close to choking, I'll run one of those TreeFolder programs to show me what's taking all the room. The one the other day was 500GB drive, 97% full with ~90% in My Videos. Doesn't take a criminologist to guess that they're pirated movies and, surprise, I don't care! Unless I accidentally see a "Kiddee Pr0n" folder, I don't give a damn. I mentioned to the customer exactly what I did -- try to see if I could clear up some space but most was under Videos. "Oh, yeah, I download a lot of movies" Just told her to watch some and delete them. (oh, and to Defrag)

 

[Trenatos]

Like someone else said, unless it's obvious kiddie stuff I do nothing.
If I suspect that though, I'd call the cops immediately. (So far never happened)

 

[RegEdit]

unless it's obvious kiddie stuff I do nothing.

I would never know because I never open people's files. If I see a folder called "Kiddie P0rn" then that means nothing too. It could be anything and I am mindful that viruses plant stuff like this. My job is to repair computers, not snoop around like a police office conducting a search.