Creepy rented computer spyware, more like sickening...

[tek_heretik]

Remote webcam operation! Scary! "The software, which is undetectable and uninstallable by the user" :eek:

http://technorati.com/technology/art...-on-customers/

[james147]

Which is why you should install linux over it and people wonder why I distrust software that comes with things...

[tek_heretik]

Which is why you should install linux over it and people wonder why I distrust software that comes with things...

It's probably in the rental contract that you can't change the OS, just guessing of course.

[james147]

It's probably in the rental contract that you can't change the OS, just guessing of course.

Don't need to change the os, just add another one.

[tek_heretik]

Don't need to change the os, just add another one.

True dat.

[dmeyer]

I'm sure that installing it alongside would still be an issue and breach a silly contract term. How about a iive usb with persistence? I have one in my wallet wherever I go and have a few located in critical places in my life. Every month or so I make a concerted effort to update. It, along with my owncloud set-up gives me perfect portability.

[luckyone]

Need-a-class-action-suit.--Break-'em.

[james147]

I'm sure that installing it alongside would still be an issue and breach a silly contract term. How about a iive usb with persistence? I have one in my wallet wherever I go and have a few located in critical places in my life. Every month or so I make a concerted effort to update. It, along with my owncloud set-up gives me perfect portability.

Can't say I have ever tried renting a computer before, but unless they hold anything over your (do they take a deposit or anything?) then there is not much they can do if you install another os... even if they do, dual boot and then delete the partition and revert it back before you hand it back in... they probably wont be able to tell the difference.

Hell, I would be tempted to wipe the entire thing before and after I use it and just claim it was to protect my data...

[dmeyer]

Can't say I have ever tried renting a computer before, but unless they hold anything over your (do they take a deposit or anything?) then there is not much they can do if you install another os... even if they do, dual boot and then delete the partition and revert it back before you hand it back in... they probably wont be able to tell the difference.

Hell, I would be tempted to wipe the entire thing before and after I use it and just claim it was to protect my data...

I've never rented a computer either but live usbs are just awesome! You could probably use "dd" to perfectly clone the hard drive + mbr and everything else. Then wipe it, install and revert the process. "dd" with gzip is my preferred method of backing up because it never fails and is very reasonable space wise especially with a mostly blank hard drive. bz2 might be better for a largely empty hard drive because of its algorithm but its too slow. It means I have perfect snapshots but the back-ups do take a while (not long but still a short wait.)

I wonder if they somehow disable boot from usb and lock the bios? I'm fairly sure that’s what I would do in their position to stop anybody messing with my set-up.

[james147]

You could probably use "dd" to perfectly clone the hard drive + mbr and everything else.

If you have a spare hdd, you probally have a spare computer and thus wouldn't need a rented on :S

I wonder if they somehow disable boot from usb and lock the bios? I'm fairly sure that’s what I would do in their position to stop anybody messing with my set-up.

They probably do, which is trivial to bypass on a desktop... no so much on a laptop... but hell, its their warranty you are voiding by opening it up to removing the cmos battery

Also, if you don't like their services remember to catch as many viruses as you can before handing it back again

[tek_heretik]

but hell, its their warranty you are voiding by opening it up to removing the cmos battery

Also, if you don't like their services remember to catch as many viruses as you can before handing it back again

Yep, probably, there is probably a holographic sticker preventing entry in to the case, once you break it, you own it.

The virus thing is funny, and a great idea.

[dmeyer]

If you have a spare hdd, you probably have a spare computer and thus wouldn't need a rented on :S

You could just buy one for dirt cheap! I can't think these hard drives will be high capacity. So a $50 thing like this will hardly break the bank: http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Automa...nal+hard+drive You might not get an amazon level cheap HDD but I'm sure you will get something cheap.

I checked the rental rates. They are excessive. I'm sure that a new HDD would be the least of your concerns and you can always take it home.

[tek_heretik]

So on a UEFI machines you can't boot with a live Linux disk? That is how I eradicate pesky/persistent viruses from WinDOHS machines, identify the file/process, boot with a live LInux disk and delete it.

[james147]

I checked the rental rates. They are excessive. I'm sure that a new HDD would be the least of your concerns and you can always take it home.

If that is the case then I would just buy a cheap netbook and be done with it Which makes me wonder why people rent computers if they can buy a cheap netbook that will probably work better...

So on a UEFI machines you can't boot with a live Linux disk? That is how I eradicate pesky/persistent viruses from WinDOHS machines, identify the file/process, boot with a live LInux disk and delete it.

Yeah, I have never had a problem with boot time viruses, and secure boot dose nothing to protect against normal viruses... Although I haven't run a windows computer in a few years so maby thing have changed but I still think it is an example of security at the expense of user experience.

[SteveRiley]

So on a UEFI machines you can't boot with a live Linux disk? That is how I eradicate pesky/persistent viruses from WinDOHS machines, identify the file/process, boot with a live LInux disk and delete it.

With physical access to a computer, anything's possible.

1. Power off the computer.
2. Boot the computer and press the firmware setup key.
3. Disable Secure Boot, if it's enabled.
4. Save and power off.
5. Plug in a bootable USB drive.
6. Boot the computer and press the interrupt key.
7. Select the USB drive from the list and continue.

The only way that someone could prevent this is to enable an administrator password in the firmware. In some cases, you can get around this by removing the CMOS battery.