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What is iFixit's policy on such things? (Possible security risk Q.)

This question was asked, and although I've read what I can find of information on iFixits pages as well as a thorough read of the Community Guidelines several times, I can't find something that really states whether or not to answer such questions?

In the question I gave a very broad answer, because I didn't want to detail the process. As I said in my answer there, I have over 20 years in the IT industry and am very security conscientious and we who answer questions don't know if it's meant for nefarious intentions.

It would be nice to know what iFixits position is on this subject.
I have seen people answer quite detailed on other subjects pertaining to security (mostly related to hardware) that are against the rules on some fora.

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

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@geirandersen in the past we have always stayed away from providing assistance when it came to password removals etc. No matter how benign it seems to be, there is almost always more to those questions. I‘d be okay with the use of some generic external link but never the details.

I think you managed this well and feel like your answer is absolutely appropriate.

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@oldturkey03 Good to know! I have never in my career given advice (detailed) about how to bypass security, and I don't intend to start now. It's usually not the information given in a question that worries me, it's the stuff they don't admit to in the question(s) that do.

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Is this why my first question on the site (removing an iCloud lock from an iPhone 5c) was closed so quickly?

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Highly likely. :)

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Your answer is reasonable, I'll back you up if they get salty about your reply @geirandersen.

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@amber Thank you :) I figured a somewhat vague answer would be the best way to go in this case.

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It's a grey area where we don't frown upon it, BUT the intention tends to be to be nothing more then snooping through someone else's data most of the time. For that reason, I tend to not touch them for that reason. With most of these being an attempt to save the OS without erasing it, you need to erase it, not remove the password and snoop though the user acount. Technically it's on the previous owner for forgetting but their fail is not a license to snoop.

However I've done it as a kid and I joke with people at work when they ask how I "made it", but that stunt was intentionally kept out of my about me redo because I don't want people calling me "hacker man" or taking these on for mocking 90's-early 2000's M$ security for being so bad I can defeat it in 5 minutes in my teens like it's nothing 😂.

I'm okay with people making it with corrupt deals and breaking into things but I'm not detailing how either. And yes, I did a demo in tech school to mock the security of XP as well.

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Take for example, this. I didn't snoop, but I could tell the seller didn't properly erase it, or reinstall Windows (or they did and added Chrome from a unknown source). I wiped it out to be sure, and put S Mode to rest. It won't be missed.

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I took 11 out and buried it as well, because I'm here and I was staring over.

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@nick Yeah, I feel like answering and guiding users through it online is on the blacker side of grey :P

I've done the procedure more times than I can count, because of the job I had, but in all those cases I could 100% verify both the ownership and intentions of the user asking me to perform it.

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@geirandersen It's not so grey I won't break into a laptop for someone, but I need to know why (it has photos from a dead family member you desperately need, you have lost memories you need back, etc). I can't get that assurance here.

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@nick I might have worded it wrong; I don't even find it grey if someone comes to me with an old laptop from a recently deceased close family member (or something similar) and asks to unlock it due to that very reason. Important information and family photos.

The "black" wording, was meant for random users online asking to be guided in how to break into a Win machine, with absolutely no other information.

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@geirandersen I knew what you meant. I mentioned this shadily wiped machine as a case of refusing to, and wiping it clean.

I have my own reimaging process which doesn't involve trusting strange images. Apparently the factory image brings it back in soft form, but using the Media Creation Tool image means it doesn't acknowledge killing S Mode.

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Geir Ove Andersen will be eternally grateful.