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Is my information safe when I take my MBPr into the Genius bar

Hieveryone

Hieveryone

macrumors 603
Original poster
Apr 11, 2014
5,627
2,339
USA
I have an appointment next week for my MBPr.

I was wondering if they can see my documents, and login into my accounts.

They will be taking it into the back, so I was wondering what they might do back there (like snoop at my stuff).

I have a password, but still I'm concerned.
 
Hieveryone said:
I have an appointment next week for my MBPr.

I was wondering if they can see my documents, and login into my accounts.

They will be taking it into the back, so I was wondering what they might do back there (like snoop at my stuff).

I have a password, but still I'm concerned.
Click to expand...
Short answer: yes. They are not there to look at your data, nor do they care. Your machine will sit in the back for a few days, get repaired and have diagnostics run then returned to you.

Doesn't matter anyways. Any preventive measure you take they can undo: firmware password, regular password, etc. If they really wanted to get your information, they could. The one exception is file vault.

:p Don't stress it.
 
IndoX said:
Short answer: yes. They are not there to look at your data, nor do they care. Your machine will sit in the back for a few days, get repaired and have diagnostics run then returned to you.

Doesn't matter anyways. Any preventive measure you take they can undo: file vault, firmware password, regular password, etc. If they really wanted to get your information, they could.

:p Don't stress it.
Click to expand...

Can they really UNDO all that without erasing the hard drive?

They can just bypass the password and everything and read my stuff?

No way...
 
When I worked as a tech, I didn't have the spare time to read your "stuff"

If you are having a software problem, then the shop would need to sort that out. That will be difficult, if not impossible, if you don't give them permission to do that - which would include relevant passwords.

I HAVE had customers watch while I worked, because of the nature of the files that were there (private medical files, or business-critical software) - but they asked if that was possible. As I recall, the shop charged it as an onsite job, rather than a normal in-shop checkout.
I know that some folks here will do a backup, then erase and install a fresh system. If it is quite important to you, then you could also have a replacement hard drive, with a fresh system install, and you could swap that into your MBPr before you take it in.
Of course, if your problem is related to the software that you have (along with your important files) then that fresh system may not help you at all.
If it's just hardware, then the shop might get by without using your boot system at all. If you need to make other arrangements, call and ask them.

I suspect that you can also ask at the time that you drop off your computer for repair.
If you don't get an answer that you feel comfortable with, then don't leave it (unless you actually do want it repaired.)
 
DeltaMac said:
When I worked as a tech, I didn't have the spare time to read your "stuff"

If you are having a software problem, then the shop would need to sort that out. That will be difficult, if not impossible, if you don't give them permission to do that - which would include relevant passwords.

I HAVE had customers watch while I worked, because of the nature of the files that were there (private medical files, or business-critical software) - but they asked if that was possible. As I recall, the shop charged it as an onsite job, rather than a normal in-shop checkout.
I know that some folks here will do a backup, then erase and install a fresh system. If it is quite important to you, then you could also have a replacement hard drive, with a fresh system install, and you could swap that into your MBPr before you take it in.
Of course, if your problem is related to the software that you have (along with your important files) then that fresh system may not help you at all.
If it's just hardware, then the shop might get by without using your boot system at all. If you need to make other arrangements, call and ask them.

I suspect that you can also ask at the time that you drop off your computer for repair.
If you don't get an answer that you feel comfortable with, then don't leave it (unless you actually do want it repaired.)
Click to expand...

They'll have absolutely no reason to boot it up. It's not a software issue at all.

Will they still be able to do something to the computer?

I just don't want them to snoop around in the back or even do something crazy like put a candy wrapper in it before screwing back the back lid -_-

Can they bypass passwords or mess something up when unscrewing it?

EDIT: I just realized I'll be out of town anyway, so I can't go.

Nevermind :(
 
Last edited:
There's nothing stopping someone from copying the whole drive if they have access to the computer. Though it would be very unlikely that a repair technician would copy your files for his personal enjoyment or that Apple would try to snoop on everyone bringing their computers in.

If your drive is encrypted, it would be a pain in the ass to get access to your data.

I personally wouldn't sweat it, but it's possible you have sensitive data you are responsible to keep secure.
 
I highly doubt the people who work at Apple care about any of your files, they're only there to fix whatever issue you have. If you don't trust them, then just remove whatever files you are concerned about, put them on an external hard drive, and when you get your laptop back you put them back on. There's no reason why they would be snooping around, they hardly have the time to be reading into whatever is on the computer apart from what the issue is. Relax, your info will be okay.
 
Hieveryone said:
I just don't want them to snoop around in the back or even do something crazy like put a candy wrapper in it before screwing back the back lid
Click to expand...

Use it as an excuse to practice your backup/restore process. Backup, do a fresh install, restore it when you get the machine back.

If you don't have a working & tested backup/restore process then address that.

Rather than worry about the security of your "stuff", think about if you or the Apple tech accidentally dropping it in transit/repair, even if a new HDD is fitted at no cost, you'll still need to recover your stuff.

Unlikely? Way MORE likely than the scenario you seem worried about.
 
Hieveryone said:
Can they really UNDO all that without erasing the hard drive?

They can just bypass the password and everything and read my stuff?

No way...
Click to expand...

Yes.

The fact you are asking tells me you're neither important nor interesting enough for them to bother doing it(like just about 99% of us).

They're paid to fix your stuff, they don't have time for snooping.
 
To the OP, you post too much nonsensical threads.

Get a bloody life and quit worrying about little things like these.

Just use the bloody FileVault 2 feature. Not even the NSA can bypass that.
 
In addition to all already stated here, I would like to remind you that no laptop service guarantees the safety of you data. They can delete/exchange/whatever your harddrive as they see fit. You should make redundant backup + make sure your data is encrypted before sending it to the service.
 
The only feature apple cannot bypass is FileVault. They can force erase the machine but they cannot get the information off of it if you don't provde them the password.

Either turn on FileVault or erase your drive before bringing it in. Apple doesn't do data recovery.
 
When I worked in IT, people would ask if I could read their email. I would always tell them "yes, but I'm usually not that bored". :D
 
Does this mean anyone can easily hack your Mac if they got access to it?
 
Samtb said:
Does this mean anyone can easily hack your Mac if they got access to it?
Click to expand...
It's not like that at all. It depends on user security.

If you don't have firmware password or FileVault enabled someone can easily reset your password with the password reset utility in recovery and get access to your data.

If you have firmware password enabled someone can easily use target disk mode to bypass booting sequence and get access to your data.

If you have FileVault enabled no one can access the data unless they have your login password and recovery key/appleID password.

Not even apple can do it. They have an internal force sequence they can use to erase machines with FileVault on them but it erases the drive and the data with it.

FileVault is the one way to make sure your data is secure. You can't see the drive from recovery disk utility and can't use target disk mode because it asks for passwords.
 
yjchua95 said:
To the OP, you post too much nonsensical threads.

Get a bloody life and quit worrying about little things like these.

Just use the bloody FileVault 2 feature. Not even the NSA can bypass that.
Click to expand...

Speak for yourself! 1,000 Mac products all maxed out and I'M the one with no life? Please.

And I already did the FileVault 2.
 
snaky69 said:
Yes.

The fact you are asking tells me you're neither important nor interesting enough for them to bother doing it(like just about 99% of us).

They're paid to fix your stuff, they don't have time for snooping.
Click to expand...

What kind of people are in that 1%?

That they'd be interested in snooping?
 
A couple months ago, when I took in my MBP to have the battery replaced, the tech booted off an external drive to run diagnostics. When booted off of an external drive, you can see everything you want on the internal drive. Passwords not applicable, since there is no need in this case to break the passwords.

Filevault prevents that, though. And I have Filevault configured on my laptop. Could be lost or stolen away from home.

I don't have my desktop protected, though. Though theft is always an option there, but it isn't as easy as a laptop carried in car/hotel/etc.
 
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