Hey everyone! I'm planning a trip to Beijing this summer, and I'm looking for advice on how to securely wipe my laptop before I go. Since I don't have an old laptop to use as a burner (recommended by my professors), I want to keep my current one. My plan is to back everything up to an external SSD, wipe my laptop, use it in China, and then wipe it again when I return to the U.S. to restore everything back to its original state. I know there might be some risks involved, but is this a feasible approach? I'm especially interested in options like downloading a system image or backup. Thanks for your help!
5 Answers
Another idea is to remove the current hard drive and replace it with a new one for the trip. When you get back, just swap in your old drive again. It's a pretty straightforward way to keep your data safe while you're away.
If you're really concerned, you could even buy a cheap laptop when you get to China. That way, you'd avoid any risks with your main device entirely!
You know, I've heard that some people think it's impossible to completely secure a laptop after returning from China. If you're not a target for espionage, maybe you shouldn't stress so much about it? Just be mindful of what you do with your device while you're there.
What you're looking for is essentially a backup, and there are plenty of free tools out there that can help you with that process. Just make sure you're backing up everything correctly before wiping!
I think the best option might be to create a system image backup. Just make sure you understand how to restore it before wiping everything. This process is often called a "bare metal" restore, meaning you can format the drive and restore the image directly without reinstalling Windows. Also, consider checking if your SSD manufacturer has a specific backup tool that you can use.
Yeah, definitely practice the restore process beforehand! It can save you a ton of headaches later on.