I recently acquired four 8TB Seagate Barracuda hard drives that were removed from a computer called "MozartTX." The previous owner was a bit of a mystery: he lived alone, worked as a janitor, and had some unusual items in his possession, including a so-called "sex chair." The drives were gifted to me by a friend who found them while renovating the flat of the deceased owner. I'm unsure what to do next with these drives. Are they likely to be set up as a RAID array? Can I access them individually, or should I consider wiping them completely? Any advice would be appreciated, especially since I'm not very tech-savvy and I want to ensure I handle this correctly.
5 Answers
Honestly, I wouldn't connect those to my main computer without wiping them first. You never know what kind of stuff could be on there. Better to be safe than sorry!
Agreed! I've seen people get caught up in situations they wish they hadn't by just plugging in unknown drives.
If you're really curious but don’t want to risk it on your primary rig, try connecting them to an older laptop or a computer you can easily wipe later. Just ensure you don't go online while doing that to avoid any issues.
Another good call! If you do find something suspicious, it might be wise to have some sort of oversight, just in case.
Right! Always a good idea to keep everything offline. Just to be safe for your sanity.
That's a lot of data to dig through! First, I recommend looking for an external SATA adapter you can find at electronics stores or online. Make sure to get one that includes an external power source since these larger HDDs need the extra juice. Once you've got that setup, you can safely connect the drives to check what's on them.
Here's a link to a good option on Amazon! Trust me, you want one that's ready to go with power included, or else you might face issues getting those drives up and running.
Be careful! Always make sure to use an adapter that comes with a power supply, especially for 3.5" drives like these.
With four drives, they might be in some kind of RAID setup. If they were configured like that, you likely won't be able to read them individually without a RAID controller. It's a bit of work, but you might be able to rebuild the array if you can figure out the original configuration.
True, but good luck guessing how they were set up without any documentation! Might just want to format them and use them for your own storage, if that's easier.
Yeah, I've pulled RAID 1 drives before and managed to use them individually after. Just make sure to check for unique IDs or anything that could cause a conflict!
At the end of the day, it might be best to just wipe them clean. If you're really not interested in the contents, a complete format is a safe route. Especially if you can do a Department of Defense wipe, that's the best way to make sure everything's gone for good.
Exactly! Just make sure whatever method you choose, nothing from the previous owner creeps back into your life.
Good luck! It may seem boring, but sometimes it's better to be safe than sorry.
Yeah, I've heard too many horror stories. Plus, if you're feeling adventurous, think of the potential for crypto keys or something hidden away. But still, extreme caution!