[SOLVED] Can You Be Tracked Using a Company's PC?

[Baldrick]

I know the title sounds fishy, but at my work (an AV Integration company) we often get old racks of equipment back from customers who are upgrading. The other day, we got a rack back and were told to scrap it. Typically, we take what we want or give it to a another employee who ebays it. Well, it had a Lenovo Tiny PC (7th Gen i7 chip) in it. I doubt the customer realized one of their PCs was in it.

I was going to hold on to it for a few months and see if the project manager or customer ask for it back, but if not, I was going to bring it home.

My question is, if I replace the SSD drive, is there any way this could come back and haunt me?

I appreciate any info.

Thanks!

 

[punkncat]

It is not uncommon for machines to be "disposed of" where they are actually kept, parted, sold, etc.

In a case like this that it's operable, not password protected, and works fine I would utilize it.
Personally that involves destroying the drive that is in it (for the previous owners protection), and buying a new OS license for it. This is SUPER common in the IT industry as a whole.

 

[USAFRet]

Is it "possible" for someone to track this system? Yes.
There are LoJack like systems for PC's.

It is likely? Not even a little bit.

Those LoJack things are typically used in a RentToOwn concept, where the company wants to ensure that you will continue to pay. Or return the device.

There is also 'Find My PC', in Windows. But that only works with the OS license that was on it.
New drive, and a fresh install and license from you...no worries.

But maybe ask the company who gave you this batch. Just to keep everything above board.