Reply to: Odd mystery

[darmstadt]

I bought a memory stick from Saturn which wouldn't work on my Windows system, just showed thousands of files all called '00000....' and all filled with zeros! Plugged it into a Linux system and it had a full Windows directory system which contained an insurance salesman's complete portfolio of clients, all their personal deatils, contracts, etc. Took it back to the shop and showed the salesman who was as shocked as me. Looks like the bloke filled it up and performed a low level format on it and returned it

[Advocate]

Was the hotel called Northwind?

[NotAllThere]

My wife's brother bought a "new" PC from PC World about 6 years ago. Not that new. It had an entire database, programs, the lot, for a hotel in Scotland. Guest names, addresses, payment details!!! No porn, though, so a bit of a damp squib.

Was the hotel called Northwind?

[Sysman]

Not knowingly. Just cos the guy who sold it to you said it was new doesn't mean it was. Places like Pissy Werld frequently sell returned stock as new.

A mate of mine used to work at PCwerld, and he told us they had all the gear to rewrap returns so that they looked as if they'd come straight from the manufacturer.

[daviejones]

Had a look in the images and found no illegal porn, most disappointing.

Presumably you have given son some guidance on this point?

[DaveB]

This is the first time I've heard of anybody buying a refurbed memory stick. I mean, aren't they a fiver brand new?

Not knowingly. Just cos the guy who sold it to you said it was new doesn't mean it was. Places like Pissy Werld frequently sell returned stock as new.

[NickFitz]

This is the first time I've heard of anybody buying a refurbed memory stick. I mean, aren't they a fiver brand new?

I get them free at conferences and so on. I've got three in my pocket at the moment, just one of which I paid for about three years ago.

[chicane]

Bought a refurb memory stick

This is the first time I've heard of anybody buying a refurbed memory stick. I mean, aren't they a fiver brand new?

[BrilloPad]

Wanted to back up to my memory stick and it was full of various stuff I didn't recognise including conveyancing documents, kids' holiday photos and various letters from a Sally & Trevor Davies, whoever they are. Neither wife nor son have any idea who they are and I have never lent the stick to anyone.

How did it all get there? Nothing dodgy as far as I can see but it makes you wonder if these guys who plead ignorance as to how illegal stuff got on their computer might just sometimes be telling the truth.

Have you just entered the twilight zone or is there a simple explanation?

[Paddy]

Mystery explained, sort of. Asked no 1 son again if he knew Sally and Trevor Davis and he shook head, then came back and said, oh yea, it was down to him fixing a PC his friends had been given by friends of theirs.

Didn't know he had borrowed my memory stick but then I did not know he was borrowing my razor until the other week when I found it in the bath, probably explains why my razors are always blunt after one use. As he has an electric razor I am a bit worried what he is shaving with my wet one.

Had a look in the images and found no illegal porn, most disappointing.

Bought a refurb memory stick from Mogancomputers. Stick was empty, loaded some photos an took to ASDA. Put it into the machine and it showed up full of other peoples photos. There is somthing about the ASDA machine that reads deleted files. Had to format the stick.

[xoggoth]

Mystery explained, sort of. Asked no 1 son again if he knew Sally and Trevor Davis and he shook head, then came back and said, oh yea, it was down to him fixing a PC his friends had been given by friends of theirs.

Didn't know he had borrowed my memory stick but then I did not know he was borrowing my razor until the other week when I found it in the bath, probably explains why my razors are always blunt after one use. As he has an electric razor I am a bit worried what he is shaving with my wet one.

Had a look in the images and found no illegal porn, most disappointing.

[Xenophon]

My "new" phone from Orange had a full address book.

Ah yes - refurbished stock I presume.

[PRC1964]

My wife's brother bought a "new" PC from PC World about 6 years ago. Not that new. It had an entire database, programs, the lot, for a hotel in Scotland. Guest names, addresses, payment details!!! No porn, though, so a bit of a damp squib.

My "new" phone from Orange had a full address book.

[Bob Dalek]

My wife's brother bought a "new" PC from PC World about 6 years ago. Not that new. It had an entire database, programs, the lot, for a hotel in Scotland. Guest names, addresses, payment details!!! No porn, though, so a bit of a damp squib.

[Money Money Money]

Wanted to back up to my memory stick and it was full of various stuff I didn't recognise including conveyancing documents, kids' holiday photos and various letters from a Sally & Trevor Davies, whoever they are. Neither wife nor son have any idea who they are and I have never lent the stick to anyone.

How did it all get there? Nothing dodgy as far as I can see but it makes you wonder if these guys who plead ignorance as to how illegal stuff got on their computer might just sometimes be telling the truth.

Where did you but your memory stick from? Maybe it wasn't brand new! Surely the letters are addressed to someone???