Repairing MacBook - electrum

[unknowncustomer]

Hello guys,

I need to go the Apple Store in order to fix my MacBook Pro screen which is dead...
However I have some btc on my MacBook Pro (hot storage, password encrypted) on Electrum.

Is it "risky" to leave my MacBook Pro to Apple employees ? Should I take precautionary measures before going there ?

Thxxx !

[Charles-Tim]

You have your seed phrase, you can move it to another safe device if you have one. That is the best. Just import the seed phrase on another device, generate another Electrum wallet using the app and send your coins to an address or addresses of the new wallet that you just created. Although you used a password, but as your device is with another person, do not think it is safe but consider it not safe any longer is the safest thought.

[NotATether]

Since your OS is still working, get an external screen, boot up MacOS, back up your Electrum wallet and then delete it from the MacBook before taking it to the Apple Store.

Do not trust anyone to be benevolent around untraceable data like passwords, crypto, saved credit cards...

[AB de Royse777]

Is it "risky" to leave my MacBook Pro to Apple employees ? Should I take precautionary measures before going there ?

You are safe as long as they do not understand or discover it LOL. But as Charles-Tim already said, restore the wallet in a different device, send the coins there from the wallet. Don't underestimate anyone and risk your money.

My laptop once broke and I had to take it to the store to repair. I was telling them that you will need to do everything in front of me because I have sensitive date there. They smiled and then they opened it, gave me the hard drive. After they did whatever it takes to fix it and install the hard drive again.

I am not a MacBook user but there must be a way for it to take the hard drive off from the machine. You can do that too.

[jackg]

If you go with moving your funds out of your wallet (which is the safest method) I'd advise you consider that wallet permenantly compromised and stop using it - it may be fine to receive some funds to it but don't make a habit out of it.

My laptop once broke and I had to take it to the store to repair. I was telling them that you will need to do everything in front of me because I have sensitive date there. They smiled and then they opened it, gave me the hard drive. After they did whatever it takes to fix it and install the hard drive again.

I paid a friend of a friend to completely rewire mine and still took the hard drive out. I offered them one I knew would boot if the system worked but they said they'd be able to test individual components were receiving power anyway while the bios was running.

If you can remove the drive yourself it's normally the best way to do things (especially if it's not an apple device as most others make drives very easy to remove - it's normally either the first or second compartment you open - aside from the battery and sometimes ram).

[khaled0111]

Theoretically, if your wallet file is encrypted with a strong password and you didn't store the password on the device then your funds should be safe.But you never know!
Jackg gave you the best solution and this is what I always do when I need ta take my pc or laptop to a repair shop even if I trust the technicians who work there.
Restoring your wallet and moving your funds to a new one can work but only to secure the money you have on your wallet but not the money it may receive in the future if they manage to crack your password.

[NeuroticFish]

Is it "risky" to leave my MacBook Pro to Apple employees ? Should I take precautionary measures before going there ?

It doesn't matter they're Apple employees or any kind. Some people may take a look and steal, some not, no matter where they're working at.

This being said, unless you can get them (under whatever reasons) give your HDD (SSD?) back until they finish their job (drive staying always at your sight), it's safer you just get from start your funds out to another (safely generated) wallet and consider the old wallet compromised, just in case...

back up your Electrum wallet and then delete it from the MacBook before taking it to the Apple Store.

Well, he should wipe the file (and maybe the free space too), not just delete.
That's why moving the funds out is a safer approach.

[Charles-Tim]

Well, he should wipe the file (and maybe the free space too), not just delete.
That's why moving the funds out is a safer approach.

Only what could keep my mind at rest is if I remove the hard drive, or I better just go with my first post. There are file recover software that would easily recover deleted files, being newly deleted makes it far easy to recover, because of that, my mind will not be at rest.

Edit:
Or better to use an app that can permanently delete files on computer if MaxOS got a reputed one.

[Pmalek]

You have been offered several solutions. I like the one where you physically remove the hard drive or replace it with another one if you have a spare one. They don't really need it if it's a display problem.

Question is, how much money are we talking about here? You used the term "hot storage". That makes me think you aren't the average bitcoin newbie, and you might even have multiple ways in which you store your crypto. An Electrum hot wallet is one of them, others might be a proper cold storage or hardware wallets. If the amount is pocket change for you, remove the disk and don't think too much about it. Just say you had work documents on there and you needed to connect the disk to another computer to resume your work. They don't need to know the hard drive is missing because there is anything related to money or crypto on it.

[BitMaxz]

Instead of bringing your Macbook to a repair shop or apple store, it would be better to DIY it is not hard to replace MacBook LCD just follow some YouTube disassembly or replacement guide you can do it yourself.
The advantage is your wallet and privacy are safe you don't need 3rd party but if you don't want to DIY and you still want to hire a tech then ask the repair shop if they can take the hard drive out so that you can take it home or if you can wait and watch while they replacing the LCD.

I am not a MacBook user but there must be a way for it to take the hard drive off from the machine. You can do that too.

You can ask the technician to remove the hard drive and you can take it home they don't need it because they are going to replace only the LCD they can test the LCD without the hard drive.

[Husna QA]

My assumption is there are also other data apart from the Electrum wallet. Because it only fixes the screen, the safe option is to unplug the hard drive without deleting the data.
I'm a MacBook user and have replaced spare parts myself several times. Unplug the battery flex cable before getting out the hard drive or another spare part to avoid something unexpected, such as an electrical short circuit.

[vv181]

Do note that disconnecting storage option is only applicable on non-ARM MacBooks, M1/M2 MacBook storage is built-in into the board.

If you do not encrypt (FileVault) your Mac, I also suggest moving the funds into another new wallet and using the new wallet as the default one.

[NotATether]

Do note that disconnecting storage option is only applicable on non-ARM MacBooks, M1/M2 MacBook storage is built-in into the board.

That's a dumb "innovation". How do they expect people to expand their internal storage space once they run out of it? Carry a storage server with them everywhere?

I'm going a bit off-topic here, but do Electrum and Core even work on the M1/2 macs? Considering that you can't salvage the hard disk if your logic board dies.

[NeuroticFish]

Do note that disconnecting storage option is only applicable on non-ARM MacBooks, M1/M2 MacBook storage is built-in into the board.

That's a dumb "innovation". How do they expect people to expand their internal storage space once they run out of it? Carry a storage server with them everywhere?

They could be actually happy that they've found a way to boost sales: when the storage doesn't suffice you'll need a new MacBook with bigger in-built storage. This happens with smartphones' RAM too for many years, no matter the maker.
(I'm not a Mac/Apple fan/user, so I may have been misunderstand something though; if so, please correct me)

[BitMaxz]

Do note that disconnecting storage option is only applicable on non-ARM MacBooks, M1/M2 MacBook storage is built-in into the board.

The logic board of these units is more likely the same as tablet or old android phone where the storage/drive are soldered on the board. But still the storage disk or IC can be still able replace but there is a big risk.

I'm going a bit off-topic here, but do Electrum and Core even work on the M1/2 macs? Considering that you can't salvage the hard disk if your logic board dies.

Since m1/m2 are macbooks Electrum and bitcoin core should work.
If ever logic board dies you can still able to desolder the drive out from the logic board and move it to known working logic board but its pretty risky based on other people that I heard from tech forums.

[Husna QA]

Do note that disconnecting storage option is only applicable on non-ARM MacBooks, M1/M2 MacBook storage is built-in into the board.

I forgot about this, even though I've seen it on the latest iMac, NAND storage flash and RAM chips are all integrated with the logic board.
Meanwhile, for the newest MacBook, as shown in this video, the storage is soldered to the logic board too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyrUZovYdcs.

I'm going a bit off-topic here, but do Electrum and Core even work on the M1/2 macs?

I read in one of the discussions on Reddit that there are MacBook M1 users who can use Electrum:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Electrum/comments/kr616l/comment/gia9xxj/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3