r/thinkpad • u/Both_Panda_5270 • 5h ago

Question / Problem Secondhand Question

I just ordered a used X220 from Japan, really excited for it. My (probably paranoid) concern with used laptops is obviously spyware/malware, but for me wiping the OS and installing Linux feels like it might not be enough. Is replacing the drive a standard practice for security purposes? I may be overly cautious, but the possibility of root kits / BIOS level malware concerns me. This is my first used laptop

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u/AteStringCheeseShred X220-50/70 | T420-40/70 | T540p/80/90 | W510-41 | T14s | X1CY1 5h ago

If you're worried about anything remaining on the drive, you don't have to worry about replacing it outright, there are a lot of disk utility programs that allow you to format in such a way as to purposefully overwrite every square inch of it in random 1's and 0's to truly delete everything rather than just "forgetting where everything is" like the quicker formatting processes will do.