CarFax For Used PCs: Hewlett Packard Wants To Give Laptops New Life (arstechnica.com)
- Reference: 0178237932
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/06/30/2052250/carfax-for-used-pcs-hewlett-packard-wants-to-give-laptops-new-life
- Source link: https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/06/mexican-drug-cartel-hacked-fbi-officials-phone-to-track-informant-report-says/
> The secure telemetry protocol we've developed at HP works as follows. We gather the critical hardware and sensor data and store it in a designated area of the SSD. This area is write-locked, meaning only authorized firmware components can write to it, preventing accidental modification or tampering. That authorized firmware component we us is the Endpoint Security Controller, a dedicated piece of hardware embedded in business class HP PCs. It plays a critical role in strengthening platform-level security and works independently from the main CPU to provide foundational protection.
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> The endpoint security controller establishes a secure session by retaining the secret key within the controller itself. This mechanism enables read data protection on the SSD -- where telemetry and sensitive data are stored -- by preventing unauthorized access, even if the operating system is reinstalled or the system environment is otherwise altered. Then, the collected data is recorded in a timestamped file, stored within a dedicated telemetry log on the SSD. Storing these records on the SSD has the benefit of ensuring the data is persistent even if the operating system is reinstalled or some other drastic change in software environment occurs. The telemetry log employs a cyclic buffer design, automatically overwriting older entries when the log reaches full capacity. Then, the telemetry log can be accessed by authorized applications at the operating system level.
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> The telemetry log serves as the foundation for a comprehensive device history report. Much like a CarFax report for used cars, this report, which we call PCFax, will provide both current users and potential buyers with crucial information. The PCFax report aggregates data from multiple sources beyond just the on-device telemetry logs. It combines the secure firmware-level usage data with information from HP's factory and supply chain records, digital services platforms, customer support service records, diagnostic logs, and more. Additionally, the system can integrate data from external sources including partner sales and service records, refurbishment partner databases, third-party component manufacturers like Intel, and other original equipment manufacturers. This multi-source approach creates a complete picture of the device's entire lifecycle, from manufacturing through all subsequent ownership and service events.
[1] https://spectrum.ieee.org/carmax-used-pcs
The HP logo on the lid (Score:2)
The HP logo on the lid is the only warning I need to know to stay far away from. I've never seen an HP laptop that wasn't a complete POS within a year of it being built.
Stored on the SSD (Score:3)
> Storing these records on the SSD has the benefit of ensuring the data is persistent even if the operating system is reinstalled or some other drastic change in software environment occurs.
Good thing SSDs can't be replaced. /s
But it's HP... (Score:2)
They'll find a way to paywall it.
so lock in HP only ssd / wifi / etc to each system (Score:2)
so lock in HP only ssd / wifi / etc to each system?
HP is decased (Score:2)
Sell it to China.
I think it is a good idea. (Score:2)
It should be a standard in all PC's. It shouldn't be stored on an SSD, it should be a small dedicated chip that is able to monitor usage of at least the screen, the battery, the read/writes to the SSD, have an accelerometer on board, and monitor even the fans. It should have minimal cost, maybe a few dollars. It can weed out the cream from the scum. Give a user an option to read out the memory, and display usage against the mean time to failure of different components to know how much of a 'lemon' s
Re: (Score:2)
should be a small dedicated chip that is able to monitor usage of at least the screen, the battery, the read/writes to the SSD
Actually I would say each of those components, and the main board should have an IC added that counts and reports its own cumulative usages. It's perfectly fine to replace the SSD with a brand new one that can upgrade the storage capacity, performance, and remaining lifetime on that storage module and increase the value of the unit. In fact storage devices generally already have/h
Re: (Score:2)
I like your ideas, and Sounds reasonable to me. In a car when a major part is replaced or upgraded, and then it is sold, the seller shows receipts and that is added to the value of the car. Something similar could be done.
The should leave the market alone [but they won't] (Score:2)
HP inserting themselves into this and grading the used PC's in the market is only going to end up driving up prices for those of us who don't buy new PC's.
I don't run Windows so I don't care about the TPM crap Windows 11 is pulling off. Being retired on on a fixed income I do like having access to inexpensive recycled PC's. This will enshittify the used PC market, where all the still usable, good hardware will end up costing a whole bunch more and by only sold by private aggregators, while all the crap wi
Re: (Score:2)
inserting themselves into this and grading the used PC's in the market is only going to end up driving up prices for those of us who don't buy new PC's.
I seriously doubt they will have success in doing that. They're still old PCs being sold off for a reason; usually because they are outdated.
What this has a potential to do is provide reasons a used device should sell at even Less value than it currently sells for on the used market. Consumers can get their PCFax report and send it back as "Item not d
Good luck with an HP. (Score:2)
My brother bought one of those and I've never seen a laptop self-destruct so fast. The kids school Chromebooks are HPs too: a load of junk.
We used to say in the olden days that after the bomb dropped, the only things left would be Cockroaches and HP Calculators.
Not anymore!
Hahahaha! (Score:2)
No spyware for you. My computer belongs to me. Not sure I’ve ever sold any of my old computer anyway. They just usually gathers dust for five to ten years stashed away somewhere and then I eventually light it in fire and smash it with the 70lbs piece of granite otherwise revered as Rock of Justice. After all, the Rock of Justice does need to feed every now and then.
Seems pointless (Score:4, Insightful)
A car's repair history matters, as does the odometer.
Laptops, not so much.
SSD wear is the only non-obvious thing this would help with, and you can check that yourself with `smartctl` on a thumb drive.
Otherwise this just looks like trying to find something consumer-friendly-sounding to say about yet-another surveillance vector with protected storage for your tracking cookies.
SSD/HDD wear, and (Score:1)
battery.
That, and a something that indicates if the computer (or, more specifically, each individual replaceable component) has ever experienced liquid damage or a severe shock/hard drop.
Re: (Score:2)
Batteries are smart and if you can read out the information contained in, you can see how much wear there is.
You get stats like how many cycles they've undergone, when they were made, their design capacity, their current capacity, and a few more items.
It's the same kind of information you need to figure out how good the battery is, just like how SSDs keep track of enough information to figure out their health as well.
Liquid damage is a lot harder since that requires taking stuff apart. Apple's liquid indica
Re: (Score:2)
> "A car's repair history matters, as does the odometer."
The funny thing is, the odometer-only-metric is so outdated. I have wondered for decades why it hasn't been updated to at least include number of engine starts, and total runtime hours. Combined with distance, those three metrics would say a hell of a lot more about the vehicle.
Anyway, it is true that something like that on a laptop is likely some elaborate excuse to manipulate the market or screw the consumer. The SSD and battery wear/health, we
This is hilarious (Score:2)
Some marketers got together, jerked each other off, and came up with the idea.
Do they track crashes? Ba dump, bump!
Pointless (Score:4)
When microsoft puts out system requirements which means PCs with plenty of useful life in them will be unable to run the latest windows and continue getting security updates.
All that!! (Score:1)
All that for a computer worth a few hundred bucks?
Seems like overkill.
Besides....bah, Nevermind. Good luck with that dumb shit.
One more thing... (Score:2)
It's just one more instance of this oppressive trend. You bought something but you can't control it because you aren't "authorized". Resist. Stop this unpleasant trend toward non-ownership of all your possessions.
Here's a better idea (Score:2)
HP can't write code or drivers, at all. Maybe they should make their computers not terrible before adding more useless shit. People would be much more likely to buy a used HP if it wasn't an HP
If I were HP... (Score:2)
...I'd be focusing on making a computer that can survive it's first-owner lifespan without overheating or shorting out. You'd think after 20 years of being well known for both problems they'd have it sorted by now.
HP! (Score:2)
I see the HP logo and I run the other way. HP is a disaster.
I'm skeptical. (Score:2)
I can think of some niche cases where this might be useful(mostly HHD/SSD wear data; though bad actors have been able to tamper with those values without much difficulty); but overall this seems like throwing an awful lot of identifying data and a whole 'trust me bro' shadow subsystem at a problem that the data is unlikely to actually help all that much with.
This will be very good at fretting if the refurbisher swapped out RAM or mass storage; but it's not like onboard diagnostics are all that good at pi
Yet another unwanted unasked for service (Score:2)
I used $30,000 car is one thing, a used $800 PC is another. I don't want anybody collecting data on my systems and use habits. It's the main reason I don't do Facebook. This seems just like a stupid ploy to abscond more user data for marketing purposes
The damn cases need to stop cracking in half! (Score:2)
I have a Lenovo Legion laptop whose case cracked along the bottom in less than three years. I wasn't paying close attention, so it could have happened after one or two years. The same thing happened to a MSI. Apparently you can't pick up mid- to high-end laptops by a side or corner! This has not happened with the very high-end laptops I've used. The resell value of these things plummets to near zero if the damn thing is starting to break in half. The cynic in me says that's why they are designed this way.
It
No they arenâ(TM)t (Score:1)
At best HP wants to corner used laptop sales so they can raise prices. If they cared they would provide better product support and repair instructions