Then I replaced the HDD with an SSD, installed Windows 10 and connected it to the Internet. I saw rpcnetp.exe running, the process that works with Computrace. My idea was to leave it online for a while, just in case the seller did disable Computrace but the change takes a while to apply.
Thankfully that was the case. After leaving it running for a few hours while it was installing drivers and updates, I went back to the BIOS setup and the Computrace alert was gone. I could go to the Computrace settings and set it to Disabled. So I did not have to contact the seller or Absolute Software. This T410 seems to be running fine now, and there is no rpcnetp.exe running. Intel Anti-Theft is also disabled.
But now I am concerned about the original hard drive, which may still have traces of Computrace because obviously Windows was installed on it while Computrace was still enabled, and I never connected to the Internet with that drive to have it disabled.
I would like to fully wipe that drive and put it in another ThinkPad (T60), but I read in this forum thread that putting a drive with Computrace in another ThinkPad can enable the anti-theft anyway: viewtopic.php?t=121913
So far, I have only connected the drive to a Mac (with an external USB enclosure). I checked it with the command
hdparm -N /dev/sdaon a Linux virtual machine and saw that HPA (Host Protected Area, where Computrace could hide) is disabled.
Right now I am in the process of wiping the drive with Darik's Boot And Nuke (quick erase, one round). Maybe that is overkill.
After that, do you think it is safe to put this blank drive in another ThinkPad and use it freely with any operating system without fear of Computrace? Thank you.