How to trace a lost laptop

My friend recently bought a Toshiba laptop, but it was stolen within a
couple days. He doesn't have insurance on it and he is quite upset. I read
somewhere that if this stolen laptop is ever connected to the internet, the
law enforcement could track it down. I am not sure, if this will work for a
new laptop as well or he should have already installed any hardware/software
for this to be possible. Please let me know, if any of you have any idea of
any way of tracking down.

Dan.

Dan wrote:
> My friend recently bought a Toshiba laptop, but it was stolen within a
> couple days. He doesn't have insurance on it and he is quite upset. I
> read somewhere that if this stolen laptop is ever connected to the
> internet, the law enforcement could track it down. I am not sure, if
> this will work for a new laptop as well or he should have already
> installed any hardware/software for this to be possible. Please let
> me know, if any of you have any idea of any way of tracking down.
>
> Dan.

It is possible in theory. In practice, your friend is out of luck.

Q

Dan wrote:

> My friend recently bought a Toshiba laptop, but it was stolen within a
> couple days. He doesn't have insurance on it and he is quite upset. I read
> somewhere that if this stolen laptop is ever connected to the internet, the
> law enforcement could track it down. I am not sure, if this will work for a
> new laptop as well or he should have already installed any hardware/software
> for this to be possible. Please let me know, if any of you have any idea of
> any way of tracking down.
>
> Dan.
>
>
Some manufacturers keep a list of stolen computers by serial number.
If some subsequent (possibly innocent) purchaser of the computer
contacts the manufacturer for technical support, authorities can be
notified. It's a long shot, but it's probably worth reporting the loss
to Toshiba (if he has the serial number or has registered the warranty).

"Dan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:YBgDc.48418$(E-Mail Removed) :

> I am not sure, if this will work for a
> new laptop as well or he should have already installed any
> hardware/software for this to be possible.

Probably not - you usually need to sign up for those services.

Get your friend to report the serial number of the laptop. Tha'ts as much
as he can do.

It's a good lesson for your friend to learn. Better now than later when the
laptop is full of sensitive information.

A laptop should not be left unlocked, in plain view in a car, unpassword
protected, unattended.

--
Lucas Tam ((E-Mail Removed))
Please delete "REMOVE" from the e-mail address when replying.
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/coolspot18/

Toshiba keep a list os stolen laptops serial numbers, which you can check.
I'd suggest contacting them to add yours and ask the procedure for reporting
if it's found.
Mikey

"Dan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:YBgDc.48418$(E-Mail Removed) ...
> My friend recently bought a Toshiba laptop, but it was stolen within a
> couple days. He doesn't have insurance on it and he is quite upset. I read
> somewhere that if this stolen laptop is ever connected to the internet,
the
> law enforcement could track it down. I am not sure, if this will work for
a
> new laptop as well or he should have already installed any
hardware/software
> for this to be possible. Please let me know, if any of you have any idea
of
> any way of tracking down.
>
> Dan.
>
>

To answer the original question....yes there is software that can be
installed cheaply, CompuTrace,
http://www.computrace.com/public/pro...eplus/faqs.asp but
it has to be on the computer BEFORE it is stolen. I have heard about
computers being caught thru the thieves using the software already on
the computer, AOL, etc. but most thieves just resell it and the new
person redoes the drive. CompuTrace will work even AFTER a format.

On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 00:50:05 GMT, "mikey" <mikeguest@)No
Spam)blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:

>Toshiba keep a list os stolen laptops serial numbers, which you can check.
>I'd suggest contacting them to add yours and ask the procedure for reporting
>if it's found.
>Mikey
>
>"Dan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:YBgDc.48418$(E-Mail Removed) m...
>> My friend recently bought a Toshiba laptop, but it was stolen within a
>> couple days. He doesn't have insurance on it and he is quite upset. I read
>> somewhere that if this stolen laptop is ever connected to the internet,
>the
>> law enforcement could track it down. I am not sure, if this will work for
>a
>> new laptop as well or he should have already installed any
>hardware/software
>> for this to be possible. Please let me know, if any of you have any idea
>of
>> any way of tracking down.
>>
>> Dan.
>>
>>
>

f/f george <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> To answer the original question....yes there is software that can be
> installed cheaply, CompuTrace,
> http://www.computrace.com/public/pro...eplus/faqs.asp but
> it has to be on the computer BEFORE it is stolen. I have heard about
> computers being caught thru the thieves using the software already on
> the computer, AOL, etc. but most thieves just resell it and the new
> person redoes the drive. CompuTrace will work even AFTER a format.

For some values of format.

First thing I do when I get a new laptop is to boot from a floppy, and
run a low-level write to the whole disk blanking it, to check that
there are no bad sectors.
After this, I fdisk it and install linux.

>f/f george <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> To answer the original question....yes there is software that can be
>> installed cheaply, CompuTrace,
>> http://www.computrace.com/public/pro...eplus/faqs.asp but
>> it has to be on the computer BEFORE it is stolen. I have heard about
>> computers being caught thru the thieves using the software already on
>> the computer, AOL, etc. but most thieves just resell it and the new
>> person redoes the drive. CompuTrace will work even AFTER a format.
>
>For some values of format.
>
>First thing I do when I get a new laptop is to boot from a floppy, and
>run a low-level write to the whole disk blanking it, to check that
>there are no bad sectors.
>After this, I fdisk it and install linux.

LOL, there are a thousand notebooks stolen every day. How many thieves
do you think do what you do?

AndrewJ <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>>f/f george <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>> To answer the original question....yes there is software that can be
>>> installed cheaply, CompuTrace,
>>> http://www.computrace.com/public/pro...eplus/faqs.asp but
>>> it has to be on the computer BEFORE it is stolen. I have heard about
>>> computers being caught thru the thieves using the software already on
>>> the computer, AOL, etc. but most thieves just resell it and the new
>>> person redoes the drive. CompuTrace will work even AFTER a format.
>>
>>For some values of format.
>>
>>First thing I do when I get a new laptop is to boot from a floppy, and
>>run a low-level write to the whole disk blanking it, to check that
>>there are no bad sectors.
>>After this, I fdisk it and install linux.
>
> LOL, there are a thousand notebooks stolen every day. How many thieves
> do you think do what you do?

I dunno.
I've no personal knowledge on this, but a friend was offered laptops
cheap with no hard drives, from a man in a pub.

On 11 Jul 2004 00:59:08 GMT, Ian Stirling <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>AndrewJ <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>f/f george <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>> To answer the original question....yes there is software that can be
>>>> installed cheaply, CompuTrace,
>>>> http://www.computrace.com/public/pro...eplus/faqs.asp but
>>>> it has to be on the computer BEFORE it is stolen. I have heard about
>>>> computers being caught thru the thieves using the software already on
>>>> the computer, AOL, etc. but most thieves just resell it and the new
>>>> person redoes the drive. CompuTrace will work even AFTER a format.
>>>
>>>For some values of format.
>>>
>>>First thing I do when I get a new laptop is to boot from a floppy, and
>>>run a low-level write to the whole disk blanking it, to check that
>>>there are no bad sectors.
>>>After this, I fdisk it and install linux.
>>
Supposedly CompuTrace will work even AFTER all that!
Never tried, can't say for sure, but they say they put a small
undeletable partition that calls home EVERYTIME the laptop is
connected to the net. ONLY when you tell them the laptop is missing do
they act on the data and then they notify the police.
The cost is like $75.00US yearly but to remove the partition is like
another $250.00US.
It was a big deal on the news last year when they caught some guy that
had stolen one and CompuTrace found the laptop.