How to find a lost laptop?

How to find a lost laptop?

April 20, 2024

Are you a professional, student, housewife, business owner, or farmer? Laptops have become an incredible part of almost everyone’s life. There are endless activities to do and unlimited mediums to explore. They are very dear to the one who is using them, kind of personal, I would say.

But have you thought about how it feels when something valuable, usable, and personal gets stolen or lost? What emotions, such as fear, roam around?

Shivering, I guess!

Have you ever experienced anything as such? I haven’t tried to be cautious while travelling. 74% of laptop thefts happen when travelling or in public areas.

Today, laptops have become an inseparable part of one’s life. They are essential tools for both professional and personal use. With ample storage capacity, laptops store information and data, making them crucial assets for organizations and individuals. Still, the device has sometimes grown a pair of legs or played hide-and-seek.

With the 21st century becoming more hi-tech and advanced, threats and their actors have also advanced, and we are on their radar. Unlike mobile phones, when stolen, you can’t call but can track your laptop. How? With Laptop Tracking Software. But it must be pre-installed before losing it to anyone or anywhere.

A stolen laptop is a nightmare, and even more so for an IT department responsible for recovering the lost Laptop without losing any vital information to bad guys. In such crucial situations, IT personnel must be prepared for unexpected situations by installing locate laptop software, antivirus solution, and port lockers so that no information from the Laptop is leaked and can be recovered without a mess.

A staggering 97% of stolen computers are never found again.

The annual cost of stolen business computers is estimated to be over $3.5 billion (Source: the Gitnux Marketdata report 2024).

How to track and recover a stolen laptop

Now, you must first know that Prevention is always better than cure. So, keeping your laptop theft protected is also crucial. The best way to recover your lost Laptop is through laptop locator software. Every individual or organization must install a laptop locator in their system so that it can be recovered on time.

Retrieval of lost/stolen Laptop with Windows 10

If you have a laptop running Windows 10 or a higher version, you can locate it using the “Find My Device” app. Naturally, you must have this service activated to utilize it.

If it is already enabled:

Visit the device management page on Microsoft.
Choose the device that you wish to locate.
Click on “Find my device,” and you are done!

To turn it on:

Either hit the “Start” key or the CTRL+S key combination.
Look up “Find My Device.”
Activate this feature.
Follow the instructions above to try this option.

Have you lost your Mac Laptop?

The most expensive and the most exclusive one, I think. Roughly 4.5% of participants in an Indian study from 2023 who were between 18 and 24 had Apple computers. 3.7% of responders who were younger than 18 came next. According to the same report, HP and Dell have a combined market share of over 55% in the Indian laptop industry (Source: Statista)

Do you own a Macbook? If yes, this is for you.

A stolen Mac laptop can be recovered by following the steps I explained above in the Windows case. Apple devices come with tracking devices that are pre-installed. Of course, you need to activate them in advance.

In case if it is already activated:

Open the Find My application on another Apple device, then choose the Devices tab.
Go to iCloud.com/find online, log in, then select “All Devices.”
Select the MAC device that you need to locate.

In case you want to activate it, then;

Navigate to “System Settings” from the Apple menu on your Mac laptop, then select your profile from the sidebar at the top.
If you do not see your name, click Sign in with your Apple ID to enter or create an Apple ID.
On the right, select “iCloud.”
When prompted to confirm whether you allow “Find My Mac” to use your Mac’s location, click “Find My Mac,” “Enable,” and “Allow.”
Try your settings by completing the preceding steps.

How to track and recover a stolen laptop using Unistal Locate laptop

Locate Laptop is software that monitors the location of lost or stolen laptops connected to the internet, aiding in recovery and safeguarding data from unauthorized use. It helps protect sensitive information, including financial and creative files, from theft. In the event of theft, it informs about the location of the stolen Laptop once connected to the internet. It also encrypts the sensitive data silently without the offender’s knowledge, not allowing him to misuse the vital & sensitive data.

In case of Locate laptop already installed:

Log a theft report on the Locate Laptop web portal by clicking View Report in the left panel. The user has to go to protegent.in from here.
Click on Report Theft. Check Report Theft- Stolen option and fill in all the required details.
Once the Theft Report is submitted, the user will get Location reports on the registered email.
As soon as the Laptop is connected through Wi-Fi, their picture will also be clicked and sent through the mail.
Click on View Location Report to view your Laptop’s location. Whenever the laptop’s location changes, the user receives the location report in his email.
Users can update the Theft Report if they need to attach the FIR copy to the report.
Users can withdraw the theft report if/she has recovered their Laptops.

Locate Laptop works on Operating Systems: Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7/ Windows 8/Window8.1 and Windows10/Windows Server 2000/2003/2008 with 800 MHZ processor or higher and 512 MB for Windows XP/Windows 2000/2003 1 GB for (Windows Vista/Windows 7/8/10/Server 2008) The Hard Disk available space is 50 MB.

Unmatched Features:

Specialized WebSniff technology
A safe website that all users may see. Observe who goes with the assigned Laptop, such as a corporate employee.
Reports include data, time, public IP, location, nation, state, city, ISP, longitude, and latitude information.
How to report a laptop theft using interactive steps
Launch the data encryption module remotely on pre-specified sensitive files and folders.
Encrypts data even when the Laptop is not online after a set time.
Take a quiet picture of the thief.

What do you do after tracking your stolen laptop?

Woohoo! Now that you have recovered your stolen laptop, you need the help of the local authorities. If it was misplaced or you left it out at your workplace or somewhere safe and there is no fear of being stolen, you can surely get it yourself or someone reliable.

But if a thief steals it, you probably need the help of local authorities to get your stolen Laptop back safely without harm.

Report your case with all the information you have gathered and proof, and this information will surely help you recover your lost Laptop. Also, do take some authentic evidence that supports your claim to be the laptop owner.

Precautionary Measure!

Now that you know all the essential aspects and how easily you can recover your Laptop with locate laptop software, it is best to be vigilant and install software like this to be future-ready.

Here is just a short list to help you navigate:

When you get a new Laptop or a laptop from your organization, install a laptop locator and antivirus solution first.
Stop using pirated software; they can give you nightmares by injecting malware and viruses into your system.
Be vigilant when you carry your laptop outside your vicinity. In a metro or public transport, carry information to know who is touching your stuff.
Check twice for your Laptop and belongings before leaving the place.

Conclusion

I have prepared you with information about how to protect and recover your laptop in case it is lost or stolen. Don’t panic; stay calm and take additional security precautions beforehand. It is crucial to safeguard any private information that could be kept on the device. This entails changing the computer’s passwords, protecting any other devices connected to the same network, getting in touch with the device’s banks and credit card companies, turning on two-factor authentication for any linked online accounts, and removing private data from cloud storage providers.

Stay safe. Stay Vigilant.

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