Tracing a laptop online

  • Thread starter Thread starter markg
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markg

Hello

About 7 months ago i had a brand new laptop stolen
through the Royal Mail Postal Service. The PC was
reported and an investigation was done but nothing was
found and nobody was brought to account for the theft.

Is it possible to trace the PC online(if it has been used
online) without the user knowing anything about it?

I have the Model Number, Type, Serial Number, Revision
Number, M.O and catalog Number if required.

Regards

Markg
 
markg said:
About 7 months ago i had a brand new laptop stolen
through the Royal Mail Postal Service. The PC was
reported and an investigation was done but nothing was
found and nobody was brought to account for the theft.

Is it possible to trace the PC online(if it has been used
online) without the user knowing anything about it?

I have the Model Number, Type, Serial Number, Revision
Number, M.O and catalog Number if required.
Click to expand...

Seriously doubtful - as most of that is information that would not be
transmitted over the Internet anyway.
 
Hello

About 7 months ago i had a brand new laptop stolen
through the Royal Mail Postal Service. The PC was
reported and an investigation was done but nothing was
found and nobody was brought to account for the theft.

Is it possible to trace the PC online(if it has been used
online) without the user knowing anything about it?

I have the Model Number, Type, Serial Number, Revision
Number, M.O and catalog Number if required.

Regards

Markg
Click to expand...

Though it's too late now. I have heard of software that acts like a
LoJack for computers. It hides itself on a hidden partition of the HDD,
Can't be erase, can't be seen, absolutely indetectable.

If your laptop is stolen. You call the hosting company, give them
your ID. They will activate the system so that when ever the computer
plugged into a phoneline, the program will notify the hosting company of
the fact with the phone number of that line. It is designed to bypasss
any Caller-ID blocks. The hosting company can then call the local Police
and let them known that stolen property has been located at that number.

I'm not sure if the hosting company can get the address from the
phone number. But, They do have some kind of deal with Phone Companies so
they can bypass the Caller-ID blocks.

David
 
Here is some information about the Service:

Absolute Software Inc.

www.absolute.com

$79

CompuTrace is a lot like LoJack for computers. But unlike the radio-based
service for tracking down stolen cars, CompuTrace sends its "here-I-am"
signal over phone lines (just-released Version 7.0 also uses the Internet)
to Absolute Software's offices. A 64KB program, which the company says can't
be deleted, stealthily detects the presence of a phone line and calls a
monitoring center every seven days, without making a sound or changing the
screen. My phone's indicator lights showed something was happening, but that
was all. Absolute Software says it's working to control all external
indications of the call.

CompuTrace also doubles as an asset-tracking program, since many notebooks
aren't actually stolen, just misplaced. You go to a special site to view the
electronic serial number, model name, manufacturer's serial number and other
identifying information you choose, for each system that has the software.
Phone numbers recently dialed from the system can give you an idea where the
misplaced machine may be. Report a unit stolen, and a recovery team works
with law enforcement officials to find it at no extra charge, sneakily
downloading to the system instructions to dial in every 15 minutes or so.

CompuTrace can be tricky to set up because it sometimes requires new modem
and Windows telephony settings. But it's a feasible theft- recovery tool
that also makes a handy asset tracker for information technology.
 
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