Having a laptop stolen is never a good thing, particularly if it was a recent purchase and we spent a lot of money on it. Fortunately, some programs and some little tips to find a stolen laptop can still be applied, particularly if the thief is not computer-capable (or before he can bring it to be formatted by some expert).
We discover in this guide how to find a stolen laptop using the dedicated tools of Windows 10 and some valid programs designed for the purpose.
READ ALSO -> App to find your stolen or lost mobile phone
How to find a stolen laptop
1) Windows 10 localization
The latest Windows 10 updates have introduced convenient features to remotely trace any PC associated with our account, just a few steps are enough to be able to trace the newly stolen laptop (obviously if it is turned on by the thief, perhaps to steal some personal data stored on the 'internal).
To configure the Windows 10 find service, simply open the Settings menu -> Update and security -> Find my device .
If we have not yet activated the location system, we click Activate position to activate the position monitoring system by triangulating the approximate position; once geo-location is activated, click on the Edit button at the top to log in with a valid Microsoft account.
At the end, the device will periodically track the geographic position (approximate), plus we can find out where it is at any time by accessing the Microsoft Device page, available here -> Microsoft Device .
We log in with the same account used on the PC with Windows 10 in order to find any stolen laptop (if turned on and connected to a network, even without login).
Obviously the position of the PC is very approximate, because it is based on the position of the IP to which it is connected, the type of Internet network it uses and the location system used: the position is not always precise, because laptops lack a GPS sensor .
2) Prey
Prey is a free program for Windows, Linux and Mac that allows you to find a laptop in case of theft or loss, obviously if we have the foresight to install it before the theft.
We can download the program from here -> Prey .
Prey is able to transmit the position of the PC to a computer owner by detecting the position by analyzing nearby WiFi networks.
The program also allows you to see how the thief is using the computer via the webcam and possibly take a photo of him .
Obviously Prey's mechanism isn't foolproof and it doesn't work if the thief was smart enough to format the laptop before turning it on for the first time.
But if it starts the operating system and connects to the Internet, Prey will be able to send the data to the owner immediately and without being noticed.
The idea behind Prey is quite simple: the software runs silently in the background and is very light without consuming memory.
He wakes up at regular intervals and checks a particular URL to decide whether to trigger the alarm or not.
There are two ways to use Prey: the most recommended one, from the program configuration panel with status monitoring from a web page or as a standalone application, by sending reports via email.
Of course, Prey needs an active internet connection and, if the connection is not present, the software will silently try to connect to the first available WiFi hotspot to sound the alarm.
By default the program does nothing until you activate protection from the Prey website; activating the burglar alarm you will receive an email as soon as the thief turns on the computer and connects it to a network, with all the necessary information to find the computer and recognize the perpetrator.
The configuration of Prey is not difficult when you run it for the first time, thanks to a convenient wizard.
Next, you will need to create an account and confirm the email address by receiving an activation message.
Once the account is activated, you can use Prey by accessing the website www.preyproject.com.
If you choose to run Prey as a standalone file, then you will need to define the emails to send the reports to.
In case you need to configure a custom URL for checking, you can create a free web page with blogspot to use for Prey.
Each report lists the running programs, active connections, a screenshot of the desktop and, if the laptop is equipped with an integrated webcam, a photo of the user (or thief).
With the help of the police and all the information collected by Prey, tracking down the thief and finding the lost or stolen laptop will be a breeze, especially if the thief is not new to this type of theft (if it is registered it is really enough just the photo to track him down).
If the thief were smart enough to format the computer, nothing can be done, but at least the personal data should be saved, since the PC will be used again with a new format.
Prey is among the best anti-theft programs for laptops and it is also one of the applications to find an iPhone or an Android mobile phone .
3) LockItTight
Another program that we can use to find a stolen laptop is LockItTight, available for download from here -> LockItTight .
This program offers numerous features that we can activate on the laptop, so as to have one more chance against thieves: active and constant tracking system, in / out alarm system (if the laptop leaves a certain area or the wire is disconnected power supply), capture of desktop screenshots, anonymous photos from the webcam, keylogger tracking system, clipboard tracking system, browser history monitoring and content blocking (for those who want a filtering system for minors).
To use it, simply create a free account within the program, then access the web page to monitor all the data collected by the program; the monitoring site is available here -> LockItTight .
