How To Track Your Stolen Laptop And Get It Back

05. Oct, 2009 2 Comments

“My laptop is stolen and I can’t get it back. I’ve lodged complaint but no traces!” Doesn’t this seem a problem happened to your colleague or neighbor or that somebody you don’t know. You might be reading this article because you own a laptop and want to safeguard it. If someday your laptop gets stolen – hopefully never – Prey is small and lightweight application that will help to track your laptop. If the thief has not read this article( LOL! ), then this application will send general status, list of running programs and active connections, fully-detailed network and WiFi information, a screenshot of the running desktop and -in case your laptop has integrated webcam- a picture of the thief. Sounds good, read on.

Installation
Download Prey software here (Approx 4.30MB). Install the application. It will prompt for configuration.

Configuration and Usage
There are two ways to track your laptop after its stolen. The first one is Prey Control Panel and the other is Standalone. I prefer Prey Control Panel over Standalone mode.

In Prey Control Panel mode, first of all you have to sign-up with Prey. Here is the link. After successful sign-up and activation of your account, Prey Control Panel will provide you API Key and Device Key. API Key is only one. Device Key is seperate for each device you register with Prey. Ones the device is registered, there are different configuration options are available like how and reporting will be done. Now when your laptop gets stolen, you need to login to your control panel and announce the device as stolen through configuration option. Prey will start sending the information on your Email you need to track your laptop back.

In Standalone mode, you need one URL which you can control (Generate after device gets stolen!!). For example, mine can be http://www.goospoos.com/my-lappy-is-stolen.html (I’m not using this method anyway, so this URL doesn’t exist and will not). In this case you don’t need to sign-up with Prey. In configuration options, enter “Check Url” ( Don’t create this URL before your laptop gets stolen. Only create this URL after it happens). Fill up the information in configuration dialog, like Email, SMTP server and Password. Now when your laptop gets stolen, you have to create the URL you have provided in “Check URL” configuration option. Prey will be check for this URL and if it finds this URL (means your laptop is in thief’s hands!!). It will start sending the much needed information to get your laptop back.

Check the screenshots below.

Prey-Config

Prey-Control-Panel

If the thief is smarter than you ( And of course didn’t read this blog ) and formats the laptop before using it ever. Then it’s your damn luck. Prey can’t help. Also Prey needs internet connection to check and report. But hope is always there. Thieves generally boot laptops looking for information, files, saved passwords etc. and you might be lucky to get the laptop back.