LaptopLock

How do I setup LaptopLock?

setup-laptoplock.png Sign up for a free account to register the computer(s). Install the LaptopLock agent for Windows2000/XP. Complete the setup wizard, to create a set of actions in case the computer is stolen. When LifeHacker.com did a writeup about us, they described the setup procedure much better than us, so here's PDF of their write up with the best instructions available.

How does LaptopLock work?

If the computer is stolen, login into your account, mark the computer status as stolen. As soon as that machine connects to the Internet, the actions you set during setup will execute. LaptopLock will also try to find out as much as possible about the connection to help in recovery of the machine. THE LAPTOPLOCK DOES NOT MONITOR OR RECORD USER ACTIONS. IT DOES NOT ALLOW ANYONE ACCESS TO YOUR COMPUTER OR DATA. THE LAPTOPLOCK CAN ONLY EXECUTE ACTIONS YOU ASKED IT TOO.

What if there is no internet connection?

If after a while LaptopLock has been unable to connect to the Internet, it could ask the user to verify their identity by asking for a password. This option is set during installation and depends on how visible LaptopLock's presense should be.

How much does LaptopLock cost?

It's free for now. We do not make money from our users at the current time. There are no hidden charges. We make no promises about the future but it should be free for a long while.

How do I use The LaptopLock?

Using the LaptopLock is simple.

  • Sign up for an account at http://www.thelaptoplock.com
  • Add a computer to your account
  • Download and install The LaptopLock agent
  • Configure the downloaded agent with your account and computer information provided by the web based control panel
  • Specify what the agent should do when you report your computer missing

Does The LaptopLock track everything I do?

No, it doesn't track what you do on your computer. It only checks on the status and executes pre-determined actions if the status has been changed to missing.

Is The LaptopLock free because it's in beta and may harm my machine?

No, this is production grade software. It's free, just use it.

Why does it only work on WindowsXP/2000/Vista?

Since we're not charging users, we do not have the resources to hire more developers. If you'd like to contribute by desinging an agent for your favorite non-WindowsXP/2000 Operating System, please let us know.

Is communication between my computer and the monitoring point encrypted?

No personal data is ever transfered between our monitoring servers and your computer. Furthermore, all information is protected by cyclic redundancy check (CRC) checksum to prevent tampering.

Can The LaptopLock help in recovering the computer?

The empasis of the software is on protecting the data that's on the physical machine. However, since we do log the information about the internet connection [once the machine has been flagged as stolen] we'd be more than happy to turn that over to law enforcement personnel to help them recover stolen property.

How can I uninstall The LaptopLock?

We're sorry you want to uninstall our software. May we inquiry why? You can uninstall The LaptopLock by going to the Control Panel --> Add/Remove Software Programs, selecting The LaptopLock from the List and clicking Uninstall.

Does The LaptopLock software work for only the US or everywhere in the world?

We can't help trace stolen computers as well as we can inside the US, but the software works the same for protecting your data, and executing any of the options you set in the control panel no matter where on the planet you are.

When I reboot, an error message indicates my email and laptop ID is not in the database.

The error means you did not properly enter your email address and computer ID into the software setup.
Go to the start menu and launch the LaptopLock agent.
Then pull down the Security menu and choose Options.
Enter your email address and the computer ID that was assigned to you by the control panel: (hint, it's a number, not the name you put in).
Click Save.
You should now be problem free.

This application has failed to start because MSVBVM60.DLL was not found.

You need to download and install a few DLLs which are usualy present on user's computer that we didn't bundle with our application. You can download them directly from Microsoft here.