What to Do If Your Laptop Is Stolen: Step-by-Step Guide 2026

A new report from the National Cyber Forensic Tracking Laboratory has revealed that laptop thefts have increased by over 50% in the past year. This is despite awareness campaigns and the introduction of more stringent security features in laptops. So what should you do if your laptop has been snatched? Here’s what experts say.

According to NCFTL, at least 17,000 laptops were stolen in New York alone last year. That figure has risen to 26,500 in just 15 months. 

There are three key steps you need to take right now if your laptop has been snatched. Never attempt to recover the laptop yourself. We strongly advise you not to try and recover a thief’s laptop. Not only could you risk hospitalization or worse, but you can also be prosecuted in some areas. Instead contact the police at once.

Immediate Actions: What to Do Right Now

In the event of a laptop theft, you need to take immediate actions to prevent your personal information from being compromised. 

- Change any of the passwords that were stored on the stolen device. You should also change any weak passwords you’ve been using.  
- Use a password manager to generate stronger and more secure passwords. We recommend LastPass.  
- Lock your accounts (Google, Microsoft, Apple ID) to prevent further data loss.  
- File a police report. Police reports are now available online in most jurisdictions.

fig.1. How to lock Google and Microsoft Accounts

How to Track Your Stolen Laptop

Using built-in tools: Find My Device (Windows), Find My (Mac)  

If your laptop has a modern enough processor and OS and is connected to the internet, you can use built-in tools to track it. On your Mac, go to the Find My page and click the laptop section to see its approximate location. On Windows 11, open Find My Device and click your laptop to get its approximate location and location history.

You can also set up geofencing so that an alert is sent every time the laptop leaves or enters a specific area. These tools are free but only work if the laptop is registered and online.

Can you track a laptop when it's turned off?

If your laptop is both stolen and switched off, and you haven’t enabled hardware theft protection, then you won’t be able to track it using Microsoft or Apple tools.

Third-party tracking software (Prey, Absolute Computrace)

If you’re worried about theft, you may want to consider installing third-party laptop security software. Not only do they offer malware and ransomware protection, but they often include built-in tracking.

Feature	Apple Find My (Mac)	Windows Find My Device	Prey	Absolute (Computrace / Persistence)
Platform	Apple devices only (Mac, iPhone, iPad)	Windows devices only	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android	Mostly Windows (some Mac), enterprise-focused
Persistence (survives factory reset / OS reinstall)	No	No	No	Yes (BIOS/firmware level)
Tracking when device is OFF	Limited (last known location)	Very limited	No	Best (can activate on next boot)
Remote Lock	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remote Wipe / Data Erase	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Screenshots & Webcam Photos	No	No	Yes	Limited
Geofencing & Alerts	Yes	Basic	Excellent	Yes
Recovery Service (human team)	No	No	No	Yes (Theft Recovery Team)
Pricing	Free	Free	Free plan + Paid plans (~$5–15/device/mo)	Paid (~$40–60/year per device)
Best For	Apple users	Casual Windows users	Individuals & small teams	Enterprises & high-value devices
Ease of Use	Excellent	Good	Very Good	Good (more complex)

Protect Your Data: Remote Wipe & Delete Information

For Windows laptops, you can use Microsoft’s Find My Device tool to remotely lock and wipe your laptop if you set it up before the theft. For macOS laptops, you can use Apple’s Find My Mac feature to remotely lock and wipe the device.

If you don’t have these tools enabled, you can still protect your data by encrypting your operating system or using hard drive wipe tools.

How to remotely erase your laptop  

• Windows: Use Find My Device (must be enabled before theft). 
• macOS: Use Find My Mac via the Find My app or iCloud.com.

Even after a full wipe, some BIOS-level tracking tools like Absolute can still keep working. Another option is setting up cloud-based remote wipe with tools such as HP ProtectTools.

fig.2. How to perform remote wipe of Windows Laptop and macOS laptop

What Usually Happens to Stolen Laptops

Thieves want to get rid of the laptop as fast as they can. A lot of them end up being sold within just a few hours after the theft. According to the Prey Project, it often takes employees around 25 hours on average to even notice and report a missing work laptop.

Here’s what thieves commonly do with them:
- Sell it quickly to pawn shops, people on the street, or through online marketplaces.
- Take it apart and sell the pieces separately — things like RAM, SSD, screen, or battery.
- Sometimes they just wipe the drive or throw the laptop away.

It’s worth regularly checking online marketplaces using your laptop’s serial number (places like eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and others). And don’t forget to report that serial number to the police and any relevant online databases.

fig.3. Stolen laptop lifecycle

What to Do If Your Work / Company Laptop Was Stolen

Notify your employer immediately. Contact campus security or the police if it happened in a public place. Follow your company’s specific procedures for stolen laptops. Many workplaces have policies that may cover replacement costs, but you must follow the required steps, including filing a police report.

How to Prevent Laptop Theft in the Future

You’ll want to keep your data safe using strong security suites, proper encryption, a good antivirus, and maybe a VPN too. Make sure you keep a record of your laptop details — serial number, model, any stickers — in a safe place. It also helps to choose sturdy laptops with SSDs and always keep your software up to date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a stolen laptop be tracked after a factory reset?

Usually not with standard tools like Find My Device or Find My Mac. However, enterprise-grade solutions like Absolute Computrace work at the BIOS level and can survive factory resets.

Can you track a laptop that is turned off?

Generally no. Most tracking tools require the laptop to be powered on and connected to the internet. Only a few advanced enterprise solutions have limited capability to track after reboot.

How often are stolen laptops recovered?

Recovery rates are quite low — typically under 10-15% according to various reports. The faster you act and report the theft, the better your chances.

What do thieves do with stolen laptops?

Most thieves sell them quickly to pawn shops, online, or part them out for components (RAM, SSD, screen, etc.).

Do I need a police report if my work laptop was stolen?

Yes. Most companies require a police report for insurance claims and internal procedures.

Can a stolen laptop be blacklisted?

Yes, especially if it has enterprise management or tracking software. Some services can also report the serial number to databases that pawn shops and resellers check.

Conclusion

The most important things to remember: Don’t attempt to confront or arrest the thief yourself. Contact your local police station immediately to report the theft. Keep your stolen laptop details recorded somewhere easy to access, and make sure you have a valid driver’s license or other ID on hand in case your laptop is recovered.