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Back To My Mac Used To Catch Laptop Thieves
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That is your system admin setting that, it is not a part of automatic updates. It is a feature which forces users to update, because most users don't restart their machines. Its annoying from a system admin's point of view to go to a machine to find that the update did occur, just that it hadn't been restarted.
It is an option in group policy I believe. We decided not to run it anymore at my last job because it is annoying for the users who do turn their machines off. Instead we simply restarted every machine at 3 PM on Sunday.
Actually, on the primary account use a password.
Have a second account with no password.
With undercover installed. Best of both worlds. Frmw password of course.
anyone notice that the link to the original story shows a 12" powerbook G4 as the mac they stole?
I have the very same model. Now all I have to do is find the camera.
I have the very same model. Now all I have to do is find the camera.
Password
Hopefully, the thief will have enough sense to log onto the account with no password.
Hopefully, the thief will have enough sense to log onto the account with no password.
Proof that thieves are dumbasses. The first thing I'd do with it is erase and install OS X.
That said though, I have no desire taking other people's belongings.
That said though, I have no desire taking other people's belongings.
It ain't like that. If they steal it while it's shut down, they reboot and it automatically logs in to the dummy account. If they steal it while it's asleep, they eventually click on "Switch User..." and from there hit restart and then it logs into the dummy account.
At which point they have a working computer. Then, when they connect to the internet . . . blammo!
yes occasionally it does. some of the "Security Updates" automatically restart. You'll notice in the morning when u wake ur PC that it is restarted and there's sometimes a message that it was restarted bc of an update. i keep many programs and projects open at any time so this was very aggravating for me when i used a PC.
But the cancel command only postpones the automatic restart; you will continue to click "cancel" every 10 minutes until either you click "restart" or Windows restarts your computer for you, which is exactly what happens if you don't click cancel in time. And this is how the automatic updates are applied by default! Ugh.
If you set a firmware password you wouldn't be able to erase and install...
The firmware password prevents you from booting from anything other than the internal boot disk. Even the installer DVD would not be bootable unless you knew the password.
There are smart thieves, but they just find a way to steal legally. Plus a few stolen computers aren't going to pay for your retirement.
I remember someone did this long before there was iSight on the Macs,
via pinging or email/modem
So thats what the DONT STEAL THIS MAC.KEXT extension is for!
Perhaps APPLE should change its name so thieves dont get wise and pull it out of the extensions folder
via pinging or email/modem
So thats what the DONT STEAL THIS MAC.KEXT extension is for!
Perhaps APPLE should change its name so thieves dont get wise and pull it out of the extensions folder
I think you might be referring to the guy who, in 2002 with the help of a Usenet AppleScripters group, used Timbuktu remote control software to recover his sister's stolen iMac. Neat story.
Yea, but what reasonable OS would Force you to restart your computer because it wanted to update your software (automatically, no less)? When I first saw that dialog in Windows I couldn't believe it was actually serious... But then the computer "End Task"'d everything and restarted, with my jaws hanging... I remember once it didn't even give you the option to delay the restart... And another time I wasn't even at my computer... when I came back it was at the log in screen and all my progs had been closed...
I love my Mac
That's true. I once lost over 3 hours of work because i left my pc running for five minutes unattended.. While I was gone it decided to install a 'security update', install itself, and close all of my unsaved windows without letting me recover them. Smart
This story is a good warning though.. If I ever steal someone else's mac, I'll be sure not to go on the internet
Can you imagine what would be going through your head after you found how exactly how you got caught.
I'd feel like such a idiot...
Then again, I would have known what was going on. Nonetheless Good Job!
I'd feel like such a idiot...
Then again, I would have known what was going on. Nonetheless Good Job!
Dateline
Kinda like those poor saps on 'Dateline' who get lured on-line into a young boy's home only to find Chris Hansen waiting at the kitchen table, asking, "Why'd You Do It?"
Kinda like those poor saps on 'Dateline' who get lured on-line into a young boy's home only to find Chris Hansen waiting at the kitchen table, asking, "Why'd You Do It?"