Stolen MacBook Pro

[scottyent]

Hey all, unfortunately this is my first post on this forums. I lost my MacBook Pro, late 2011 model....by leaving it on a train. I had a long day at work, and had put my backpack in a slot behind some chairs I was standing next to, and walked off before I realized.

I reported to the train companies, but it's been 4 days and so far nothing has been found.

My question is, I know that there is the Find My Mac option...but what I don't know is if I went into System Preferences and turned it on. I had the latest operating system, and certainly logged in with my iCloud account. The computer shows up on the Find My iPhone app and says it is offline, and that when it comes online I will be notified and it will lock and display a message.

I've heard that it will still show up, and as offline, even if you don't have the feature turned on. So basically, I'm wondering if I'm constantly checking this thing which will never say online even if the computer is connected to the internet.

Is there any other ways that I can attempt to trace it? I tried Dropbox, chrome syncing, Gmail activity, and nothing seems to show activity after the 14th (day I lost it). Is there something else that I can try? There must be. I know that it was completely my own fault, but I'm sure you can all identify with the terrible feeling of losing something so personal. It had my whole life on it, and I believe I do have a time machine backup from about 5 months ago, it is still extremely unsettling.

Any advice would be greatly greatly appreciated

 

[Arnezie]

Hey all, unfortunately this is my first post on this forums. I lost my MacBook Pro, late 2011 model....by leaving it on a train. I had a long day at work, and had put my backpack in a slot behind some chairs I was standing next to, and walked off before I realized.

I reported to the train companies, but it's been 4 days and so far nothing has been found.

My question is, I know that there is the Find My Mac option...but what I don't know is if I went into System Preferences and turned it on. I had the latest operating system, and certainly logged in with my iCloud account. The computer shows up on the Find My iPhone app and says it is offline, and that when it comes online I will be notified and it will lock and display a message.
yes

I've heard that it will still show up, and as offline, even if you don't have the feature turned on. So basically, I'm wondering if I'm constantly checking this thing which will never say online even if the computer is connected to the internet.
isnt there an option for icloud to email when found
Is there any other ways that I can attempt to trace it? I tried Dropbox, chrome syncing, Gmail activity, and nothing seems to show activity after the 14th (day I lost it). Is there something else that I can try? There must be. I know that it was completely my own fault, but I'm sure you can all identify with the terrible feeling of losing something so personal. It had my whole life on it, and I believe I do have a time machine backup from about 5 months ago, it is still extremely unsettling.

Any advice would be greatly greatly appreciated

 

[GizmoDVD]

You didn't get your Pro Stolen, you lost it.

Big difference.

 

[duervo]

Try checking the police stations. There's a slim chance that somebody may have turned it in at one of them, instead of to the train operators.

If you get nowhere from there, I wouldn't hold out much hope of ever getting it back.

 

[Arnezie]

You didn't get your Pro Stolen, you lost it.

Big difference.

If someone took it sitting there and it is not there property i think it would be considered stealing , or whats your definition ?

 

[GizmoDVD]

If someone took it sitting there and it is not there property i think it would be considered stealing , or whats your definition ?

He said he left it there.

He lost it.

It's not like someone broke into his car or ran up to him and took his backpack.

 

[Arnezie]

He said he left it there.

He lost it.

It's not like someone broke into his car or ran up to him and took his backpack.

And no one said they did but sorry you take something even unattended and it isn't yours its STEALING !

 

[GizmoDVD]

And no one said they did but sorry you take something even unattended and it isn't yours its STEALING !

Except the thread title says "Stolen". It was not. It was "Lost". What happens after that no one knows, but the OP "Lost" his Macbook by leaving it on a train.

 

[Weaselboy]

Except the thread title says "Stolen". It was not. It was "Lost". What happens after that no one knows, but the OP "Lost" his Macbook by leaving it on a train.

OP says in his second sentence he lost it, so I don't understand what you are trying to accomplish with your pedantic posts in this thread. Is this supposed to help the OP in some way?

OP -- Sorry but it sounds like you are sunk. Tough break to be sure.

 

[KPOM]

Is there any other ways that I can attempt to trace it? I tried Dropbox, chrome syncing, Gmail activity, and nothing seems to show activity after the 14th (day I lost it). Is there something else that I can try? There must be. I know that it was completely my own fault, but I'm sure you can all identify with the terrible feeling of losing something so personal. It had my whole life on it, and I believe I do have a time machine backup from about 5 months ago, it is still extremely unsettling.

Any advice would be greatly greatly appreciated

I know the feeling. I left my MacBook Air either on an airplane or at the airport last month. As soon as I realized I didn't have it, I went to Find My Mac and told it to erase the Mac. Fortunately, I had a Time Capsule backup from the night before, and it was insured. Find My Mac actually "found" it 2 days later at the airport, but no one ever turned it in. I checked with the airline, airport, and TSA. I did get an e-mail from Find My Mac (as well as a notification on my iPhone) saying that it had been erased, and for the next 24 hours I could locate where it was "found" on a map. It depends on someone turning it on and it finding an Internet connection (usually through wi-fi).

My advice at this point is to set it to erase. It's unlikely it will be found, but at least if it is then someone won't have access to your data.

See if your renter/homeowner insurance will cover it (at least the amount over your deductible). For the future, I'd suggest getting a Time Capsule. While it isn't the "best" backup solution, at least it operates in the background, meaning you'll have a more recent backup if something like that happens again.

If someone took it sitting there and it is not there property i think it would be considered stealing , or whats your definition ?

And no one said they did but sorry you take something even unattended and it isn't yours its STEALING !

OT and I am not a lawyer, but I believe there is a distinction between something "lost" and something misplaced. If it is truly lost, then whoever finds it is the legal owner (e.g. a glove that you see on the subway floor). If someone intentionally put something down and forgets about it, it is "misplaced" and the person who finds it is supposed to make a reasonable effort to find the owner or turn it in, etc. This sounds like it was "misplaced."

 

[user418]

Lost --> misplaced ---> found ------->subsequently returned. Tough situation. Hope you get your stuff back.

 

[F1 Fan]

Except the thread title says "Stolen". It was not. It was "Lost". What happens after that no one knows, but the OP "Lost" his Macbook by leaving it on a train.

OP told the train company but they couldn't find it. Assuming OP told them which train and where on the train then they should have been able to find it. Given that they couldn't, someone had taken it. Unless the person who took it is trying to find OP or has handed it in to the police then it's stealing.

I'm really sorry OP. I know that none of this helps you. I hope you get it back but I wouldn't hold out much hope.

 

[naz-dream-boys]

I feel sorry for you man, hopefully you get it back soon

 

[scottyent]

You didn't get your Pro Stolen, you lost it.

Big difference.

lol f me right? Sorry I misrepresented the situation on an internet forum? I lost it? man...me? I had control over not leaving it on a train?! I thought someone jedi mind tricked me into just walking away from my backpack! Thank god you pointed it out that when I said I LEFT it on the train, that was of my own action perhaps I should call the police to update them on this ground breaking news?! Now I really have to look deep inside and see what these childhood issues might be that cause me to assign blame in such wrong ways....

Seriously though, I more than understand it was my own fault for leaving it on a train, and I merely said stolen because a) there are more responses, information about, and general interest in a STOLEN computer. Stolen is clear -> it's gone, not coming back unless you find it. Lost is-->did you check the lost and found maybe? (yes I did). All I want to know is how I can track, how exactly find my mac works if it isn't turned on in System Preferences, and how I can proceed. As far as I know....these things tend to overlap whether it was lost or stolen.....no? But thanks for your stellar contribution to the solution of the problem Gizmo

Anyway, at this point I MIGHT consider it stolen, because as others have pointed out...I left it on the train, and the train operators couldn't find it, and it has been 4 days. So if nobody turned it in, then someone must have it. I don't know the legal definition but as far as I'm concerned, that person didn't buy that laptop, I did. Even though I lost it...the person who has it now has something they had no part in purchasing, has no connection to, and it is something they literally stumbled upon (could have been a bum on the train, who knows). Plus, I live in Germany, and they are a bit more strict here, so I can easily see them classifying getting ANYTHING with out working for it is stealing it

Thanks everyone else for the information. I do have it set to notify me if someone connects it...but I guess what I really wanted to know is that in a few other places, I read a few comments that said that if Find My Mac wasn't turned on specifically by checking the check box in System Preferences, then it wouldn't be active on the machine. Someone also said it would show up even if it was turned off. So I'm wondering, even if it someone connects it, will my Find My Mac forever show it as "offline" because perhaps I never chose to turn it on before I lost it!?

Im going to the police today, unfortunately the freaking train it was on traveled all around Germany and into the Netherlands after I got off it, so it's a wide area :/

 

[scottyent]

I also read that it's good to post the serial + STOLEN on a forum somewhere that is indexed by Google, in case someone searches it before they buy it...so here it goes:

C17GKX5DDV7L STOLEN *

* Disclaimer: In the event that Gizmo, the head of the interwebs honesty and integrity police comes back to this post, STOLEN in this case means I lost it on a train, and the computer could be in the possession of someone who took it, someone who is looking to return it, or possibly even sitting in my backpack in some random train or police station. Even though that might be hard to decode and understand, the overall take away is I am the one personally responsible for leaving it on the train in the first place. But I sure would appreciate it back

 

[sparkyms]

I think if you didn't set it as 'on' in the system preferences the Mac wouldn't show up as an entry on iCloud.com when you go to 'find my iphone'.

If it shows up on there, you turned it on, but people are getting wiser to that and just wiping the drive, which, with Lion/ML recovery, is pretty easy these days.

Although a slim chance, I hope you get your stuff back.

 

[thekev]

You didn't get your Pro Stolen, you lost it.

Big difference.

It's possible to show a little kindness to someone who just lost an expensive notebook. No one expects to do things like that. He's looking for a way to track it if someone else is using it now.

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks everyone else for the information. I do have it set to notify me if someone connects it...but I guess what I really wanted to know is that in a few other places, I read a few comments that said that if Find My Mac wasn't turned on specifically by checking the check box in System Preferences, then it wouldn't be active on the machine. Someone also said it would show up even if it was turned off. So I'm wondering, even if it someone connects it, will my Find My Mac forever show it as "offline" because perhaps I never chose to turn it on before I lost it!?

Yep... if you did not have Find my Mac turned on in your iCloud prefs, it will not show up. Sorry.

Great idea posting the serial number here so it comes up in a search.

 

[scottyent]

I think if you didn't set it as 'on' in the system preferences the Mac wouldn't show up as an entry on iCloud.com when you go to 'find my iphone'.

If it shows up on there, you turned it on, but people are getting wiser to that and just wiping the drive, which, with Lion/ML recovery, is pretty easy these days.

Although a slim chance, I hope you get your stuff back.[/QUOTE

Thanks so much for the information. That makes sense.. It seems very silly if it would show up as a device and say offline etc if it wasn't signed up for the system. Well, that gives me some hope!

I agree it's unlikely it'll come back, but what gives me SOME piece is knowing that if they connect to the Internet ill know about it, which makes me think its less likely they are going through my stuff. It really really sucks that its gone (On my English teacher salary here, it'll take me a long while to replace), the most annoying thing is how personal it is and how someone else has it. My whole life was on there, and to be without it is tough. The idea of someone else going through my documents and things like that is upsetting.

Also to "thekev" thanks man, I appreciate all your support. I know it's my fault, but that doesn't make it any less difficult to lose something so personal and expensive

Fingers crossed

 

[amit715]

sorry bro i know the feeling but hopefully it works out ..keep checking

 

[sakthi.shruthi]

I lost my macbook pro yesterday.
specifications
PROCESSOR 2.9GHz Dual-core Intel Core i7

MEMORY 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB

HARD DRIVE 128GB Solid State Drive SSD

OPTICAL DRIVE 8x Double-Layer SuperDrive

KEYBOARD AND DOCUMENTATION KYBD/USER'S GUIDE-INT

If anyone find this same specification in online or second hand shop and with the Serial number C02JQ068DV31, please report it to police or message me here.
In my iCloud , it showing offline. But I am not sure whether I have correctly configured the iCloud. I want to know whether it will show offline for ever, even after my hard disk is erased and configured with new apple id, which means I will not get my laptop forever.

 

[kelon111]

I lost my macbook pro yesterday.
specifications
PROCESSOR 2.9GHz Dual-core Intel Core i7

MEMORY 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB

HARD DRIVE 128GB Solid State Drive SSD

OPTICAL DRIVE 8x Double-Layer SuperDrive

KEYBOARD AND DOCUMENTATION KYBD/USER'S GUIDE-INT

If anyone find this same specification in online or second hand shop and with the Serial number C02JQ068DV31, please report it to police or message me here.
In my iCloud , it showing offline. But I am not sure whether I have correctly configured the iCloud. I want to know whether it will show offline for ever, even after my hard disk is erased and configured with new apple id, which means I will not get my laptop forever.

Your Mac doesn't have a real GPS , right?

Based on what I seen on computers that don't have an active GPS or something similar , someone could just format the HDD/SSD before they use the computer or boot into the normal OS and then all the software you put would be gone.

Realistically , they will take out your SSD and check the contents on another computer that can read the file system. If you encrypted your drive , it would be difficult or impossible for someone to look at stuff that's on your drive but you probably didn't do that.

 

[kelon111]

Thanks so much for the information. That makes sense.. It seems very silly if it would show up as a device and say offline etc if it wasn't signed up for the system. Well, that gives me some hope!

I agree it's unlikely it'll come back, but what gives me SOME piece is knowing that if they connect to the Internet ill know about it, which makes me think its less likely they are going through my stuff. It really really sucks that its gone (On my English teacher salary here, it'll take me a long while to replace), the most annoying thing is how personal it is and how someone else has it. My whole life was on there, and to be without it is tough. The idea of someone else going through my documents and things like that is upsetting.

Also to "thekev" thanks man, I appreciate all your support. I know it's my fault, but that doesn't make it any less difficult to lose something so personal and expensive

Fingers crossed

If someone else has your laptop , they might make a copy of your HDD/SSD so they have your information to sell. I warn people to encrypt their drives just in case their laptop gets stolen.

Hopefully you never stored any credit card numbers in any documents or browsers if you shopped online or pay bills , etc.

 

[disasterdrone]

If someone else has your laptop , they might make a copy of your HDD/SSD so they have your information to sell. I warn people to encrypt their drives just in case their laptop gets stolen.

Hopefully you never stored any credit card numbers in any documents or browsers if you shopped online or pay bills , etc.

That's really not a cost effective way to steal cc numbers, but it's probably worth canceling cards you used on line.

 

[MaulRx]

Hope you guys get a good resolution to this matter!