Disable computrace reddit Two FOSS sellers who are big on doing ME cleaning and killing computrace are respectsyoutech and k_tech92_new, both spent hours talking to me in the past and taught me how to fix my broken t480 with flashrom and a cheap chip reader. When buying a used ThinkPad, remember to check that the BIOS is not locked with a supervisor's password and that Computrace is not enabled and activated. This worries me and im wondering if I can call Dell or Absolute Software to disable computrace. If the original owner stopped paying the fee then once the machine tries to phone home it should deactivate and then you can disable it in the bios. Then you'll get the option in the BIOS to disable Computrace permanently. I'd like to permanently disable Computrace in the bios/EFI. I contacted Absolute and they did the procedure to deactive it, but it didn't work. Normally for this to be enabled you have to have a BIOS password. no clue why it doesn't I've contacted Absolute asking if the disabling of computrace was possible, and they said they would contact the original customer to see if they would disable it for me (I also assume this means the laptop isn't stolen as the rep didn't mention anything). By Absolute Software. Let's say be aware of Computrace, disable it permanently right away on any machines you acquire unless you (questionably) intend to specifically use it, and keep abreast of any hardware options that eschew it so that you may choose those hardware options in the future. Yes. When you fire up the BIOS you will be able to check out Computrace--it should be either disabled (unlikely) or (far more likely) enabled but inactive. enabled and active are not the same thing. IBM and Lenovo ThinkPad laptop enthusiasts!. If you unlock your BIOS you can "Disable" it but I believe it will continue to log your IP's and who knows what meta data it keeps track of. The option to disable absolute computrace is in the BIOS. Does that mean I have successfully rid the laptop of computrace? May 24, 2004 · Also, in the BIOS, the Security/Anti-Theft settings will show Computrace enabled and activated - and the options to disable it or permanently disable it will be grayed out or inaccessible. Some years ago I bought a replacement motherboard for my X230 that had this problem. When asking a question or stating a problem, please add as much detail as possible. Basically a back door for someone to identify and access your PC. A and Linux (Zorin) Just go into UEFI setup and disable Computrace under Absolute is replacing Computrace so nothing has changed with anyone who has those Dell laptops. It's either a lease turn-in where the asset manager forgot to remove the password and revert Computrace (it happens) or stolen, period. It was on in the BIOS. . Note: depending on your BIOS version (and release date), you have to get an OS compatible with the Computrace agent from that time. "Enabled" but with the disabling options available is how the laptops come stock, my T500 is like that. Just a heads up about Everest University Online. By gaining full access of the BIOS/UEFI I was able to remove this lock and completely disable the anti theft software. Rpcnet. Otherwise, I view this feature as an option for corporations and most private owners should just disable it. And - just to get this out of the way at the start - don't be deluded by the plentiful advice out there for removing Computrace. It's an anti theft program that basically destroys the computer if it detects that it's been stolen. They apparently can send a command to the system to disable/remove the software and "unlock" the option in the BIOS to disable it. Note: Reddit is dying due to terrible leadership from CEO /u/spez. If you grab the serial #, do a google search - may turn up on a stolen asset list, craigslist post, etc. Not sure if this is the correct place for this type of questions but I’ve been trying to get rid of computrace on a dell laptop for the past couple days to no success. So I navigated to the security tab in the bios and didn't see anything about computrace. Someone who can modify the bios to disable the computrace (and usually can remove bios password as well), one of the service link had been posted here, site like allservice. What comes on top is that there is a service called Computrace installed. What you need to do is to install win10 (I used a win10 enterprise ISO) and keep it running for a while, then after several reboots when the computrace does its home calling (which you can't see or control) the option to permanently disable it will be unlocked in the bios, so go ahead and disable it and get rid of windows. Doing a windows reinstall will not change the status. Computrace makes it difficult and risky to buy used laptops. From what I understand, Computrace is BIOS based and overwrites the OS automatically to allow the device to "phone back home". And if you check the URL of the Absolute Persistence documentation, none of the remote control/access features work without the OS agent installed. I gave them my serial number and mobo serial number and I’ll see what they respond with tomorrow. If Computrace is disabled, then it can't be traced. I spent some time learning how to rid my Lenovo of computrace. To add content, your account must be vetted/verified. What I am saying is you shouldn’t even be contemplating doing these kind of thing. You will need to provide them with the machine serial number (and sometimes, a motherboard serial number, if there is Install windows and let it connect to the internet. Note you won't be able to enable it, ever. tried uninstalling, nope. Is this expected? It's only permanently enabled if it is activated. First, a bit of a description about Computrace and the hell it puts people through. You can hide a small GPS tracker inside the unit if you're concerned about theft. K12sysadmin is for K12 techs. Saying that Do you think Dell/Absolute is sitting around tracking people and the BIOS disable does nothing? About a year ago, my mom wanted to get a new-to-her laptop, so she went to a local pawn shop and bought one. So, I recently acquired a thinkpad x1 carbon from a company that went under. I'd say there's ways to remove the password but given you've already been refunded you could always try and contact Absolute Software directly and tell them the device is in your possession (IANAL and this is not legal advice, so I don't know whether this may incriminate you however I imagine they probably aren't too interested in how you received it unless it's recorded as stolen, just that Hi there! What is Computrace and what it can do? And how do I disable Computrace once it's on? And how does Computrace break a laptop/PC? Mouthful, I… Earlier this year I bought a used Precision T1700 from eBay and while going through the BIOS configuring it, I accidentally enabled computrace. How-to: Flash the "non-Absolute Persistence Module" version of BIOS to remove Computrace for real Discussion / Information (This post is a continuation of my previous post - ' "Support for non-Absolute Persistence Module version of UEFI BIOS" in latest BIOS update, aka non-Computrace? ' - and a post by another Redditor - ' X1C7: Can I flash the To add to this, Absolute will require an invoice or some other proof of purchase from you and possibly they will request that you get an invoice from the original transaction that brought the laptop out of the company. I have an X200 that has Computrace enabled and activated in the BIOS. If you want to post and aren't approved yet, click on a post, click "Request to Comment" and then you'll receive a vetting form. I rebooted and went in to the BIOS and sure enough, the warning message was gone and Computrace was still enabled, but not active. Same thing if you set it to permanently disabled, it can't be enabled + activated anymore. If your laptop comes with Computrace enabled, there’s a chance that the laptop was stolen, or the previous owner forgot to disable it. I am pretty sure you need to contact absolute for them to disable it for you but I could be wrong. Once it's activated, you can't disable it anymore. I have Ubuntu 18. I think the machine has to be off lease and not needed by the company anymore. Never had computrace or intel ME turned on with it. If it's not activated, then no need to worry, you can just set it to disable. I opted for a new motherboard without a computrace bios. Its not computrace active. Someone needs to pay the subscription on computrace for it to work. Enabled - Cannot be disabled afterwards, once enabled allows the laptop to be tracked via 3rd party software (Computrace usually), and hard locks the BIOS I believe. The "Deactivated" option will more than likely be selected already. Look to your right at the sidebar to the second item that helps explain computrace. On my new Latitude it is enabled by default, so I simply turned it off. Computrace is the devil!!! (( - Computrace. Returning to the previous menu, computrace option shows status disabled. You will not be able to reactivate the Computrace module once it is disabled. In theory you can't disable it at that point (would kind of defeat the entire point of it). Anyone know if this is an option in the bios? If not, Microsoft may not get any business from me. Would wiping the HDD and reinstalling windows effectively remove computrace? I'm assuming that with coreboot BIOS, there is no way for computrace to install itself on a level lower than the OS? Scenario 3: Computrace is already I was changing my game from windowed to 1920x1080 fullscreen, to it just suddenly crashing and saying "memory access violation". 10 installed on it, never booted into Windows. In my case it was enabled but not activated. That's it! In the BIOS of a W550s, computrace option is enabled, but not activated. It's up to the individual user to decide if they trust Dell or not. If the machine isn't stolen, you can easily remove Computrace by calling the phone number that is displayed when you enter the bios. Ok looked up and it's a backdoor OEMS are putting on new computers and it's nearly impossible to remove, so I suggest get a new board, backup your stuff, and transplant the parts onto a new build because someone might be able to hack in and mess up your computer cause computrace is to take control of computers by system admins I bought my 1st Thinkpad and I'm super happy with it but came with Computrace enabled and activated. If you permanently disable it the module will "brick" for the lifetime of the machine. If that is the case the only way to unlock it is to prove to Dell that you are the original owner and they can give you an unlock password. Why is it good to activate computrace? I disabled it on my laptop because IT where I worked told me it could be used as a backdoor. If it is enabled and active then you need the seller to deal with this. I have a school issued thinkpad that was unlocked when I left, but when I enter the bios a warning that computrace was activated showed up. See relevant Dell support page. Nothing will remove it, not even flashing the BIOS, but apparently it's not Linux compatible, so you could use that. The Computrace® agent from Absolute® Software is a service solution designed to help track assets and provide recovery services in the event the computer is lost or stolen. Absolute used to be called Computrace (if you want to spend a few minutes googling exactly how invasive it is, and check out why they rebranded It basically installs what 8s very akin to a Trojan or a back door on your PC at the bios level (in other words, when you install windows or Linux or whatever, the bios will also install Absolute. Likewise if you just try to remove computrace off the hdd without doing the custom bios, the bios will install computrace on the system. Is this possible? I've got windows running again with no lockout. I want to disable Secure Boot in order to boot from USB on a used T470 I just bought. BIOS > Security > Absolute > Permanently disable. I always set it to Disabled, but setting it to Permanently Disabled is the only way to really stop Computrace, because if you put a Windows install with an active Computrace into that computer it will Re-enable and then Activate itself. I can enter the BIOS (it asks for a password, but just hitting enter goes through, which indicates the BIOS isn't locked, right?) but once I'm in, although I can navigate to all tabs and sub-items, it doesn't let me select any value to actually change it. In a perfect world my laptop would be using Coreboot. That computer wasn't removed properly so it's enabled, until its removed from computrace's database the machine will be enabled on their end so if anything were to happen you can get locked out of the computer. I emailed globalsupport@absolute. tried literally every fix on the internet and yet nothing works. Computrace is not worth it. Apr 2, 2020 · All of this points to the idea that the reddit user is telling the truth and that Computrace enabled firmware doesn't have the capability to itself install the agent onto a non-Windows machine. tried turning on the launcher, nope. Computrace is a subscription service. I've never used it in all my decades using dells. The biggest POS software that so many people have gotten cursed with. Speaking as someone who used to investigate asset thefts, this is right on the money. If the hdd is booted in the primary machine at all before doing any of these steps, the hdd will overwrite the bios option and force computrace on. I just keep mine on disable. Select the "Disable" option and press "Enter" on the keyboard to disable Computrace on the computer permanently. Let some time happen, it will take 3 or more reboots to get Computrace disactivated. Efi/Computrace. tried completely removing the game from my account and reinstalling it, didn't work. I also see that computrace can't be re-enabled. Apparently if it ships with the system, the user can enable and disable at will. Upon clicking into the computrace option, a “disable computrace permanently” menu popped up and I chose yes. So I have bought a used Dell OptiPlex 7010 Mini-Tower and it came with CompuTrace deactivated but I messed around with BIOS configuration and accidentally turned it on (Activated it), Is there a way I can deactivate that back or disable it permanently?, It isn't interfering with the OS but it prevents me from downgrading BIOS from A29 to A01. I contacted Absolute software to disable computrace on this laptop. It had worked fine until a few days ago, when all of sudden this white box popped up saying the device was frozen and could not be used anymore. Edit: they responded with “This device is already disabled Computrace. It isn’t a stolen laptop by any means, but I have tried calling and getting it disabled at the least but they can’t disable it. The only related options were the security chip and intel anti-theft which are both disabled, but nothing for computrace. Nov 22, 2024 · Posted in r/Dell by u/Kacper-grabowiec-08 • 3 points and 17 comments Dec 19, 2014 · Here you will see three options for Computrace. Tell them you bought a used machine, with computrace activated, and you would like it removed. Best of luck. This seems a bit weird as I remember that in the ThinkPad UEFI setup there had always been an option to permanently disable Computrace yet there wasn't a version of the UEFI named "non-Computrace". If you just want to disable it while keeping the possibility to re-enable it, select the "Disable" option instead. e. Hey there! If you are having issues with Medal, make sure to check out our Knowledge base as your issue may be addressed there. Found a great deal for a laptop on eBay? It looked as through the Computrace agent had phoned home, got the command to disable itself, and had done so. The options were no longer greyed out and I could permanently disable it to prevent it ever working again. 175K subscribers in the thinkpad community. For PC questions/assistance. com to disable computrace. If you find the answer to your issue in our Knowledge base, post a comment in this thread with the word "Solved" followed by the article link which helped so I can mark this post as solved! Scenario 2: Coreboot is running on the machine and computrace gets installed onto the windows desktop environment. Absolute persistence module I believe is the modern computrace from days old. No real world solution. Please use our Discord server instead of supporting a company that acts against its users and unpaid moderators. Skip about halfway down for the bandaid workaround I figured out myself. exe always appears when booting and only disappears after 30-60m. tried turning it off, nope. only seen this on lenovo machines but worth a try. Neither of them is useful if you're some major corporate entity with thousands of devices that you actually care enough about to pay for the use of such services/tools for device/hardware fleet management. A bit of quick search gave me that "Absolute Persistence Module" is the "modern" Computrace. Disable allows you to turn it on if you ever decide to and enroll with absolute to get their service. Here's a good article about it AFAIK, the Computrace security feature in some laptops has 3 options, Enabled, Disabled and Inactive. If the machine is older or newer and not stolen then once it tries to phone home it will get a signal saying the subscription is expired and after that you can disable it in bios. 1-888-999-9857 Heres the number from a lenovo BIOS message. What you can do is email computrace and have them remove it for you. I have no contacts in the company, and presumably no way to disable computrace. Absolute tells me they did. Sometimes the original company will disable it at computrace servers, but it will still be active in the laptop bios until it boots in windows and "phones home". It was a work machine, IT screwed up the password, he bought it off of them for cheap. Disable bother permanently, not even something to not consider doing. I'm currently running a Wireshark scan on the device, but I haven't found anything as of yet. If you have a specific Keyboard/Mouse/AnyPart that is doing something strange, include the model number i. I called Absolute, the company that makes computrace last night, and while they wouldn't disable it for me, the guy I spoke to said Everest does some shady shit to try and get laptops brought back to them that students rightfully earned. Hello, I will be purchasing my first thinkpad soon and i'm wondering if I permanently disable Computrace will the original owner be able to enable it ever again? I have read that even though Computrace is permanently disabled in bios, the software on the computer is still active. How is it different in this release? View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. It stinks of the NSA. K12sysadmin is open to view and closed to post. The rpcnet service is gone, but I still cannot disable computrace in the BIOS. If you never plan on using their service, you can permanently disable, once you do that, it stays disabled for the lifetime of the board. ro also offers this kind of service. Stumped on a tech problem? Ask the community and try to help others with their problems as well. enxvik rckyfi gzxx gwxx wifq icjur knhturo yvujlh cgo aqdbonpai