What should I do if my laptop was stolen

[Hanr22]

My laptop was stolen out of my car. Is there anything HP can do to locate my laptop? Say they try to sell it I have my serial number could it be tracked somehow through a data base. I already logged into Microsoft to locate it but it has not been logged on. what would you recommend to do if something like this happened to you? 

[Dragon-Fur]

@Hanr22 

Welcome to the HP Community --

We are a Peer-to-Peer Forum for people who use HP Technology.

We are sorry this happened.

That's a tough loss.

Hopefully the car was not trashed, too.

In many cases, the thief might not gain access to the content of the device.

Whether the thief does "get your data"  depends on the thief and the reason for the theft

If a thief does gain control of your Operating System, it follows they will have access to the data -- including data held within any folder that is not protected or encrypted.

At the very least, change every password that was used, mentioned, documented, or located on the stolen device.

Reminder:  Never provide private information on any forum / community posting site.

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You know by now that what you can do is limited to what you can control. 

Contact your local authorities to report the theft.

In the event of a loss of this type, the main issue is one of personal safety. 

If you are safe, you are OK.

The short answer

HP does not track devices and cannot help with the recovery of lost or stolen property.

If you are located where it will do any good, report the loss to the local authorities - this might be the local police or other agency that can perhaps help with property retrieval.

"After the fact" is too late to purchase and install the software that supports tracking, locking, or wiping the contents of your computer.

The longer answer

"If you prepared ahead of time"...

Caveat:  The thief has to be nice enough to switch on the device so it can be "seen" on the net.

If you switched on Windows Find my Device

Microsoft Support – Find and lock a Windows Device

If you purchased and installed PC tracking / locking software,

Contact the company that provided the software.

For Example,

Optional Coverage – Track and Lock

• Absolute Theft Protection Plans

Absolute Protection provides several services, including Delete, Locate, Recover

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Limitations

• Regional - the protection software might not be available in your area.
• The device must be turned on to enable any chance that it could be tracked.
• The device must be somewhere within a tracking zone.

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The list of what you can do "after the fact" is limited to what you can control.

Examples

• Check your purchase information for important information about the device.  For example, serial numbers, Mac Address, product number, and other identifying features might be found in purchase confirmation or product shipping emails, on the original shipping box label, or -- if you made a copy of it, in a document you mailed to yourself or saved in an offline backup / storage account.

With that information in hand,

• Contact the local authorities.
• Contact your homeowners or renters insurance agent - ask for advice, perhaps submit a claim.
• Change your passwords for all accounts that were on the device (in case a thief gains access).
• IF you find your computer listed "for sale" online -- do NOT contact the seller -- contact the police.

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