How to use Windows 11’s Find My Device to help locate your lost laptop
Windows 11 has a safety net to find and protect a lost laptop
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Losing an expensive device is never a good situation to be in, and even worse if you can’t find it. Thankfully, we’re in an age where you can easily find it, or remotely wipe the device if needed.
There are apps where, in the hope of getting your laptop back, for example, you want to make sure that your data stays out of the wrong hands. UsingWindows 11, there’s an app called Find My Device, you can make sure that this won’t happen.
With this in mind, here’s our guide on how to use this app, to make sure you can track where your device is, at most times.
Tools and Requirements
Step by step guide
1. Find My Device in Settings
TheFind My Devicefeature of Windows 11 is switched off by default, so if you want to use it you will have to enable it first. Right-click theStartbutton and selectSettingsfrom the menu that appears, or press theWindows key+Isimultaneously to open theSettingsapp.
Move to thePrivacy & securitysection to the left and then click theFind my devicelink in the right-hand pane.
2. Enable location settings and Find My Device
When you open theFind My Devicesection, you may see a warning about location settings being switched off. As this is required forFind My Deviceto work, you will need to enable it by clicking theLocation settingsbutton and then moving theLocation servicestoggle to theOnposition.
Back at theFind My DevicePage, move theFind my devicetoggle to theOnposition to enable the feature.
3. Check which devices are linked to your account
Any computer you have enabled Find My Device on – whether it is a desktop PC or a laptop – will be added to your Microsoft account. Using any computer with an internet connection (or even a Mac or mobile phone), you can your Microsoft account page to check which devices you are monitoring.
Pay a visit tohttps://account.microsoft.com/devices, sign into your account and you will see a list of your devices as well as an indication of whether location services are enabled.
4. Locate your lost or stolen device
Whether you have mislaid your laptop, or your PC has been stolen,Find My Devicewill help you to track it down. After signing into your Microsoft account athttps://account.microsoft.com/devices, click theFind my devicelink under the entry for the computer you are trying to locate.
Initially you will see a map showing the device’s last known location, but this may not be entirely current. To update the location, click theFindbutton and wait for the map to refresh.
5. Using location information
It may well be the case that the section of the map thatFind My Deviceshows you is recognizable and is enough to help you determine where you left your laptop, or where a thief may have taken it.
If it isn’t, you can navigate your way around the map just as you would Google Maps – you can click and drag with your mouse or trackpad, and either use your scroll wheel or the+and-buttons on the map to zoom in and out. In the overly to the left of the map, you will also see an address.
6. Remotely lock your device
If you believe that your computer has been stolen rather than lost, you almost certainly want to stop whoever has it from using it and accessing your data.
Onthe Find My Devicepage you have used to locate your device, there is the option to lock your computer so it cannot be used.
Click theLockbutton, enter an optional message to display on the screen of your computer, and then clickLock.
7. Making use of the optional message
While your first thought may be that the message box could be used to inform a thief that you know where they are, it is more useful than this. It could well be the case that you have left your laptop in the back of a taxi, on the bus or in a coffee shop, and you can use the message to give instructions to whoever happens to find it.
You could give out your phone number or email address, but it’s probably not a great idea to share your home address.
8. What happens next
When you ping the location of your computer, a message is displayed on the screen of your computer, so if someone else is using it, they will be aware that you are looking for your device.
If you have opted to remotely lock the device – which is the sensible thing to do if it has been stolen – anyone who is logged in will be automatically logged out. This offers a reasonable level of protection against your machine being misused or your data being accessed.
Final thoughts
Computers have become essential to daily life, so it is great thatMicrosofthas seen fit to include a device-locating option in Windows. It is certainly a valuable tool for anyone who frequently travels with a laptop – although it can also be used to protect a desktop PC. But while the feature that is built intoWindows 11is handy to have, it is far from being the only option available.
In a similar vein isPreywhich is available for Windows, as well as macOS and mobile platforms. While this is a paid-for product, there is a 14-day trial that lets you try it out for free.
There are various price points available, each offering a differing range of needs that will suit everyone from private individuals to larger organizations. Another option isDriveStrike, again available for all popular desktop and mobile platforms. The 30-day trial gives you a taste of the tracking and geo-locating functionality.
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Sofia is a tech journalist who’s been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.
Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.
Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.
You can find her onTwitterandMastodon.
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