Dell Computer Trace

Discussion in 'BIOS Mods' started by cyberbot, Aug 12, 2012.

  1. cyberbot

    cyberbot MDL Senior Member

    Jul 30, 2011
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    #1 cyberbot, Aug 12, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2012
    Hey guys,
    i have activated computer trace by mistake on my laptop,
    is it possible to disable this thing? when i try it from the BIOS is not allowing me,
    i tried to moded the BIOS, but i don't see the option to disable the Computer trace, can someone advise please?
    Laptop is Dell D620


    thank you
     
  2. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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    try the dell bios asset / service tag changer.
    that should reset it.

    once u disable it .. it wont turn back on computrace.. theres a deactivate and disable.. 2 differences.
     
  3. cyberbot

    cyberbot MDL Senior Member

    Jul 30, 2011
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    Where can i find this Dell Bios Asset/Service Tag changer?
    how to do it with this Dell Bios, would be much appreciated


    Thank you
     
  4. supaduper

    supaduper MDL Member

    Jul 3, 2011
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    you need the `Dell Client Configuration Toolkit` search on the Dell web site its there
     
  5. cyberbot

    cyberbot MDL Senior Member

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    do you mean with this tool i i can disable computer trace? or it allow me to edite the BIOS?
     
  6. supaduper

    supaduper MDL Member

    Jul 3, 2011
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    Sorry that is for changing the ASSET Tag,here is a great explaination on your dilema from the Dell forum should answer all your questions.


    HI,
    I think that computer trace is a three part solution. You have to have the BIOS computer trace feature available and activated, you have to be paying a monthly or yearly fee to a third party tracing service and to actually trace the computer it has to be "on-line" long enough to find it. Your computer can't be traced without having these three conditions in place even if you have activated computer trace in the BIOS by accident. Until you sign up with a third party computer tracing service why would they even know you exist and unless they were a service that your local police normally use and you had reported it stolen, why would a computer tracing service be looking for your "stolen" computer unless the original owner had hired them and reported it stolen? Your post says you are the legit owner and you do not subscribe to any computer tracing service so that is not going to happen. Maybe you could contact a computer tracing service and tell them you activated your computer trace feature by accident and now you would like to engage their services for a month to be able to turn the BIOS computer trace feature back off to feel safer about it but that would still require you to initiate the action, not them or other strangers. And I suspect that they only send out a computer trace when you first join up to identify your computer trace code number, make sure it works and to check that your computer is not on their list of stolen ones to begin with. Then they would send out your computer trace code number periodically for maintenance and later only when you report to the computer tracing service that your computer is lost or stolen. At that point they would send out a continuous beacon code matching the trace number of your computer which they would only know after you had signed up with them and the minute your computer goes "on-line" the computer tracing service tracking beacon would attempt to find a match and the IP address and the IP Provider to boot. In addition, when found and verified, they could consider blocking further boots and or erasing the hard drive, etc. depending upon your requests. So my best guess is even though your BIOS computer trace is now activated, since you never signed up for a computer tracing service and are not paying computer tracing service fees then you are not been traced at all. The reason why you can not turn off the computer trace once you have turned on is because if you are a thief then it would not be much of a security system if once activated, the thief could merely turn if off in the BIOS. Probably if you were registered with a computer tracing service, they would be able to send a signal while you were "on-line" that would allow you to turn it off because they would be sure that it is really the true owner requesting to do so and not a thief. This is my best guess scenario. I do not use a computer tracing service so if I have mis-informed you, my bad. However, I have provided enough information and concepts for you to be able to fill in the gaps or contradictions if I have over looked any. As with everything, your results may vary.

    regards Supaduper





     
  7. DonaldCrader

    DonaldCrader MDL Novice

    Jul 24, 2012
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    Hey cant's we get help from its help and support department? though your information is also praiseworthy..
     
  8. cyberbot

    cyberbot MDL Senior Member

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    Thank you Supaduper,
    i've seen this post before on the net, however i can't prove i am the ligit owner of this laptop morever the guy who sold it to me,
    so i still wannna disable this feature,
     
  9. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

    Feb 27, 2011
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    once u reset it.. u can disable it in bios.
     
  10. cyberbot

    cyberbot MDL Senior Member

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    i am sorry, you mean reset the BIOS settings? if yes i did reset the BIOS setting and still can't disable it.
    if you mean something else please explain ,
    thank you


    thank you
     
  11. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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  12. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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    #15 LatinMcG, Aug 25, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2012
    hold end and power while plugin in power cord. (no battery. not all usb brands work)

    sometimes just END no power button.. try different bios version. extract hdr
     
  13. cyberbot

    cyberbot MDL Senior Member

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    is this gonna works for all Dell brand?
    i'll try it tomorrow,
     
  14. LatinMcG

    LatinMcG Bios Borker

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    no .. u have to extract .hdr file (from the bioas dload) then read the recovery filename and rename the hdr to that.