Find Dell Laptops By Serial Number

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by armadillotuff, Sep 18, 2016.

  1. armadillotuff

    armadillotuff MDL Member

    Feb 2, 2013
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    I gift Dell Latitude laptops to high school students who can't afford them. All of these students get Microsoft Windows Professional 10 and Office 2016 plus school software. I have gifted over 700+ laptops over 4 years now. I keep a record of every Dell Latitude by serial number. What I need help with is there any software that I can track all of these wireless devices to see where they are suppose to be, hopefully not in a pawn shop. I haven't been able to find any software that would allow me to track hundreds of laptops. I know Microsoft Windows 10 has a tracking device(new) but I can't seem to get it to work.
    Your comments or suggestions are welcome.
     
  2. MS_User

    MS_User MDL Guru

    Nov 30, 2014
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    unless u install tracking software on all of them....i dont see how.....but u can always check around u local pawn shop see if u find any of them;)
     
  3. dobbelina

    dobbelina MDL Senior Member

    Apr 2, 2009
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    What if a student works in a pawn shop....
     
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  4. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

    Jul 29, 2009
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    It's possible in Mobile devices!

    On a LAN (Local Area Network) you could track the location of the Mac Address of a computer in conjunction with a tracking apps, and that is possible on the Internet as well. It works similar to a GPS Location Tracker.

    The Serial isn't propagated, the NIC is with the use of the Mac Address. That Mac Address could be changed, not permanently, just temporary, by software, will be back to the hard coded Mac Address at restart of the device.
     
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  5. armadillotuff

    armadillotuff MDL Member

    Feb 2, 2013
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    The new anniversary Windows 10 has a "find my device" feature which can be turned on if you have a Microsoft account. I was able to find one Dell Latitude laptop with a serial number thru wi-fi, but I'm not able to find all of the 700+ laptops that were gifted over 4 years, even though all of them are wireless. So of all the laptops out there there must have been some using wireless, but all I can find are my wireless laptops at home. Maybe Microsoft can give us some feed back.
     
  6. sagem

    sagem MDL Junior Member

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    I usd to work for a pawn shop few years ago for around 4 years we had a system where every item was recorded on a system we also had copys sent to the police every day so if items came up the police got hold of it.
    you could ask the pawn shop porn shops nicely if they could have a list of items you give away and if they come by one they get hold of you with persons info.
    but that's if they will.
    its never hard to try and ask them
     
  7. lobo11

    lobo11 TOMAHAWK CHOP

    Feb 16, 2012
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    This makes no since at all, he's looking for computers, where in the world should he look and ask:confused:
     
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  8. Leslie_Coffelt

    Leslie_Coffelt MDL Member

    Feb 6, 2014
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    Thank you for your act of magnificent generosity!
     
  9. dobbelina

    dobbelina MDL Senior Member

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    The purpose of the "find my device" is to find your device. Not to keep track of others.
    You can forget MS ever gonna help you with this one, besides you gave these away right?
    Or was it stipulated they couldn't pawn them?
    I get a bitter taste in my mouth reading this topic :puke:
     
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  10. armadillotuff

    armadillotuff MDL Member

    Feb 2, 2013
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    Software for GPS and WiFi Tracking

    I gift Dell Latitude laptops to high school students who can't afford them. All of these students get Microsoft Windows Professional 10 and Office 2016 plus school software. I have gifted over 700+ laptops over 4 years now. I keep a record of every Dell Latitude by serial number. What I need help with is there any software that I can track all of these wireless devices to see where they are suppose to be, hopefully not in a pawn shop. I haven't been able to find any software that would allow me to track hundreds of laptops. I know Microsoft Windows 10 has a tracking device(new) but I can't seem to get it to work.

    How hard would it be to write a tracking software package which would allow me sitting at one of my servers with a complete list of all the Dell Latitude laptops by serial number to track them at any given time if both the GPS and the WiFi were working. I haven't written any code in 20 years, so I wouldn't know which was the best coding software house as of today.

    Your comments or suggestions are welcome.


     
  11. Joe C

    Joe C MDL Guru

    Jan 12, 2012
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    I really hate to sound rude and crude...
    If you gifted these laptops then they do not belong to you and its really none of your business what they do with them because they are free to do whatever they wish with their laptops.

    You gave them away and they are not yours to care about any longer. If that idea bothers you, then do not give your laptops to anybody
     
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  12. pisthai

    pisthai Imperfect Human

    Jul 29, 2009
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    Regarding the morality of your 'donations', Joe C is simply right! If you didn't have a signed 'contract' wich informs the now owner of that laptops and allows you to track those laptops used at what location at any time, you simply breach the low of Privacy, which is in some, or even many countries a criminal offence. Beside of that, I wouldn't say that such action is appropriate, it simply just looks like that you still claim some ownership on those laptops, or that you like to 'control' what is now done with those laptops, and also shows a kind of mistrust against the now owner/user!

    What I wrote shouldn't be seen as an attack or whatsoever, that's a simple result of reading your post's!

    The technical question could be answered: Yes, a tracking is possible, just need to use 3.party tools for to do that.
     
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  13. Hadron-Curious

    Hadron-Curious MDL Guru

    Jul 4, 2014
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    Perhaps, he is concerned about the laptops not ending up in the wrong hands. They must have cost a fortune.
     
  14. Joe C

    Joe C MDL Guru

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    Doesn't matter. They are not his laptops to be concerned about, Where they end up is the concern of the owner.
    They were gave away, They are gone to the O.P. and he needs to take care of his own business now.... not try to track somebody else's laptop that he has no rights to infringe upon their privacy.
     
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  15. dhjohns

    dhjohns MDL Guru

    Sep 5, 2013
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    If the OP is so concerned about thousands of dollars of laptops perhaps he should have put them in his closet.
     
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  16. Michaela Joy

    Michaela Joy MDL Crazy Lady

    Jul 26, 2012
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    @OP: A question: Are you a philanthrophist? or a creepy control freak?

    Why should you care if the laptops are sold (or pawned) after you give them away? Maybe the student needed to raise money for text books or rent (or food) and had to pawn it to be able to stay in school.

    Just take the tax writeoff and be happy with it.
     
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  17. Yen

    Yen Admin
    Staff Member

    May 6, 2007
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    The idea of OP to track them is a criminal act (law) in most of the countries. The devices are NOT yours anymore!!!
    By gifting them you have lost any rights...

    Besides of that don't you think the students would feel like fooled when they discover a tracking software and would just remove it?

    "I keep a record of every Dell Latitude by serial number."
    That's all you should have to do to get your tax concession.
     
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  18. Michaela Joy

    Michaela Joy MDL Crazy Lady

    Jul 26, 2012
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    @Yen: I suspect that his intent is a little bit more sinister than he lets on.
    I wonder how many of his "gifts" went to female students. :g:
     
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  19. Yen

    Yen Admin
    Staff Member

    May 6, 2007
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    Some people must be wired completely different. To gift something has another meaning to me...I'm disgusted how can one speak of to gift and at the same time to track the gift?!?

    The same matter is to track the own children....this only works by trust and a preliminary dialogue and mutual agreement...;)
     
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