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Finding a stolen Macpro?

K

kat.hayes

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 10, 2011
1,448
52
I have a Macpro from 2007-2008 that was stolen. It did not have lojack or any tracking software installed on it.

1. Is there anyway that I can find the Mac when the person who took it goes online with it?

2. Is there anyway I can find it using its serial number?

Thanks.
 
You can only report it stolen and hope, that the thief goes to Apple to do an update or repair. But other than that, there is nothing you can do.
 
But even then apple wont do anything. So in short your SOL. Call the police, file a report, let them work on it.
 
So bottom line, there is no way that I can find the person based on the serial number, the MAC address of the computer or anything else???

Thanks guys.
 
kat.hayes said:
So bottom line, there is no way that I can find the person based on the serial number, the MAC address of the computer or anything else???

Thanks guys.
Click to expand...

Do you still have the MAC address of your Mac Pro?
If so, it is possible, but would be quite complicated for simple authorities, as one has to scan the entire internet for that one MAC address, if it is not spoofed.
 
It was running 10.5.2 and never updated because of some of the software I had only ran with that version.

Concorde Rules said:
No.

Was Find my Mac enabled?
Click to expand...


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I might have the MAC address somewhere. However, it sounds like this would not be a realistic way of finding it? It's not like it will easily be found when the person goes online even if I have the MAC address?

Thanks.

simsaladimbamba said:
Do you still have the MAC address of your Mac Pro?
If so, it is possible, but would be quite complicated for simple authorities, as one has to scan the entire internet for that one MAC address, if it is not spoofed.
Click to expand...
 
kat.hayes said:
I might have the MAC address somewhere. However, it sounds like this would not be a realistic way of finding it? It's not like it will easily be found when the person goes online even if I have the MAC address?
Click to expand...

The MAC address isn't going to help anyone. MAC addresses are only known on L2 broadcast domain that they're connected to. As soon as the traffic from your machine passes through a router, the MAC address is officially useless to the network.

File a report with the police and hope for the best.

jas
 
Did you have insurance? Was it stolen out of your home/apartment or dorm room?

Even if find my mac was enabled, can't the thief just pop open the case, take out the HD's, wipe them, and start from scratch?
 
ashman70 said:
Did you have insurance? Was it stolen out of your home/apartment or dorm room?

Even if find my mac was enabled, can't the thief just pop open the case, take out the HD's, wipe them, and start from scratch?
Click to expand...

Generally and hopefully they are not that smart. A friend of mine found their laptop after it was stolen out of their car. The thieves were facebooking at a wireless coffee shop. The book did have Find my Mac enabled. Cops took the info and recovered via GPS. Last thing you want is a vigilante group trying to kick ass on the thief. Keep it moderated.
 
simsaladimbamba said:
Won't they contact the authorities, if a Mac, reported as stolen, suddenly appears in their hands again?
Click to expand...

No, they are not going to get in the middle of a person to person dispute, nor should they.

The better question to ask would be how does someone steal you MP? You have to have an idea of who did it, unless it was a break in.

----------
derbothaus said:
Generally and hopefully they are not that smart. A friend of mine found their laptop after it was stolen out of their car. The thieves were facebooking at a wireless coffee shop. The book did have Find my Mac enabled. Cops took the info and recovered via GPS. Last thing you want is a vigilante group trying to kick ass on the thief. Keep it moderated.
Click to expand...

Their laptop had GPS? Well that would be super easy to find then...
 
goodcow said:
They can't (or won't) for liability reasons, even with a police report.
Click to expand...

To further explain I sell a mac pro on craigslist.

My friend brings it to the buyer gets the cash.

10 days later I call it in stolen.

Apple calls the police when it shows up in their shop.
The police arrest the "new" owner and call on me. The new owner can't id me and is ff'd. Later the truth comes out. Apple is ff'd the police are ff'd and I am off in another part of the world spending the money with my friend.

Apple does not want to get into that situation. Or other variations of that story.
 
**Important**

OP,

Sorry, I don't know how to get you your Mac back.

However, I strongly recommend you change all of your online passwords immediately, starting first with your webmail service, then banking, then all the places you shop that keep your credit cards on file, and finally everything else.

Then I'd watch your credit and debit accounts like a hawk.

The reason I say email first is because the thief can start hijacking your other accounts by using "I forgot my password", many of which then send the new password to your email. In that case, if your computer automatically logs into your email, you're screwed.
 
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