Laptop was stolen

[Karthikgelli]

My laptop model is lenovo ideapad 500 .it was stolen by somebody.but I am already complaint to the police and I submit a Mac address also ..is there any possibility to trace a laptop from police department means cyber crime department...and also is there any possibility to change that Mac address...kindly give me the reply as soon as possible

 

[kanewolf]

Yes a MAC address can be changed. Unless you pre-loaded tracking software on the laptop then you are out of luck. This isn't a "cyber crime", it is property theft, from the police's perspective. Hopefully you had good password(s) and full disk encryption enabled.

 

[USAFRet]

Also, the MAC address belongs to the WiFi or ethernet adapter. Not to the laptop.

Changing the visible MAC address may be just as simple as using a USB WiFi adapter instead of the built in one.
But yes, the MAC address for the built in one can be changed easily.

 

[Karthikgelli]

Actually I'm having two types of Mac address ...one is Mac address and another one is Alan Mac address ....then please say that which one is having a chance to change...

 

[USAFRet]

Actually I'm having two types of Mac address ...one is Mac address and another one is Alan Mac address ....then please say that which one is having a chance to change...

The MAC address that is seen to the outside world can be changed on any device.

 

[Karthikgelli]

Sorry it is not Alan Mac address ,....it is wlan Mac address ..and icant get your point ..can u please me in indetail

 

[USAFRet]

"wlan mac address"
That is the MAC address of the physical WiFi adapter.

That can be changed for that device.
Or, I could use a different WiFi adapter (USB), which would have its own MAC address.

The laptop is gone.
Unless the police happen to arrest someone, with that laptop in their possession, and then cross reference that laptop description with what you provided in the police report, and if it was the same police jurisdiction...it is gone.

 

[Karthikgelli]

You are simply saying that I have to forget the laptop....yes or no

 

[DSzymborski]

You are simply saying that I have to forget the laptop....yes or no

Unless you luck out and the police find it, it's gone.

 

[USAFRet]

You are simply saying that I have to forget the laptop....yes or no

Yes, it is gone.
There is no CSI level snooping that the police can use.
"OK, Ralph. Track down a Lenovo laptop with MAC address of 12345!"
'I'm on it Chief!'

They are not out beating the bushes looking for your laptop.