Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. How to submit Suspicious file to ESET Research Lab via program GUI. Heres Another Method AboutHow to remove Computrace from a laptop. If found you have Computrace activated. . However, it uses a small agent rpcnetp.exe that contains a vulnerability allowing communication with any CC server that was exploited by malware. it says that Absolute (formerly known as Computrace) is permanently disabled. . Flashing the BIOS will remove the Computrace? Sign Up Home / Dell / Desktop / OptiPlex 3020M / Owner's Manual / Dell / Desktop / OptiPlex 3020M / Owner's Manual Computers are a Computrace module mounted on a computers motherboard. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. [Disabled] Disables the Computrace activation. I ran my usual weekly scan of my laptop, and ESET detected the following: \\Uefi Partition UEFI uefi:\\Volume 6\Firmware Volume Image {9E21FD93-9C72-4C15-8C4B-E77F1DB2D792}\Volume 1\Application {25247A74-9440-47D5-BF0A-ED92A4D6EBA4} - a variant of EFI/CompuTrace.A potentially unsafe application - retained. Turn the computer back on and wait for the computer manufacturer's logo to appear on the screen. 2. W1zzard has said to allow this thread, and at no point in the OP did he ask for definitions or morality checks. I don't think they can do it. More posts you may like r/techsupport Join how to deactivate computrace in dell laptop .very easy way of change setting in bios ,if when i connect laptop with wifi then blocked , so i introduce a way of deactivate computrace. You'd probably have to replace the entire motherboard, but unless you obtained a replacement motherboard directly from Dell, your replacement motherboard would already have some other Service Tag programmed into it. Either way, if your data is encrypted with a strong password, then you don't really need to worry about remote wipe because the thieves won't access the data anyway. Computrace is an optional monitoring service from Absolute Software. According to the company, large corporations mainly use Computrace for theft recovery and for asset management. One page, https://www.malware-killers.com/delete-efi-computrace-a/, supposedly tells how to get rid of it, but can it be trusted? This program will not uninstall when the file required to uninstall Computer Jack for Laptop Premium is corrupted or missing. Hold Windows and X keys together, open the One X menu, and click Programs and Features. Computrace is so effective specifically because it's integrated into the motherboard firmware through collaboration with the PC manufacturer. Customers that have received a computer with an affected BIOS version installed will need to perform the two actions below to resolve the issue. Lenovo has released BIOS updates that disable the Computrace anti-theft service on affected systems not specifically enabled by a user. The same company that makes Computrace also makes a retail version called LoJack for Laptops, but it might not work if that capability has been disabled in firmware either -- or if it does, it probably wouldn't be quite as effective because it's not leveraging the motherboard firmware integration. Here you will see three options for Computrace. Resolution #1. This will usually be done by pressing a key combination (like F10) and then selecting "Yes" when prompted. Press the "Enter" key once more to verify the "Disable" selection. Software had to be developed to interface with it. I've been thinking along the lines of either: 1 removing the option roms/efi/dxe/whatnot for computrace modules from dump and reflashing it 2 changing the nvram or other stored variable which manages computrace state (possibly in TPM?) This way even if windows is wiped and re-installed comptrace will persist so the laptop can be tracked and managed by its owner. Is there a reason that this is the first time CompuTrace is detected? So I bought a used Inspiron laptop,when I checked the bios noticed the Computrace option was on "Disable" and the other options,Deactivate and Activate are greyed out. You will not be able to reactivate the Computrace module once it is disabled. Viable, yes. In Windows 8, 8.1 & Windows 10. Go to the Security screen once in the BIOS. The basic idea of Computrace is to allow full takeover of the PC, and it can even do things the operating system can not. How to Disable, Deactivate computrace for Dell latest model Video tutorials Model demo Latitude gen 6th Software use HxD You need to be a hardware technical to read bios backup if you don't have tool EEPROM (BIOS) programmer don't buy this service. Cookie Notice This can usually be done by setting the option to "Disabled" or "Off". Embedded in the BIOS rmware of a computer, the Computrace Agent can survive operating system re-installations, hard drive reformats and even hard drive replacements. Another process that uses the file is to prevent the computer premium from being installed on the laptop premium. If you use VeraCrypt or BitLocker with a standard password, I'd define "strong password" as 16 characters minimum. [Permanently Disabled] Permanently disables the Computrace activation. This sounds Illegal since there is no means of proving these weren't stolen as @Bill_Bright said. s r.o. I used one of my spare drives and threw Win7 on it. The Computrace service has been purchased as an option, and the monitoring server will enable its agent security module through the BIOS interface. Thanks for your comments. A concise answer like that would have saved me hours posting in the Forum, reading articles, and contacting Dell. I think: replace the BIOS Chips and setup a new OS. This is would I have regarded as a solution: ESET has detected the presence of Computrace, a product which can be used to find your computer if it is stolen, but which is vulnerable to attacks by malware such as rootkits. From within the computers BIOS menu, enable or disable computers permanently but make a note that once you change the setting, you cant change it back. I found little about EFI/CompuTrace.A on the Web. Click the LogFile button and the report . or ESET North America. You can permanently disable Computrace or its successor product, Absolute, yourself by going into the BIOS, where you will find Computrace or Absolute under Security. Thank you very much for directing me to those specific instructions. As far as I can tell, the additional information that led me to the above solution came from other users, not from ESET staff. 3. / Dell / / G515-8127 / : 112 6. How to Access the BIOS on a ThinkCentre Computer, How to Add a Power On Password to a Computer. The following article provides information about the Absolute module interface that is replacing the Computrace module in recent Dell BIOS updates. Select the "Security" tab on the BIOS main menu using the arrow keys, as you cannot use the computer's mouse. You will not be able to reactivate the Computrace module once it is disabled. Edited July 17, 2022 by itman peteyt Rank: Senior Advisor Group: Most Valued Members Posts: 2052 Kudos: 352 Select a date & time format from the list & then click Next. So they made it very extensible. Yes!? Comprehensive Guide 2022, Howto Recondition Laptop Battery Easy & Complete Guide, 10 BestLaptops for Running Virtual Machines (Aug 2022), BestLaptop for Pro Tools Buying Guide & Reviews 2022, Best Laptops For Mechanical Engineering Students. (newer than X61) You need to contact absolute software. Side discussion has no point here. They will want the machine serial number and the motherboard serial number. Absolute is activated. I thought I was following this topic, but it turned out I was not (or following got canceled), so I didn't receive email notification of the new posts. Other discussions say Computrace is installed by some manufacturers to find a computer if it is stolen. I have absolutely no plans to use Computrace or its successor product in the future, so there is no downside for me to permanently disable it. The file required to complete this installation could not run. In that case, you can use System Restore to repair your system and eliminate unwanted programs such as Computrace LoJack. On the laptop, right-click on My Computer & select Properties. labynko or ESET North America. How to remove Computrace from a laptop? When it appears, press the BIOS access key as seen on the screen immediately to enter into the BIOS menu. To clarify.in a laptop, if powered ON everything starts the fan, LEDs will light up and it will start to POST/boot from a bootable media. There is a danger that if the Windows environment running in the Computrace is inserted into the Computrace. Once set to one of those two, it can "never" be changed, and the setting in the Bios is grayed out. [Enabled] Enables the Computrace activation. Select the "Disable" option and press "Enter" on the keyboard to disable Computrace on the computer permanently. There is a risk that Computrace can enable and activate itself if a Windows environment running Computrace is put in the computer. You can wipe the machine, you can monitor it, you can look through the webcam, you can actually copy any files, you can start new processes. Once the Computrace module is disabled, it cannot be reactivated. These are not stolen as they came from the original owners. As far as it is a piece of the BIOS, it is not very easy to update the software as often. It shows the current state of Computrace on my laptop is "Deactivate". it says that Absolute (formerly known as Computrace) is permanently disabled. You must log in or register to reply here. You will not be able to reactivate the Computrace module once it is disabled. Click Start, uninstall a program in the Search Programs and Files box, and then click Result. Computrace is a component installed by Absolute software to enable you to track and locate your PC -- an invaluable function should it be lost or stolen. On a Linux PC, the user can not interact with the built in component, it is invisible. Roel Van de Paar 112K subscribers Subscribe 25 7.6K views 2 years ago How do I remove Computrace from the BIOS? How do I disable Absolute persistence module? In Windows 8, 8.1 & Windows 10. 1from Absolute site: "Absolute has partnerships with tier one PC OEMs such as Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, Lenovo, Motion Computing, Panasonic and Toshiba. We have also addressed the issue on all newly manufactured systems. Select the Disable option and press Enter on the keyboard to permanently disable computers on the computer. This field allows you to enable or disable the BIOS module interface of optional Computrace software. Back in February, Kamluk described Computraces exploitability as follows: The software is extremely flexible. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Please click Finish when your Confirm Restore Point window appears. (1) In its current state with Computrace deactivated, is my laptop vulnerable to Computrace rootkits or other Computrace malware (if it exists)? #2. The software is now embedded in the firmware of certain computers manufactured by some of the larger corporations such as Dell, Hewlett Packard, Panasonic and Toshiba, among others. You must permanently disable Computrace: Security -> Anti-Theft -> Computrace -> Curent Settings: Set to Permanently Disabled, The Absolute persistence module is built to detect when the Computrace and/or Absolute Manage software agents have been removed, ensuring they are automatically reinstalled, even if the firmware is flashed, the device is re-imaged, the hard drive is replaced, or if a tablet or smartphone is wiped clean to factory . Double click on its uninstaller file & follow the steps of the wizard to Uninstall Computrace LoJack. I have had this computer for 4 years and have been running an ESET scan weekly all that time. so if its been activated (mistakenly or not) it will keep coming back no matter how many times you wipe the files. Method 2: Uninstall Computrace LoJack with its uninstaller.exe. 0 A. anonymous_02 Distinguished. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I wiped the drives and was browsing through the BIOS. The Deactivated option will more than likely be selected already. If your BIOS isnt flashable its still possible to update it provided its housed in a socketed DIP or PLCC chip. Gracias. the previous locked state is saved in the controller and immediately you turn on the laptop it will be restored. The option in the bios is only in later models. ( no refund ) Model tester: Latitude 5280, Precision 7520, Latitude 5414,.ect View attachment 100853 Support: Mar 27, 2011 3 0 18,520 1. Scroll down the list, looking for rpcnet.exe under the Name column and Computrace next to it in the Description column. 4. Thanks to all who have posted additional information on this issue. But in this deal with the original owners, they are tasked (and trusted) with the PCs destruction. If you enabled it, it's permanent. However Enabled does not mean that the feature is active: Different to Computrace, enabling Absolute is not permanent (Unless the application is installed and the Absolute server sends an activation command.) But if you're more interested in the remote wipe option, I personally just make sure to encrypt my hard drives with a strong password or a long PIN. If there is no BIOS version without it from the manufacturer website, then your best bet would be is disabling CompuTrace from BIOS , but that won't prevent ESET from detecting it , but atleast it's disabled/not running. Select the Security tab on the BIOS main menu using the arrow keys, as you cannot use the computers mouse. IfCompuTrace has been activated, it can not be disabled which is by design for security reasons. Here you can enable or disable the BIOS module interface in the optional Computrace software. All you need to do is call the number that pops up when you go into the BIOS. You will not be able to reactivate the Computrace module once it is disabled. 0 O. overbet Distinguished. If bios chip is removed these would not happen or it would not go into POST. So I'm assuming the laptop is more trouble than it's worth, but the computrace is still activated, bricking Windows. and our Metoda 2: They are not shady pawn shops. This can only be done if it hasn't been previously activated. If you enabled it, it's permanent and you can't do anything about it. I don't think Dell would help since they cannot verify you obtained these legitimately. LBE is the best tools For Bios Extraction , Editing and modification www.egyfixlab.comWhatsapp : 00201283689946 Telegram : @egyfixlab How do I remove Computrace from the BIOS? Once set to one of those two, it can "never" be changed, and the setting in the Bios is grayed out. M kha Computrace cc dng laptop Dell Precision: M4700, M6700, M4800, M6800, 5510, 5520, 7510 M kha Computrace cc dng laptop Dell XPS 13, XPS 15 : 9343,9350,9360, 9530, 9550, 9560 M kha Computrace cc dng laptop HP M kha Computrace cc dng laptop IBM I have a second-hand ThinkPad. The settings are Deactivate , Disable , and Activate . Rank Laptops take you to the latest laptops, tablets and 2 in-1 Laptops. The System Properties window appears. Select the Disable option and press Enter on the keyboard to disable Computrace on the computer permanently. Theyensurethat the new module is configured correctly for your Dell computer. Press the "Enter" key once more to verify the "Disable" selection. To access the BIOS, you can disable Computrace by starting the Computrace and tapping the F2. How do I remove Computrace from the BIOS?Helpful? Here you will see three options for Computrace. This detection is disabled by default. So I have bought a used Dell OptiPlex 7010 Mini-Tower and it came with CompuTrace deactivated but I messed around with BIOS configuration and accidentally turned it on (Activated it), Is there a way I can deactivate that back or disable it permanently?, It isn't interfering with the OS but it prevents me from downgrading BIOS from A29 to A01. That's why we are in the same boat as Dell tech support. You are responsible for your own actions. How do I set different wallpapers for virtual desktops in Windows 10? RankLaptop.com is a participant As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases , an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Computrace has 3 settings in the Bios - "Disabled", "Deactivated", and "Activated . For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Due to reorganization of my company I received a company laptop, Dell 7400. The Inactive option is more likely to be already selected. If you get a model with computrace and the license is not yours, youre literally buying a computer with botnet in bios. Also Boot sectors/UEFI must be selected as a target in the on-demand scanner profile setup in order to scan UEFI. Personally, I don't see the problem and don't understand why the recycling center cares. Press the F10 key to save the new BIOS settings, and the computer will reboot into the computers operating system. The Dell Laptop Computrace Tracking & Recovery Team will review the complete detailed information logged through our Monitoring Center. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Select the "Disable" option and press "Enter" on the keyboard to disable Computrace on the computer permanently. Hopefully, that is not the case here. Before attempting to make any repairs yourself, check to see if your computer is under warranty. How can I detect Computrace on a system? - All rights reserved. Is am correct? Good luck on that. AnthonyQ This is because UEFI contains both a BIOS firmware and disk based hardware component that is accessed by Windows system software. The firmware by itself does nothing. G Series, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Tablets. From there, the user had the option of either fully disabling it or enabling it -- and either one of those changes was permanent. From inside the computer's BIOS menu, enable or disable Computrace permanently -- but make a note that you cannot change it back when you change the setting just once. The recommended security advice is to disable CompuTrace in the HP BIOS. You can visit any computer repair shop, they'll tell you the same thing. i hate dell . Method 1: Un-Install Computrace LoJack through programs. Here you will see three computer options. I wrote to ESET support, and they responded quickly with 3 links: For more information about UEFI detections and protecting your computer, visithttps://support.eset.com/kb6567.For additional information about UEFI rootkits available through ESET blogs, visit:https://www.welivesecurity.com/2018/09/27/lojax-first-uefi-rootkit-found-wild-courtesy-sednit-group/https://www.eset.com/us/about/newsroom/corporate-blog/what-is-uefi-scanning-and-why-do-you-need-it-1/. It can only be disabled in the BIOS if it was never activated which is the default setting. Press the Enter key once more to verify the Disable selection. However, I am disappointed that I did not receive that help from ESET. sorry not much help here. ( no refund ) Model tester: Latitude 5280, Precision 7520, Latitude 5414,.ect Support: System Restore function is a utility option that comes with the Windows operating system and helps computer users restore the system to its original state and remove programs that interfere with computer work. Note the the article is dated 21 Feb 2021. Please support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/roelvandepaarWith thanks \u0026 praise to God, and with thanks to the many people who have made this project possible! The difference between the two versions is that Absolute requires a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) authentication to Absolutes servers in order to fully Activate the feature. I backed up all my partitions about a week ago. You will not be able to reactivate the Computrace module once it is disabled. Whenit is not activated until the Absolute software is installed in the Operating System. BIOS Computrace Computrace Computrace(R) Absolute(R) Software. Anyhow, unfortunately I don't know of an equivalent alternative. Maybe to satisfy people with privacy concerns about their laptop having the potential to phone home to Computrace? ). If you use BitLocker with a TPM and you choose to add a PIN, that can actually be fairly short (the default is 6 characters) because the PIN is not an integral part of the key when a TPM is involved, and BitLocker slows down brute force attempts. This sounds Illegal since there is no means of proving these weren't stolen as, Thanks for the "/thread"; I appreciate that. Sep 12, 2010 27 0 18,580 0. How to Disable computrace for Dell latest model Video tutorials Model demo Latitude gen 6th Software use HxD You need to be a hardware technical to read bios backup if you don't have tool EEPROM (BIOS) programmer don't buy this service. What are the differences with the new module? Yes No WAWood 34,852 7,903 3,151 Level 16 10-11-2018 06:44 PM I found you have activated compress. If you are using a laptop, turn off your computer by holding down the Power button on the computer tower or at the top of the keyboard bezel. Disclaimer: All information is provided \"AS IS\" without warranty of any kind. If you're using a Pro version of Windows, you can use BitLocker for this purpose and set a PIN for extra security. In the Search Programs and Files box, type uninstall a software. Computrace has 3 settings in the Bios - "Disabled", "Deactivated", and "Activated". View orders and track your shipping status, Create and access a list of your products. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. They are all Dell Latitude E5430. If your machine is off-lease, and hasn't been stolen, it should be easy to get Computrace removed.