• America
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• The Guardian
• Wed May 28 2025

Laptops are the workhorses of the world and can contain thousands of important documents, photos and treasured memories. Losing them can mean more than just downtime from work. Here?s what to do in the event the worst happens.

What to do if your laptop is lost or stolen

Try to locate it using Microsoft or Apple?s Find My device service, lock it remotely and mark it as lost to help secure your data.

Remove it as a trusted device for services you use, including your Apple or Microsoft account, cloud accounts, shops or other browser-based apps.

Change your passwords for key accounts, including your Apple or Microsoft account. Start with your email to prevent thieves using it to gain access to your other accounts through password resets.

Report the theft to the police by calling 101 in the UK and give them a description of the laptop, make, model, colour and serial number, which may be on the box or in your Apple or Microsoft account.

Contact your insurance provider if you have cover, your laptop may come under some home contents policies.

Tell your bank about any credit cards you may have details of stored on your laptop.

Contact the laptop?s manufacturer to report the theft so it can blacklist its serial number, which may prevent it being activated and used by someone else.

What to do as soon as you get a new one

When you get a replacement laptop ? either new or secondhand ? there are a number of things you can do to help in the event it goes missing: