Losing a laptop can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially considering the valuable data and personal information it might contain. But if you’re a Windows 11 user, there’s a feature to help track it down and recover it: Microsoft Find My Device. This article will guide you to use Microsoft Find My Device to track a lost or stolen laptop.
Find My Device can assist in locating your lost or stolen laptop on a map, remotely locking it, and displaying a message on the screen to aid the person who finds it in returning it to you. Knowing you have a way to track your device provides valuable peace of mind, especially if you travel or work in public spaces frequently. Here’s how to do it.
How to Enable Find My Device on Windows 11
There are multiple ways to enable Find my device on a Windows 11 PC. We will describe each method step-by-step. Let’s begin with the easiest and most common way to turn on this feature.
Method 1: Using Settings
Before enabling the Find my device option, ensure that you activate your location services.
Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Settings, and click Open.
Step 2: Navigate to ‘Privacy & security’ and choose the ‘Find my device’ option.
Step 3: Finally, toggle on ‘Find my device.’
That’s it. You have successfully enabled ‘find my device’ on Windows 11. If you want another way to enable this feature on your Windows PC, continue reading.
Also Read: How to see what group policies are applied to your Windows 11
Method 2: Using Group Policy Editor
The Local Group Policy Editor helps you control Windows. So, you can also use it to turn on Find My Device on Windows 11. Follow the below instructions.
Note: Group Policy Editor is only available for Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise versions. You can skip this method if you are on Windows 11 Home Edition.
Step 1: Press the Windows keys on your keyboard, type gpedit.msc, and click Open.
Note: Press ‘Windows key + R’ to open the Run dialog box, type gpedit.msc, and click OK.
Step 2: Select Computer Configuration under ‘Local Computer Policy’ in the right pane.
Step 3: In the right pane, double-click on Administrative Templates.
Step 4: Select the Windows Components option.
Step 5: Double-click ‘Find My Device’ under the Windows Components option.
Step 6: Now, choose ‘Turn On/Off Find My Device.’
Step 7: Choose the Enabled option. Finally, click on Apply, followed by OK.
There you go. You have enabled the ‘Find my device’ feature on your Windows 11 PC. If you want to disable this feature, follow the above steps and select Disable instead of Enable.
Now that you know how to enable or disable ‘Find my device’ on Windows 11, let’s understand how to find your laptop using the Find My Device feature on Windows 11; keep reading.
How to Track a Computer on Windows 11
Step 1: Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Settings, and click Open.
Step 2: Navigate to ‘Privacy & security’ and choose the ‘Find my device’ option.
Step 3: Under ‘Find my device,’ select ‘See all your devices linked to your account.’
This will prompt you to a new browser window and take you to your Microsoft Account’s device page. If you’ve logged into your Microsoft account, authenticate using your account credentials.
Step 4: Locate your device and click ‘Find my device.’
On the next screen, a map will appear, displaying the most recently saved location with a date and time. If the device you want to track is connected to the internet, click the Find button to update the map. Moreover, like on a map, you can zoom in and out to pinpoint your device’s location.
With ‘Find my device’ enabled, you can locate a stolen laptop with a Microsoft account and remotely lock it; keep reading to learn how.
How to Remotely Lock Your Windows Device
This method is useful, especially if you want to track a lost laptop and block unauthenticated access. Follow the below-mentioned steps.
Step 1: Go to Microsoft’s website from your preferred browser and log in with your Microsoft account credentials.
Step 2: Click on your profile picture in the upper-right corner and select ‘My Microsoft account’ from the drop-down menu.
It will take you to your Microsoft account, where you can view all your subscription details, connected devices, security and privacy tools, etc.
Step 3: Under the expanded Devices section, click ‘View all devices.’
Step 4: You will be taken to the Devices page; now, choose the device you want to locate and click on ‘Find my device.’
Step 5: Under the ‘Find my device’ page, ensure the selected device is correct and click the Lock button.
Step 6: In the Lock device pop-up, input a message to display on the screen and press the Lock button.
That’s about it. The system will lock the device, log out any active users, and enable location-tracking services.
Also Read: What does ‘Your location is currently in use’ mean on Windows
Can Microsoft Detect a Computer’s Location if It Is Switched Off
No, Microsoft cannot detect a computer’s location when it is switched off. This is because features like Find My Device in Windows, which rely on location tracking, require the device to be powered on and connected to the internet.
But, if the computer had the ‘Find My Device’ feature enabled before powering off, it might still retain the last recorded position. This position would be the known position before losing power or internet access.
If you have any queries we missed addressing, check out the FAQ section below.
FAQs on Enabling or Disabling Microsoft Find My Device
1. What should I do if I can’t find my device using Microsoft Find My Device?
Ensure that your device has an internet connection and that location services are enabled. If the issue persists, check the Microsoft account associated with the device and ensure Find My Device is turned on.
2. Is Microsoft Find My Device available for mobile devices?
No, Microsoft designed Find My Device specifically for Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs and tablets.
3. Can I use Microsoft Find My Device without a Microsoft account?
No, you need to set up a Microsoft account on the device to use Microsoft Find My Device.
Quickly Find Your Device
Now that you know how to use Microsoft Find My Device, you get higher chances of recovering a lost laptop and safeguarding your data from falling into the wrong hands. You may also want to learn how to remove a Microsoft account from Windows 11.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
