Computrace® Persistence Technology

L4L Technology: Computrace FAQs

• What is Computrace® persistence technology

  Computrace persistence technology consists of two components:

  Application Agent: This is the part of our LoJack® for Laptops technology that you install in your computer. It maintains contact with the Absolute® Monitoring Center. When you report a theft, we communicate with the Agent to determine the location of your computer, who has it, and what they're doing with it.

  It is installed in the operating system by running an installer. It makes regularly scheduled calls over the internet to the Absolute Monitoring Center and provides device and location data. The Application Agent also manages the Absolute "helper" applications to support activities like data delete commands or to aid in theft recovery.

  Persistence Module: Installed in the BIOS (or the firmware) of most laptops at the factory and activated during the first call of the Application Agent to the Absolute Monitoring Center. It restores the Application Agent if it's been removed. For example, if a thief steals a computer and reinstalls the operating system, the Persistence Module restores the Agent. The Persistence Module remains dormant until the Application Agent is installed.

• What is BIOS?

  BIOS = basic input/output system. Its primary function is to identify and initialize system component hardware (like video display cards, hard disks, etc.). Visit the BIOS page on Wikipedia for additional information.

• I understand that the Persistence Module improves persistence. What is persistence and why is it of value to me?

  Persistence relates to the ability of our Agent to survive operating system re-installations, hard drive reformats, hard drive replacements and hard drive re-imaging. Persistence is critical in order to survive unauthorized removal attempts if the device is at risk. The extra level of persistence provided by the Computrace BIOS Persistence Module enables the Absolute Theft Recovery Team to track and recover computers that have been stolen even if the hard drive has been tampered with or removed. It provides customers with the highest level of software-based computer theft recovery available on the market.

  The persistence capability is strongest in laptops with the persistence module embedded in the BIOS firmware of the computer.

• Are there different types of persistence?

  There are two levels of persistence for the Computrace Agent. The highest level occurs when the persistence module is embedded into the BIOS of the computer. In this scenario, there is no additional hardware or software configuration needed for the Agent to be persistent. Computers that do not have the Computrace BIOS Persistence Module will have the software version of the persistence module installed in the partition gap on the hard drive.

• What happens if I flash my BIOS? Will I need to reinstall the software?

  No. If the Persistence Module in the BIOS has been enabled, the self-healing capability will repair the Agent software and your computer will still be protected. The enable/disable state of the Persistence Module is stored in a part of the BIOS that cannot be flashed to remove it

• Will LoJack for Laptops still work if I undergo an IMAC (install / move / add / change) process such as replacing a hard drive?

  Yes. The BIOS-resident self-healing capability will survive IMAC procedures such as imaging, hard drive replacement or operating system changes, and will continue to protect your computer.

• On which computers is the Persistence Module embedded?

  Here is a current list of all computers that are manufactured with our Computrace Agent embedded in the BIOS.

• What if someone steals my laptop and reformats the hard drive or reloads the operating system? How does LoJack for Laptops work in this scenario?

  If our Computrace Agent was embedded in the BIOS (or firmware) of your computer, and you purchased our software to activate it - then LoJack for Laptops will reinstall itself even if a system restore, hard drive reformat, or a hard drive replacement occurs.

  Computers that do not have the Agent embedded in the BIOS have a less effective method of persistence. In this instance - and in order to make it more difficult for a typical thief to defeat the software - you can change the boot order in the BIOS to hard drive first and set a password to prevent access to the BIOS. This will make it difficult for thieves to reformat the hard drive, which in most scenarios will remove the Agent.

• If the Computrace technology is embedded in the BIOS of my computer, do I still have to purchase your service?

  Yes. A subscription to our service is still required. It provides you with the Application Agent you must install. This is the component that actively communicates with the Absolute Monitoring Center. The Persistence Module in the BIOS will remain in a dormant state until the Application Agent is installed in the computer.

• How does the Persistence Module become embedded into the BIOS firmware of a computer?

  Through our partnership with leading computer manufacturers, our Persistence Module is embedded in most computers during the manufacturing process.

• What is the footprint, or size, of the Computrace Agent?

  The Computrace Agent has a very small footprint, requiring less than 200Kb of disk space. It occupies a small amount of memory when idle, and when placing a call the Agent optimizes data transfer, which means a very low demand is placed on the network.

• Can the Computrace Agent in LoJack for Laptops be detected?

  The Agent is very difficult to detect. The software runs as a non-descript service, and is not listed as an application. Nor does the product show up on the programs menu listing or as a system tray icon.

• What if an unauthorized user still manages to delete the Computrace Agent?

  Our Agent employs a self-healing technology referred to as persistence that allows the Computrace Persistence Module to essentially rebuild the Application Agent software even if the service is deleted.

• What if my computer does not have the Persistence Module embedded in the BIOS firmware?

  You can easily install it in the partition gap on the hard drive of your computer. This allows the Application Agent to survive a standard operating system reinstall. However, unlike BIOS persistence, the Application Agent will not survive a hard drive swap.

• How easily can the Computrace Agent be removed from my computer?

  Our Agent is one of the stealthiest and most tamper-resistant clients on the market. It is incredibly persistent and allows you to maintain a connection with your computer. If our Persistence Module was embedded in the BIOS firmware of your computer during assembly, our Agent can survive operating system re-installations, hard drive reformats and even hard drive replacements.

• What if I want to remove the Computrace Agent in LoJack for Laptops from my computer?

  If the Agent has been activated and you are an authorized user with the correct password, you can submit a request to have the Agent removed from your computer within your Customer Center account.

• Is the Computrace Agent monitoring my activities on the computer?

  No. The Agent is only collecting standard data points for transmission to the Monitoring Center on the next scheduled call. Further action and data point collection occur only if the computer is reported stolen by you.

• I am concerned about privacy issues. What kind of information do you collect from my computer?

  Standard communication between your computer and our Monitoring Center occurs once a day and consists of basic information like memory size, hard drive size, type of processor, type of operating system, user name, IP and Mac addresses. If you decide to activate the Geotechnology capabilities, it will also report on the location of your computer.

  There is no active monitoring of your computer until you report a theft. After a theft is reported, your computer will contact our Monitoring Center every 15 minutes. This increased contact allows the Absolute Theft Recovery Team to obtain specific details about where your computer is located, who is using it, and what they're doing with it.