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Frequently Asked Questions:

General Questions:

• What are the system requirements? WhoStoleMyPC has a very small memory footprint and doesn’t use many system resources (it’s designed to be undetectable). It doesn’t require much memory or a fast processor. WhoStoleMyPC will run in Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
• Couldn’t I simply use the demo? The demo displays a reminder screen every few days. Along with instructions on how to purchase the product, there are instructions on how to uninstall the program. So you’d be catching only the stupidest of thieves.
• What’s to stop a thief from removing WhoStoleMyPC? WhoStoleMyPC has several features that make unauthorized removal difficult (we aren’t going to tell what they are). However, a key to this is ensuring that authorized access is difficult to obtain. That means changing the default configuration keystroke and security question/answer. Of course, don’t write this information down and tape it to your laptop.
• Could I use WhoStoleMyPC to spy on someone? No, we will not tolerate someone installing WhoStoleMyPC on someone else’s computer. If we detect or are made aware of this type of activity, the offending account will be suspended and the program will be remotely removed from the victim’s computer. In some states, this activity is illegal, and we will report the incident to the authorities. We are not kidding, don’t even think about it.
• What information does WhoStoleMyPC send to the server? The only information sent to our server is your computer’s MAC address and drive serial numbers. This information is encrypted during transmission and is used to determine the identity of your computer. No other information, personal or otherwise, is ever sent. One of the reasons why we chose to use FTP for file transfer was so that we wouldn’t have to be responsible for our user’s data. Simply put, we don’t want your data.
• Do I need a license for each computer I want to protect? Yes, you do. The WhoStoleMyPC server relies on unique information about your computer to determine it’s identity. Because of this, you will find it impossible to use a single license on more than one machine. We do offer very affordable Family, SOHO and corporate pricing.
• Can I transfer a license from one computer to another? You can during the first three months of ownership. We understand that some users will want to evaluate WhoStoleMyPC on a test machine before putting it on their main machine.
• Is WhoStoleMyPC some sort of virus? Not at all! Some users are suspicious because WhoStoleMyPC is very stealthy. First, as stated above, WhoStoleMyPC sends no personal information to our server. Second, the program does not install itself without your knowledge (after all, we are selling the program to you). Finally, the program can be fully uninstalled at the user’s discretion. Remember, WhoStoleMyPC is the way it is so that thieves can’t find or remove it.
• How can I get a copy of the manual?

  You can get the manual in several forms:

  • Windows Help file.
  • Adobe Acrobat document.
  • A printed manual (using Lulu printing services).

Stolen PC Resources:

• What should I do if my computer is stolen?

  WhoStoleMyPC can give you a great deal of information about the person who stole your computer. You may even be able to determine the thief’s identity and/or location. Even though you may want to, you should never confront the thief. Remember, he is not averse to breaking the law, and may become violent if threatened in any way. You should always let the authorities do their job.

  If your computer is stolen:
  1. Report the theft to the police immediately. Once the police have a record of the theft, it will be easier to relay any information that WhoStoleMyPC can provide to them.
  2. Immediately use WhoStoleMyPC to remove any sensitive information. The faster you do it, the less time the thief will have.
  3. Report any information that WhoStoleMyPC provides to the authorities.
  4. Change any user names and passwords that the thief may have access to. For example:
     • E-Mail.
     • Online banking website access.
     • Credit card website access.
     • Don't forget any user names or passwords that your web browser has memorized for you.
  5. If you maintained your finances with the computer, notify the bank(s), credit card companies and other financial institutions that you do business with.
  6. Regard any information that was sent or received by you via e-mail as compromised.
  7. Check your credit report to ensure that the thief hasn't stolen your identity in any way. Do so periodically.
  8. Do not confront the thief!!!
• How can I best prepare my computer before it is stolen?

  In addition to using WhoStoleMyPC, there are a few things that will make it much more difficult for the thief to modify your computer’s configuration:

  To ‘harden’ your computer:
  1. Enter your computer’s BIOS setup screen. This is usually accomplished by hitting a key (DEL or F1 are the most common) as the computer is booting up (often there is a “Hit DEL to run Setup” type of message on the screen):
     
  2. Set the BIOS password (your screen may be different):
     
     This will ensure that the thief will not be able to change any other BIOS settings. Don’t forget the password, as you will not be able to modify any BIOS settings in the future without it.
  3. Remove CD and USB devices from the boot sequence:
     
     In the above screen, the ‘SM-Memorex DVD16+’ (a DVD drive) should be changed to ‘Disabled’. This ensures that the thief cannot boot off of a Windows setup disk and re-install Windows. If you ever need to boot from a CD, simply enter the BIOS and temporarily reset this sequence.
  4. Save the BIOS settings and reboot.
  
  

  In addition to these steps, you should always be aware of the sensitivity of the data that you are storing on the machine, particularly if the machine is a laptop.

Website Questions:

• The web site menu looks a little funny. You’re probably using Internet Explorer. Version 5 (which came with Windows 98/Me/2000) is particularly quirky when it comes to displaying certain Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) attributes. Version 6 (which came with Windows XP) is somewhat less quirky, but still has some minor problems. The forthcoming Version 7 promises to be perfect (yeah, right). At the very least, you should update your Internet Explorer, because there are loads of security flaws in the older versions. Even better, do yourself a favor and check out Firefox, Mozilla, or Opera. You’ll be glad you did!
• My browser doesn’t do JavaScript.

  Our web site uses JavaScript to validate data that is entered on several web forms. We also use JavaScript to give you the snazzy expando-boxes you see on this screen. Although you will be able to surf the site without problem, JavaScript is required if you want to log in, create a user and/or purchase our product. You’ll need to enable JavaScript (at least for our site):

  Internet Explorer 5 or 6:
  1. Go to Tools | Internet Options.
  2. Select the Security tab.
  3. Click Custom Level...
  4. Under Scripting: Active scripting, select Enable or Prompt.
  Firefox:
  1. Go to Tools | Options.
  2. Select the Content tab.
  3. Check the Enable JavaScript checkbox.
  Mozilla:
  1. Go to Edit | Preferences.
  2. Under Advanced: Scripts & Plugins: Enable Javascript for, check Navigator.
  Opera:
  1. Go to Tools | Quick Preferences | Enable JavaSript.
• My browser doesn’t allow cookies.

  Although you will be able to surf the site without problem, cookies are required if you want to log in, create a user, and/or purchase our product. You’ll need to enable them (at least for our site):

  Internet Explorer 5 or 6:
  1. Go to Tools | Internet Options.
  2. Select the Privacy tab.
  3. Under First-party Cookies, select Accept or Prompt.
  Firefox:
  1. Go to Tools | Options.
  2. Select the Privacy tab.
  3. Check the Allow sites to set Cookies checkbox.
  Mozilla:
  1. Go to Edit | Preferences.
  2. Under Privacy & Security: Cookies, check Allow cookies for the originating web site only.
  Opera:
  1. Go to Tools | Quick Preferences | Enable Cookies.

Technical Questions:

• What is an FTP server? FTP is short for File Transfer Protocol. It is a mechanism that allows you to transfer files from one computer to another, often over the Internet. An FTP server is the location that will store the transferred files. For tech-savvy users with broadband access, there are several free applications you can use to create your own FTP server at home (for example, FileZilla, GuildFTPd and others). Also, your ISP may provide you with free FTP storage. If you operate a web site, you may also have some FTP storage (though you should be very careful). Finally, there are a few FTP servers on the Internet that will allow you to store a limited amount of data for free or small cost.
• What is VNC?

  VNC (Virtual Network Computing) software makes it possible to view and fully interact with a computer from another computer anywhere on the Internet. Typically, the host computer (in our case, the stolen one) runs the server application, while you control the machine remotely with the viewer application. The original VNC was developed by AT&T and is now open source. There are many spin-offs that offer a variety of features; a quick Google search will give you dozens of options.

  Of course, VNC would have to be installed on your computer before it is stolen. Once stolen, you could use the Execute command to start the VNC server and then try to connect to it.

  How will I know the machine’s IP address?

  There’s a great site called No-IP.com that allows you to assign a domain name to a ‘wandering’ IP Address. With the help of a small program on the target computer, No-IP is able to resolve the address. For personal use, No-IP is free. Again, you need to install this before the machine is stolen.

  What if the machine is behind a firewall?

  That’s a problem. Most of the VNC applications allow you to specify the port(s) to use; some ports are more likely to be open than others. You may have to wait until the thief uses the PC on an open network.

• How do I uninstall WhoStoleMyPC? Because WhoStoleMyPC is designed to be undetectable, you won’t find it listed on the Add/Remove Programs menu. To uninstall, hit the configuration keyboard combination that you specified when you first configured the program. If you didn’t change it, the combination is CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+F10. A security question will be asked (you specified the question and answer during configuration). If you didn’t change the answer, it is password. Click the Advanced tab, and then the Uninstall Program button.
• I’m getting firewall warnings! WhoStoleMyPC has to communicate with our server from time to time. Some firewalls will detect this communication and warn you (that’s how they do their job). You should tell the firewall that this access is okay and also tell the firewall not to warn you in the future (any warning screens will tip off thieves).

Purchasing Questions:

• Do you offer scholastic pricing? Yes, we do. You should contact us for more information.
• Do you offer OEM pricing? Yes, we do. Please contact us for more information.