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You’re wise to install anti-theft software on the laptops. They’re particularly attractive targets for thieves.
There are plenty of paid programs to protect laptops. For example, there’s Lojack and Computrace. But the yearly fees can be high.
There is LocatePC. It is designed to run undetected. There will be no pop-ups, icons or saved e-mail. That way, a thief won’t know that the program is running. Further, the process name is obscure. This makes it more difficult to detect in Task Manager.
By default, LocatePC sends an e-mail to the owner daily. The e-mail declares the IP address it is using. It also sends an e-mail when it changes Internet Protocol addresses. (The IP address is a unique number used on the Internet.) So your kids can expect plenty of e-mail.
When a laptop is stolen, the e-mail keeps coming. Hopefully, the police can track it with the IP address.
http://www.iconico.com/download.aspx?app=LocatePC
Next up: LocateMyLaptop. Again, it is free.
LocateMyLaptop offers many of the same features as LocatePC. But it also lets you view information online. That means you can track it from anywhere. When it goes missing, the program will send a stealth message. This goes to LocateMyLaptop. It will then provide you information to help you recover it.
LocateMyLaptop also offers a premium version. The features are beefed up. It also offers another handy tool. You can remotely delete the laptop data. But, you’ll pay $3 monthly for the privilege.
http://www.locatemylaptop.com/