How do I locate a device?Get the location is turned off on

Question

I'm trying to find out if my laptop was stolen or just put away.I'm trying to locate it, but the location is turned off.What can I do

Answer 1

Hello

Unfortunately this is a catch 22. If you want the device to share location, the location feature must be turned on on that device. Otherwise there's no way for you to locate it now that you cannot access the device. I am sorry.

Answer 2

If location is currently turned off, the device cannot be located until the required settings were already enabled before it was lost.

What is required for Find my device to work:

1. Find my device had to be turned on before the laptop went missing.
2. The account on the device had to be a Microsoft personal account with Administrator access.
3. Location had to be turned on for the device.
4. The laptop must be powered on and connected to the internet for its location to update.

What can be done now:

1. Go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices and sign in.
2. Select the Find My Device tab.
3. Choose the laptop and select Find.
   • If the required settings were enabled earlier, a map can show the device location.
   • If the device is offline, the location only updates when it connects to the internet.
4. If the device appears, select Lock to lock it remotely.
5. Reset the Microsoft account password for added security after locking the device.

If location was not enabled before the laptop was lost, there is no supported way to turn it on remotely afterward and no way to locate the device through Find my device.

To check or enable location on a Windows PC for future use:

• Windows 11: Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Location
• Turn on Location services.
• Then enable Find my device in Windows settings.

If sign-in to the Microsoft account is failing, use the sign-in helper or Microsoft Support.

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