Frequently Asked Questions
Products | Compatibility | Installation | Error Codes | Customer Center | Features | Billing | Recovery | Other
Products
What is the difference between Absolute Home & Office Standard, Premium and Basic/International?
A: Absolute Home & Office Standard is available only within our guaranteed territories of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. Absolute Home & Office Premium is also available only within our guaranteed territories of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. The Premium edition of Absolute Home & Office offers a $1,000 Service Guarantee (terms and conditions apply). Absolute Home & Office International is the version of our product available outside of our guaranteed territories. The Service Guarantee is not available for the International edition of Absolute Home & Office. All three editions of Absolute Home & Office offer Device Freeze, Data Delete, Geolocation and Theft Recovery.
What is the difference between Absolute Home & Office Standard and Absolute Home & Office Basic?
A: Absolute Home & Office Basic does not offer Theft Recovery or the $1,000 Service Guarantee. Its features are limited to Device Freeze, Data Delete and Geolocation. Absolute Home & Office Basic is available globally.
Compatibility
Why do I see Computrace listed in my BIOS?
A: The Absolute module in the BIOS is a default option on many new devices, and is included as part of the manufacturer’s BIOS firmware image. This module can be considered an empty holding cell for a future Absolute installation, but it remains dormant until the owner of the device purchases, downloads and installs one of our products onto that computer. While there is a switch for activation or deactivation in this module, if the software was never installed, it would be similar to turning a light switch on or off if there is no bulb in the socket – the module has no function without an active software installation present on the machine. The purpose of this module is to silently restore the tracking software in the case of theft and a hard drive format. In other words, when our software is installed on the computer, it will “self-heal” back onto the hard drive if the software is ever removed. Please refer to our BIOS Compatibility website for a list of devices which include this module, available at https://www.absolute.com/partners/device-compatibility. Please note that this module is under the jurisdiction of the manufacturer, as it is a part of their default BIOS firmware image, and cannot be removed.
What is BIOS persistence, and does my device offer it?
A: The persistence option for our software is built into the BIOS of the device at the time of manufacture, and will only be activated if the manufacturer has included this BIOS persistence module. You may check the compatibility list for the feature at the following site: https://www.absolute.com/partners/device-compatibility. Please note that this list is not complete, as some manufacturers have not updated us on all model lines they have added the module to. You may wish to contact your manufacturer directly to confirm whether or not they included the Absolute BIOS module. Additionally, once our software has been installed, our Global Support Department will be able to confirm whether or not this feature is available and has been activated on your specific device.
I have a Mac. Does my device offer BIOS persistence?
A: Unfortunately, Apple has not opened up their BIOS to third-party developers to allow for software persistence. What this means is that if your laptop is stolen and the hard drive is replaced, or if the operating system is reinstalled, our tracking software will not survive the process and we will no longer be able to track and recover your device. We recommend setting up a Guest account on the device, which will provide the thief with limited system access and increase the chances of recovery. We recommend that you contact Apple for more information on setting up a Guest account.
My device is not listed on your BIOS compatibility page. Does this mean that I can’t install Absolute Home & Office on my device?
A: For laptops, as long as the device meets the minimum system requirements, you may install Absolute Home & Office. While BIOS persistence offers additional security in case of theft, it is not required for Absolute Home & Office to install and protect your device. * PC System Requirements: Microsoft Windows 10 and above (32 and 64 bit versions) * Mac System Requirements: Apple MacOS 10.13 (High Sierra) and above
Installation
Do I have Absolute Home & Office?
A: While many manufacturers will include Absolute Home & Office (formerly Absolute LoJack) when you purchase a device from them, they do not pre-install it. Absolute’s consumer products, including Absolute Home & Office Premium, Standard, and Basic, must be installed by the customer once they receive the device. Different manufacturers will fulfill an Absolute consumer product purchase in different ways. If you have any questions on how this product will be fulfilled by the manufacturer, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly. Absolute Home & Office products are typically sold under single- or multi-year license terms, and since they are hidden in a device’s file system and hardware after installation, many customers may forget over time that it has been installed. If you are not sure if Absolute Home & Office has been installed, please feel free to contact our Global Support Department for confirmation.
How do I create an account?
A: To create an account, please visit our Customer Center website at https://my.absolute.com. Please note that you must have a registration code on hand to proceed with account creation. You may obtain a registration code by purchasing a license from our website. If an account has previously been registered under your email address, you will instead be prompted to log into your existing account.
I have purchased Absolute Home & Office. How do I install it?
A: To install Absolute Home & Office on a device for the first time, please take the following steps:
- Visit our account registration page at https://my.absolute.com.
- Enter your new account details and click on ‘Create Account’.
- Enter your registration code when prompted.
- Select the PC or Mac Download option.
- When presented with the Service Agreement, scroll to the very bottom and click on ‘I Agree’.
- Run the AbsoluteSetup file once the download has completed.
- The installer will walk you through the steps of installation.
- Once the software is installed, you will be automatically logged into your account.
- Complete the first-time account configuration steps and click on ‘Finish’.
You will then be taken your main device page, where you may confirm that the installation was successful. Please be advised that it may take up to 30 minutes for your device to sync with our Monitoring Center. Note that Data Delete and Device Freeze do not need to be configured ahead of time, and should only be configured when those features are required.
How do I confirm that my Absolute Home & Office installation was successful?
A: Following a successful installation, you will be automatically logged into your Customer Center account. Once you have completed the first-time account configuration, you will see the main device page of your registered device. If Absolute Home & Office is working correctly, you will see the following:
- The Device Status will read ‘Calling’.
- The License Status will read ‘Active’.
- The date of the last call (shown next to the Device Status) will be within the last 24.5 hours.
How do I add a device to my account?
A: To add a new device to your account, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- Click on the ‘Add Device’ button.
- Enter your new registration code when prompted.
- If you do not have a registration code, you may click on ‘Buy Now’ or visit our main page to purchase a license.
- Select the PC or Mac Download option.
- When the service agreement comes up, scroll to the very bottom and click on ‘I Agree’.
- Run the AbsoluteSetup file once the download has completed.
- The installer will walk you through the steps of installation.
You will then be automatically logged into your account again, where you may confirm that the installation was successful. Please be advised that it may take up to 30 minutes for your device to sync with our Monitoring Center.
I received an email notifying me that Absolute Home & Office is not calling.
A: If we do not receive a signal from your device for 30 or more consecutive days, an email notifying you of agent inactivity are sent out automatically. No other action is taken in our system, other than to inform you of the fact that we haven’t received a signal for this period of time. We recommend that you reinstall the product on your device to resolve this. To reinstall, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on ‘Uninstall’ and ‘Yes’ to confirm.
- Click on ‘Install’.
- Select the PC or Mac download option.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Service Agreement and click on ‘I Agree’.
- Run the AbsoluteSetup file once the download has completed.
- The installer will walk you through the installation steps.
You will then be taken your main device page, where you may confirm that the installation was successful. Please be advised that it may take up to 30 minutes for your device to sync with our Monitoring Center.
How do I transfer my license to a new or replacement device?
A: To transfer a license to a new device, please take the following steps from that device. Please note that you are not required to have the original device to perform a license transfer.
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on ‘Uninstall’ and ‘Yes’ to confirm.
- Click on ‘Install’.
- Select the PC or Mac download option.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Service Agreement and click on ‘I Agree’.
- Run the AbsoluteSetup file once the download has completed.
- The installer will walk you through the installation steps.
You will then be taken your main device page, where you may confirm that the installation was successful. Please be advised that it may take up to 30 minutes for your device to sync with our Monitoring Center.
How do I reinstall Absolute Home & Office?
A: To reinstall Absolute Home & Office, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on ‘Uninstall’ and ‘Yes’ to confirm.
- Click on ‘Install’.
- Select the PC or Mac download option.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Service Agreement and click on ‘I Agree’.
- Run the AbsoluteSetup file once the download has completed.
- The installer will walk you through the installation steps.
You will then be taken your main device page, where you may confirm that the installation was successful. Please be advised that it may take up to 30 minutes for your device to sync with our Monitoring Center.
How do I uninstall Absolute Home & Office?
A: To uninstall Absolute Home & Office from your device, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on ‘Uninstall’ and ‘Yes’ to confirm.
This will set the remote software removal flag, which will be deployed the next time the agent contacts our Monitoring Center. The removal will typically occur within 24.5 hours.
Error Codes
I am receiving error code 1001 during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: The 1001 error that you are seeing can sometimes occur when attempting to run the our install program either from a location which does not allow outgoing internet communication, or when run with incorrect permissions. Please try the following steps to resolve this problem:
- Connect the laptop to a different internet connection (for example, from a coffee shop that offers free wi-fi).
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- Enter or confirm your registration code when prompted.
- Select the PC Download option.
- Scroll through the service agreement and choose ‘I Agree’.
- When prompted to run or save the file AbsoluteSetup.exe, choose ‘Save’.
- Locate the file AbsoluteSetup.exe on your computer.
- Right-click on the file and select the option ‘Run as administrator’.
- Complete the installation.
I am receiving error code 1012 during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: The 1012 error that you are seeing indicates that this license is already installed. However, as we may not currently be receiving a signal, we recommend that you reinstall the software to resolve the issue. To do this, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on ‘Uninstall’ and ‘Yes’ to confirm.
(You may disregard the notice that your license is inactive.)
- Click on ‘Install’.
- Select the PC or Mac download option.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Service Agreement and click on ‘I Agree’.
- Run the AbsoluteSetup file once the download has completed.
- The installer will walk you through the installation steps.
I am receiving error code 1021 during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: The 1021 error that you are seeing means that the root user is not currently enabled, or you have not logged in with the root user account. To resolve this problem, please try taking the following steps to enable the root user (Mac OS X 10.7 or higher):
- Connect your computer with a cable directly to your broadband modem (if possible).
- Ensure that all third-party antivirus and firewall programs are temporarily disabled.
- From your desktop, open the Apple menu and choose ‘System Preferences’.
- Open the View menu and choose ‘Users & Groups’.
- Click the lock icon and enter your administrator password.
- Click on ‘Login Options’.
- Click on ‘Edit’ or ‘Join’ in the bottom right.
- Click on the ‘Open Directory Utility’ button.
- Click on the lock icon and enter your administrator password.
- From the Edit menu, choose ‘Enable Root User’ (if this says ‘Disable Root User’, this means that the root user is already enabled. Please leave it enabled.)
- If you are prompted to create a new password, please do so.
- Close any windows that you have opened.
Once you have enabled the root user, you will then need to log in as root:
- From your desktop, open the Apple menu and choose ‘Log Out’.
- If you are logging in from a list of usernames with pictures, choose ‘Other’.
- In the name field, type: root
- In the password field, type in the password you created in step #11 above.
Once you have logged in as root, you may try the installation again. To do this, please log into your account at https://my.absolute.com, click on the ‘More’ button, and then select ‘Install’. After your installation has completed, you may disable the root user by taking steps 1-10 above and selecting ‘Disable Root User’. Please note that installations done from the Apple Store will always fail to go through. This will also be the case if you are using a satellite internet connection.
I am receiving error code 1030 during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: If you receive error code 1030 during your installation, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly. This error code can indicate one of a number of common conflicts which will need to be resolved by our support team.
I am receiving error code 1031 during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: Error code 1031 indicates that the installation encountered a licensing conflict. This can either mean that the product license you are trying to install has been previously installed on a different device, or it was installed on the same device but under a different email address. If you encounter error 1031, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly. This error will need to be investigated and resolved by our support team.
I am receiving error code 1032 during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: Error code 1032 indicates that the installation encountered a licensing conflict. This can either mean that the license you are trying to install has been previously installed on a different device, or it was installed on the same device but under a different email address. If you encounter error 1032, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly. This error will need to be investigated and resolved by our support team.
I am receiving error code 1041 during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: The 1041 error indicates that something installed on your laptop or your network is blocking the installer from sending out a signal over the internet. 1041 errors are difficult to troubleshoot, as they are caused by unique factors in your computer’s environment. Below are some of the more common causes of the 1041 error. You may find that one or more of them apply to you.
- Installations done on a satellite or cell modem internet connection will always fail.
- If this is the case you will need to try a different internet connection.
- Your router may be configured in such a way as to block our signals.
- Try connecting the laptop directly to your modem, bypassing the router completely.
- While you may have disabled your antivirusfirewall software, it may still be running in resident memory.
- You may need to completely uninstall your antivirus software, or speak to the makers of that software to determine how to whitelist our software.
- You may have Covenant Eyes or a VPN installed on your computer.
- We recommend that you uninstall Covenant Eyes or QQ through the Control Panel, as this program will universally block our software from installing or operating.
- Your company or school network may be blocking outgoing signals.
- You will need to speak to the IT administrator and ask them to whitelist our software as per #3 above.
- You may also wish to try a different internet connection.
We recommend taking the laptop to a different location with free wi-fi (for example, a local coffee shop or public library) and trying the installation again from there. Changing internet connections will typically resolve this error. If you have tried everything and are still not having any luck, please contact our Global Support Department directly for further assistance.
I am receiving error code 1072 during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: The 1072 error that you are seeing indicates that there is a server issue on our end. We recommend waiting 24 hours for the problem to be resolved and then trying your installation again. If you have tried everything and are still not having any luck, please contact our Global Support Department directly for further assistance.
I am receiving error code 2099 during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: The 2099 error occurs when the manufacturer of the device includes an out-of-date factory installer for our software called the Absolute Reminder. Resolving this problem involves manually removing this out-of-date installer and then generating a registration code for you to install the software directly from our website. To begin with, please take the following steps to manually remove the factory installer:
- Open the Control Panel.
- Select the ‘Uninstall a Program’ option.
- Once the list populates with all of the programs installed on your computer, locate “Absolute Reminder”.
- This program may also be called “Install Absolute LoJack” or “LoJack Factory Installer”.
- Double-click on any of the above to remove the factory installer.
Once this has been done, we can generate a registration code for you and assist you with a new installation. To do this, we will need proof of purchase showing the original product and license term purchased. Please contact our Global Support Department directly with this information for further assistance.
I am receiving an error code that is not listed above during my Absolute Home & Office product installation.
A: If you do not see the error code that you’re encountering in the above list, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly for further assistance.
Customer Center
I cannot log in with my username.
A: Our Customer Center website does not ask for a username during account login, but instead asks for your registered email address and password. If the website you are at is asking for a username, you may be at the wrong website. Please note that you should log in at our Customer Center website at https://my.absolute.com.
I don’t remember my account password.
A: If you do not remember your password, you may take the following steps to have a temporary password emailed to you:
- Visit our account login page at https://my.absolute.com.
- Click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link.
- Enter your registered email address and click on ‘Submit’.
Please note that it may take up to ten minutes for this temporary password email to arrive. If you do not see it, please check your junk or spam folders, as some email providers may mistakenly flag it as spam. Once you receive this email, click on the link and enter the temporary password exactly as it is shown in the email. Please note that our passwords are case-sensitive, and should not be entered with a space before or after. You will then be prompted to create a new password for your account.
I don’t remember my registered email address.
A: If you are unable to remember the email address that you registered during installation, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department for further assistance.
I would like to change the mailing address or phone number on my account.
A: To update your contact details within your account, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- Click on ‘Settings’ in the top right-hand corner.
- Click on the ‘Contact Info’ tab.
- Update your contact information.
- Click on ‘Save’.
I would like to change the email address or password on my account.
A: To update the registered email address or password on your account, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- Click on ‘Settings’ in the top right-hand corner.
- Click on the ‘Change’ button to the right of your email address or password.
- Update these fields.
- Click on ‘Save’ to save your changes.
I would like to change the PIN or date of birth on my account.
A: To change the PIN on your account, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- Click on ‘Settings’ in the top right-hand corner.
- Click on the ‘PIN’ tab.
- Enter your current PIN in the ‘Current PIN’ field.
- Enter your new PIN in the ‘New PIN’ and ‘Re-Enter New PIN’ fields.
- Click on ‘Save’.
If you do not remember your current PIN, you may click on the ‘Forgot PIN?’ link. You will be prompted to enter your date of birth, after which you will be automatically logged out. You may then log back in and you will be given the option to create a new PIN. If you do not know the date of birth currently registered on your account, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly for further assistance.
I want to change the displayed name of my registered device.
A: To change the name of your registered device, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the device you’d like to edit.
- From that device’s page, click on the displayed device name in the upper left.
- Enter a new device name.
- Click on ‘Save’.
Please note that you may need to log out and log back in to your account for the changes to appear.
How do I configure my account?
A: Following your first-time installation, a browser window will be opened and you will be automatically logged into your account. Once logged in, you will see a number of configuration options which are required before the device details are displayed. If you are not logged in automatically, you may log in at https://my.absolute.com. You will be presented with the following four pages:
- Service Agreement
- Contact Details, including mailing address and telephone number
- PIN and Date of Birth
- Geolocation
Please note that Data Delete and Device Freeze do not need to be configured ahead of time, and should only be configured when those features are required.
I am seeing a Service Agreement when I log into my account?
A: Agreeing to our Service Agreement is a critical step in allowing Absolute to legally conduct an investigation into your missing or stolen device. We recommend that all customers take the time to read these terms of service. From time to time, our Service Agreement will be updated, and when this occurs, customers will be presented with the updated terms of service when they log into the Customer Center. If you have any questions about the Service Agreement, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly.
How do I view the details of my registered device?
A: To view the details of your registered device or devices, you may log into the Customer Center at https://my.absolute.com with your registered email address. Once you have logged in, you will see your main device page. If you have multiple registered devices, you may select the device in question from the list. On the main device page, you will see the following information: Device Name: The name of the device, detected automatically. Registration Code: The unique registration code assigned to this device. Serial Number: The serial number of the device, detected automatically. Product: The name of the product installed on this device. Device Status: The current status of this device. This may read Calling (the installed Absolute product is calling in and working correctly), Not Calling (the device has not called in 30 or more consecutive days), Not Available (the product is not currently installed), Locked (the device has been locked with Device Freeze) or Stolen (the device has been reported stolen to Absolute). License Status: The current status of the license. This may read Active (the license is valid and installed), Inactive (the license is uninstalled), or Expired (the license has expired). License Expiration: The current expiration date of the license.
How do I print my license?
A: To print your license, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on the ‘Print License’ button.
- Your license will open in a new window.
- Click on ‘Print’ at the bottom of this window, or press Ctrl+P to open the Print Dialog.
- Click on ‘Print’.
Features
What is Data Delete, and when should I deploy it?
A: Data Delete is a remote data-delete feature offered with all versions of Absolute Home & Office. Activating this feature will permanently erase files from a registered device, protecting your personal information and preventing identity theft. A Data Delete may be configured to delete all files from the device, specific folders, or specific file types. We recommend deploying Data Delete in cases where highly-sensitive data is at risk. We are not able to conduct a theft investigation while a Data Delete is in progress.
How do I deploy a Data Delete?
A: To deploy a Data Delete on your registered device, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘Delete’ tab.
- Configure your Data Delete request:
- Delete ALL files on the hard drive or SOME files.
- If SOME files, select the hard drive letter or ‘All Drives’.
- If SOME files, select:
- All folders and subfolders on the selected drive,
- A specific file on the drive (not including subfolders), or
- A selected file type (for example, all image files).
- Enter your 4-6 number PIN code.
- Click on ‘Delete’.
Your Data Delete request will be deployed the next time the device contacts our Monitoring Center. If the device is not in a stolen state, this will occur every 24.5 hours. If the device has been stolen, this call-in period is escalated to once every 15 minutes. Please note that a deployed Data Delete is permanent and non-reversible. If your device has been stolen, a theft report cannot be opened and investigation cannot begin until the Data Delete has been completed on the device.
I’ve requested a Data Delete in error. How do I stop it?
A: If the registered device has not yet called in, a Data Delete request status will be listed as ‘Scheduled’ under the Delete tab within the Customer Center. You may cancel this request by taking the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘Delete’ tab.
- Under the ‘Action’ column, click on the ‘-‘ button.
- Click on ‘Yes’ to confirm.
- The Delete request status will change to ‘Cancelled’.
If the device has called in and the Data Delete has been deployed, the status will change to ‘Started’. Data Delete actions which have started cannot be cancelled and must complete before the device is reimaged or a theft report is filed with Absolute.
What is Device Freeze, and when should I deploy it?
A: Device Freeze is a remote device-locking feature offered with all versions of Absolute Home & Office. Activating this feature will lock the remote device and prevent an end user from accessing the file system or making use of it in any way. A Data Delete may be configured to display a user-defined message on-screen. We recommend that a Device Freeze be deployed in cases where the device is missing but has not necessarily been stolen. We are not able to conduct an investigation while a device is locked with Device Freeze.
How do I deploy a Device Freeze?
A: To deploy a Device Freeze on your registered device, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘Lock’ tab.
- Enter a lock message to be displayed on your device.
- Enter your 4-6 number PIN code.
- Confirm that you understand that the device will need to be unlocked prior to requesting a recovery.
- Click on ‘Lock Device’.
Your Device Freeze request will be deployed the next time the device contacts our Monitoring Center. If the device is not in a stolen state, this will occur ever 24.5 hours. If the device has been stolen, this call-in period is escalated to once every 15 minutes. Please note that if your device has been stolen, a theft report cannot be opened and an investigation cannot begin until the Device Freeze has been fully removed from the device.
How do I unlock a device locked with Device Freeze?
A: To remove a Device Freeze on your registered device, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘Lock’ tab.
- Enter your 4-6 number PIN code (the same code used when you locked your device).
- Click on ‘Unlock Device’.
Please note that you will need to connect the device to the internet before it can be unlocked, and a device unlock may take up to 24.5 hours to go through. If you require an immediate unlock of a locked device, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly for assistance.
What is Geolocation, and how do I use it?
A: The Geolocation map is displayed on the main device page for each registered device in the Customer Center. This map displays the latest location data point for the registered device, based on available data. The Geolocation map is enabled by default, but if you would like to turn it off or on, you may take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on the ‘Enable Locate’ (or ‘Disable Locate’) button.
Please note that the Geolocation map is an optional feature, and it may be enabled or disabled at your preference without affecting the protection of your registered device. For more information on Geolocation, please take a look at our Locate FAQ.
The location shown on the Geolocation map is inaccurate.
A: Our Geolocation map attempts to determine your location based on a number of sources, including IP address location, GPS data, internal operating system sensors and locator services, and Wi-Fi triangulation. In the event that one or more sources are unavailable, Geolocation will fall back on IP address location, which is universally available but is unfortunately the least accurate option. Inaccurate locations are most common immediately following an installation or reinstallation, and will typically self-correct over time as our software gathers more location data. It is important to note that regardless of the Geolocation map’s accuracy, we do not use it in our recovery process. We have specific post-theft recovery tools which may only legally be deployed once we are a part of a police investigation. Our investigation team makes use of patented forensic and diagnostic tools which allow them to determine the identity of the thief or end user, and this evidence is provided to law enforcement so that they may act on it. This process is described in more detail in the Recovery section.
What is the Absolute Notifier?
A: The Absolute Notifier is a program shown in the taskbar on Windows devices which provides quick access to and information about your Absolute Customer Center. The Notifier is only available for devices running Windows, and is not currently available for Mac or Android devices. Right-clicking on the Absolute Notifier icon brings up a menu with the following options: Perform Test Call: This option forces an agent call through from your device to our Monitoring Center. Log In: This option opens a browser window at our login page (https://my.absolute.com). View Message: This option displays a pop-up window with the latest available promotions. Online Help: This option opens the Notifier help page. Close: This option will close the Absolute Notifier. Additionally, the Absolute Notifier will show you the current status of your installed license. A yellow triangle indicates that your subscription is expiring soon. A red circle indicates that the subscription has expired. In the case of a reported theft, the Absolute Notifier will automatically hide itself and will not load.
How do I uninstall the Absolute Notifier?
A: The Absolute Notifier is installed during your Absolute Home & Office product installation, but it is peripheral and not required for continued protection of the registered device. You may feel free to uninstall it without impacting Absolute Home & Office. To uninstall the Absolute Notifier, please take these steps:
- Open the Control Panel.
- Select the ‘Uninstall a Program’ option.
- Once the list populates with all of the programs installed on your computer, locate “Absolute Notifier”.
- Double-click to remove the Notifier.
Billing
Why did my Absolute product license automatically renew?
A: By default, all licenses purchased through Absolute are set up to be automatically renewed on a subscription basis, to ensure that your device remains protected. You may disable this automatic renewal feature at any time. If automatic renewal is disabled, you will receive an email from us 30 days prior to your license’s expiry date with options for manual renewal. You may also extend your license at any time through your account by clicking on ‘Learn More’ from the main device page.
How do I enable Auto-Renewal?
A: By default, all licenses are set up to be automatically renewed on a subscription basis, to ensure that your device is always protected. If you would like to enable automatic renewal or update your billing information, you may take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on the ‘Billing’ option.
- Select ‘Change Payment Information’.
- Enter your current billing information.
- Click on ‘Enable Auto-Renewal’.
This billing information will then be used on your next billing cycle for a one-year renewal. When entering your billing information, please keep the following in mind:
- The card number should be entered with no dashes or spaces.
- The expiry date should be selected from the drop-down menus.
- The CVV2 number is the three-digit security code located on the back of the card.
How do I disable Auto-Renewal?
A: By default, all licenses are set up to be automatically renewed on a subscription basis, to ensure that your device is always protected. If you would like to disable automatic renewal and instead renew manually, you may take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on the ‘Billing’ option.
- Select ‘Disable Auto-Renew’.
- Click on ‘Yes’ to confirm.
Once automatic renewal has been successfully disabled, the ‘Billing’ option will indicate that it has been turned off. You will then see a banner appear in your account with the option to manually purchase a renewal.
How do I renew my license through my account?
A: To renew your subscription, please take the following steps:
- Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
- If you do not remember the password on this account, click on the ‘Forgot Password’ link to have a new temporary password emailed to you.
- If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the renewal banner.
- Clicking on this banner will allow you to select one, two, three or four years.
- The license renewal discount should be automatically applied.
When entering your billing information, please keep the following in mind:
- The card number should be entered with no dashes or spaces.
- The expiry date should be selected from the drop-down menus.
- The CVV2 number is the three-digit security code located on the back of the card.
I received a special promotion for renewal through email or the Absolute Notifier. How do I take advantage of this offer?
A: Absolute will periodically offer special limited-time promotions for license renewals. These offers may be delivered via email, or as a pop-up from the Absolute Notifier. If you wish to take advantage of these special offers, you may click on the link in the email or the Notifier pop-up box. This will redirect you to a shopping cart where the special offer discount is automatically applied. Please note that these offers are only available through email or the Absolute Notifier for a limited time only.
How do I purchase a new license?
A: New licenses may be purchased through our website. First, select the device type you wish to protect: laptops, phones or tablets. You may then select the product type and term length you wish to purchase. Finally, you will be taken to a shopping cart page, where you may confirm the product type, term length and price. After entering your billing information and selecting your payment type, you may click on ‘Place Order’ to submit. After your order has been processed, you will receive an email with an order number, a new registration code and instructions for installation. This email is usually sent within a few minutes of placing your order. Please note that the purchase of a new license is not the same as purchasing a renewal for an existing license. Existing licenses must be renewed either through the Customer Center or via a promotional email or Notifier pop-up.
When does my license term begin and expire?
A: Licenses purchased through our website begin their term on the date of purchase. For this reason, we recommend installation as soon as your order has been processed and you have received an order confirmation email. If a license has been purchased but not installed, we will send you a reminder email seven days after the purchase date. Licenses purchased through one of our partners begin on the date of installation. You may confirm the license start and end date by logging into the Customer Center following your installation.
Recovery
How does Absolute’s Recovery process work?
A: We track the computer via its internet connection. When the stolen computer connects to the internet with we begin to collect evidence which can help lead the police to the location of your computer. For a more details on the process, view the entire Investigation Services FAQ.
My device has been stolen! How do I report the theft to Absolute?
A: If you are a Absolute Home & Office customer with an active subscription installed and your laptop, smartphone or tablet has been stolen, you must complete the following steps:
- Report the theft to local law enforcement as soon as possible.
- Report the theft to Absolute by logging into your account, clicking on the ‘Recover’ tab, and completing the required fields.
If you are unable to log into your account, you may report the theft to us by phone instead.
Help! I am not able to open a theft report!
A: There are a number of conditions which must be met in order for a theft report to be filed in our system:
- Absolute Home & Office must be installed on the stolen device. You may confirm this by logging into your account and checking that the device status reads ‘Calling’. You should also confirm that the listed serial number matches that of the stolen device.
- The installed product must offer the Recovery option. Please note that Absolute Home & Office BASIC does not offer this option.
- The installed license must not be expired. If the license is not renewed before the expiry date, Absolute Home & Office will automatically uninstall itself from the device and we will be unable to assist with recovery.
- A Device Freeze or Data Delete may have been deployed. We cannot recover a stolen device if it has been remotely locked or a Data Delete is in progress. Please note that if the status for action reads ‘Pending’, you may cancel the action before it is deployed and immediately submit a theft report.
If a Device Freeze has been deployed, you may request an unlock from the ‘Lock’ tab in your account, but you must wait for that device to call in and unlock before a theft report may be filed. If a Data Delete has been deployed, you must wait for the Delete status to read ‘Completed’ before a theft report may be filed.
- Required information may be missing. You must complete all starred fields in the ‘Recover’ form before a theft report may be filed.
If you are encountering difficulty submitting a theft file or require additional information, please contact our Global Support Department directly for assistance.
What does my theft file status mean?
A: Please refer to Theft File Status Definitions for more information on the status that is shown on your theft file.
Are you able to recover my stolen device in any country?
A: We are able to track a stolen device anywhere in the world. However, as our recovery process relies on the cooperation and resources of the local police, we can only guarantee recovery within guaranteed territories: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
What is the Service Guarantee?
A: The Service Guarantee is an option available with the Premium edition of Absolute Home & Office. Under the terms of this option, if a registered device is stolen and we are not able to recover it within 60 days, you will be eligible for a payment of up to $1,000. The Service Guarantee is only available with Absolute Home & Office Premium. For more information on Service Guarantee eligibility, we recommend that you contact our Service Guarantee department directly, either by phone or at serviceguarantee@absolute.com.
Other
My device indicates that it has been locked by Intel Anti-Theft.
A: Intel Anti-Theft is a feature embedded in the BIOS of a device by the manufacturer. There are a few conditions which can cause a laptop with Intel Anti-Theft to lock:
- If the Absolute software agent installed on the device does not send a through signal for more than 30 consecutive days;
- If the CMOS battery on the motherboard is removed or replaced;
- If the hardware of the laptop is damaged.
If your device is locked, you may unlock it by entering your four-to-six number PIN under option #1. If this is unsuccessful, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly for further assistance. Our second-level support department is available to help Monday through Friday, 6am to 6pm PST. Please be sure to have the following information available:
- The locked device’s serial number or service tag.
- The Platform ID or ISVID shown on the screen.
- The Platform ID shown under option #2 (Server Recovery Token).
Please note that this Platform ID will be different every time you reboot your computer and will only remain valid for a few hours (as per the countdown timer). We recommend that you restart your computer and generate a fresh Platform ID before contacting us. This will ensure that we have the maximum amount of time to generate a recovery token before the timer runs out.
My hard drive is encrypted. Is Absolute Home & Office compatible with disk encryption?
A: Our software is compatible with full-disk encryption. However, it is important to note that certain steps must be taken prior to installation to ensure compatibility. When our software installs for the first time, it will write not only to the BIOS but also to the master boot record (or MBR). If the MBR is encrypted at the time of installation, this write action may cause significant corruption to the boot record and result in an unbootable system. For this reason, we require that you fully decrypt your disk before installing our software. You may then re-encrypt after a successful installation, as the write action only occurs once during installation and does not recur.
My device dual-boots two or more operating systems. Can I install your product?
A: Dual-boot systems are not a supported configuration at this time. When our software installs, it will automatically query your motherboard for the serial number and confirm that this serial number does not exist in our system. Your installation under the first operating system should go through fine, but when the second installation is attempted, the software will determine that the serial number already exists in our database and will fail to install. There is no known workaround for this issue, and for this reason we do not support dual installations performed on dual-boot systems. We recommend that you configure your operating system on the Absolute Home & Office-protected partition with a guest account, while leaving the guest account inactive on the other partition. This way, if the device is stolen, the thief will attempt to log into the partition which is easier to get into, and we should be able to track the device.
My device indicates that it has been locked by Phoenix Failsafe.
A: We recommend that you contact the Phoenix Failsafe technical support department directly for assistance with this problem at FS_Support@phoenix.com. While Absolute acquired certain intellectual property assets from Phoenix, we did not acquire either their products or their customer base. In other words, we did not merge with Phoenix Failsafe, but merely acquired certain technologies which they developed. This does not extend to their Failsafe locking feature, which we have neither the means nor the tools to assist with.
How do I obtain a new or replacement Absolute Home & Office sticker?
A: In some instances, older boxed copies of our software sold in stores may still come with a sticker, but we no longer print them and have not done so for many years. We decided to stop making these stickers because we found that they were not an effective theft deterrent. In cases where the thief does not know that our software is on the computer, our recovery process is typically much more effective. If the thief can see that our software is installed, those laptops are often destroyed before we are able to track them down.
I am encountering a boot error after installing an Absolute product on a BitLocker-enabled device.
A: BitLocker can cause BIOS issues if it is enabled during your Absolute Home & Office installation. This is due to BitLocker detecting a hardware change when our software modifies a BIOS flag during installation. To resolve this problem, you will need to suspend BitLocker and ensure that our software is activated in the BIOS prior to re-enabling Bitlocker. Please try taking the following steps:
- Suspend BitLocker through the Control Panel icon.
- Log into your Absolute account at https://my.absolute.com.
- If you have multiple devices, select the correct one from the list.
- Click on the ‘More’ button.
- Click on ‘Uninstall’ and ‘Yes’ to confirm.
- Reboot the computer.
- Log into your Absolute account again.
- Select the device you are working on.
- Click on ‘Install’ and follow the prompts to reinstall the license.
- Reboot the computer again.
- Click on the “Absolute Notifier” icon in the taskbar and choose the “Perform Test Call” option.
- Perform a minimum of five test calls.
- Reboot the computer a third time.
- Resume BitLocker through the Control Panel icon.
Multiple test calls and device reboots will ensure that the BIOS flag is correctly set during our software installation. Once this flag has been set, you may resume BitLocker and it should no longer indicate an error on boot.