Frequently Asked Questions

Products | Compatibility | Installation | Billing

Products

What is the difference between Absolute Home & Office Basic, Standard and Premium?

A: Absolute Home & Office Basic offers the ability to view your device’s location on a map, remotely lock your device, and remotely delete some or all files from your device.

Absolute Home & Office Standard offers all the features above. In addition, if your laptop is stolen, you may report it to us and our team of investigators will work with law enforcement to track down and recover the device.

Absolute Home & Office Premium offers all of the above, and additionally includes our $1000 Service Guarantee: if we are not able to recover your stolen laptop, you may then be eligible for a payment of up to $1000. Please note that the Premium edition of Home & Office is only sold in our guaranteed recovery territories (the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.)

You may find more details on our Product Comparison page (https://homeoffice.absolute.com/product-comparison/).

What is the difference between Absolute Home & Office and Computrace?

A: Computrace (also called Absolute Persistence Technology) is one component of Absolute Home & Office and is available on compatible devices. This component is embedded in the firmware and once activated will self-heal our software onto the device if we are removed.

For more information on Computrace compatibility, you may refer to our BIOS & Firmware Compatibility Checker page (https://www.absolute.com/partners/device-compatibility/). As this list is not exhaustive, we also recommend speaking directly to your device manufacturer if your device model is not listed.

Why has the product name changed from Absolute LoJack to Absolute Home & Office?

A: By rebranding to Absolute Home & Office, we are bringing our Consumer/Small Business product into the Absolute brand family. This helps to reduce brand confusion and provides a better connection to our commercial solution. While we have changed the product name, it’s still the same technology and Investigations Team protecting your data and device.

– Absolute LoJack Premium is now Absolute Home & Office PREMIUM
– Absolute LoJack Standard is now Absolute Home & Office STANDARD
– Absolute Data Protect is now Absolute Home & Office BASIC

Do you have an enterprise version of your product?

A: Yes! For more information on our enterprise product, please visit our website at https://www.absolute.com/. You may contact our Enterprise Sales team by clicking on Request A Demo.

Compatibility

Is my device compatible with Absolute Home & Office?

A: We currently support devices running Windows 10 or 11 and macOS 13, 14, or 15.

Unfortunately, we are no longer able to officially provide support for older versions of operating systems. While our software may install successfully, it has only been tested on the above operating system versions, and technical issues may arise with installations on older operating systems.

At this time, we do not offer support for iOS or Android mobile devices.

Why do I see Computrace listed in my device’s BIOS firmware?

A: The Computrace module is included as part of the manufacturer’s BIOS firmware image on supported devices. This module can be considered an empty holding cell for a future Home & Office installation. While there is a switch for activation or deactivation in this module on some devices, 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 our software in the event of theft. Once activated, this component will silently “self-heal” our software if an operating system reset or hard drive format is performed. This ensures that your device remains protected and visible to our system even if actions are taken to delete or circumvent our software agent.

Please note that this module is a part of the device manufacturer’s BIOS firmware image and cannot be removed.

Does my device offer Absolute Computrace Persistence? Can I add it to my unsupported device?

A: The persistent self-healing option will only be activated if the manufacturer has included this BIOS persistence module in their firmware. It cannot be added at a later time.

For more information on Computrace compatibility, you may refer to our BIOS & Firmware Compatibility Checker page (https://www.absolute.com/partners/device-compatibility/).

Please note that this list is not exhaustive, as some manufacturers have not updated us on all model lines they have added the module to. You may wish to contact them directly to confirm whether or not they have included the Absolute Computrace persistence module.

I have a Mac. Does my device offer Absolute Computrace Persistence?

A: Unfortunately, Apple has not opened up their firmware to third-party developers to allow for hardware 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 your computer will no longer be traceable.

It is advised that if you are installing Absolute Home & Office on a Mac device, you should password-protect your primary user account and set up a Guest account, which will provide the thief or end user with limited system access and increase the chances of recovery.

My device is not Absolute Computrace Persistence-compatible. Does that mean that I cannot install Absolute Home & Office?

A: As long as your device meets the minimum system requirements, you may install Absolute Home & Office. While Absolute Computrace Persistence offers additional security in the event of a theft, it is not required for Absolute Home & Office to protect your device.

PC System Requirements: Microsoft Windows® 10 or 11
Mac System Requirements: Apple MacOS 13, 14, or 15

Installation

I just received my new laptop. Is Absolute Home & Office already installed?

A: Although you may have purchased an Absolute Home & Office license bundled with your device, it is important to note that vendors do not pre-install our software, and you will need to install and activate Home & Office yourself.

Different vendors will fulfill an Absolute Home & Office product purchase in different ways. If you have any questions on how this product will be delivered to you, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department, or reach out to the vendor you purchased it from originally. Most vendors should provide you with a registration code, which you will need to create your account and activate your device.

If your laptop is older and you aren’t sure if you ever installed a purchased Absolute Home & Office license, please contact us with your device’s serial number and we would be happy to provide you with more information.

I have purchased Absolute Home & Office. How do I install it?

A: To install our software, please take the following steps:

Visit our account registration page at https://my.absolute.com.
Click on Don’t Have An Account? Create One Here.
Enter your details and click on Create Account.
Enter your registration code when prompted.
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.
(Mac) If you are installing on a Mac, you will be prompted for your Mac Administrator password in order to proceed.
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.

How can 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 for the first time. After you have completed the first-time account configuration steps, you will be taken to your Device list, where you may view the Device Status. If your installation was successful, the status will display a green icon and will read Protected.

How do I add a device to my account?

A: Please note that a registration code may only be installed on a single device at a time. If you would like to add more devices, you will need to purchase additional codes for those devices.

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.
1. 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.
2. If you used a temporary password to log in, update to a permanent password.
Click on the Add Device
Enter your new registration code when prompted (If you do not have a registration code, click on Buy Now or visit our main page to purchase a license.)
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.
If you are installing on a Mac, you will be prompted for your Mac Administrator password in order to proceed.

Once installation is complete, you will then be taken your main device page automatically. 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 my device 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 is sent out automatically. No other action is taken in our system other than to inform you of the fact that we have not received a signal for this period of time.

To resolve this issue, we recommend that you reinstall the product on your device.

How do I reinstall Absolute Home & Office on my device?

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.
1. 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.
2. 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 Remove License.
Click on Add Device License.
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.
(Mac) If you are installing on a Mac, you will be prompted for your Mac Administrator password in order to proceed.

Once installation is complete, you will then be taken your main device page automatically. Please be advised that it may take up to 30 minutes for your device to sync with our Monitoring Center.

How do I transfer Absolute Home & Office to a new or replacement device?

A: Please note that you are not required to have the original device to perform a license transfer. To transfer a license, please take the following steps from the new device:

Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
1. 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.
2. 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 Remove License.
Click on Add Device License.
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.
(Mac) If you are installing on a Mac, you will be prompted for your Mac Administrator password in order to proceed.

Once installation is complete, you will then be taken your main device page automatically. 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 from my device?

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.
1. 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.
2. 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 Remove License.

This will set the remote software removal flag, which will be deployed the next time the agent contacts our Monitoring Center. This will typically occur within 15 minutes of the device being online, although depending on your device’s make and model, it may take two to three agent calls and a system reboot to fully deactivate.

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 Auto-Renew feature at any time.

If Auto-Renew is disabled, you will receive an email from us 30 days prior to your license’s expiry date with options for manual renewal. Licenses may only be manually renewed if they are within 30 days of expiry.

Please note that Auto-Renew is set at a per-device level. This means that it must be enabled or disabled separately for each device you have activated with us.

How do I disable Auto-Renewal?

A: If you would like to disable Auto-Renew and renew manually instead, you may take the following steps:

Visit our login page at https://my.absolute.com and enter your registered email address.
1. 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.
2. 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 Device Billing in the lower left corner.
Select Disable Auto Renew.
Click on Yes to confirm.

Once Auto-Renew has been successfully disabled, the option will change to Enable Auto Renew to indicate that it has been turned off. If your license is within 30 days of expiration, you will see a Renew Now banner appearing on your account. Clicking on this banner will allow you to manually purchase a license renewal.

Please note that Auto-Renew is set at a per-device level. This means that it must be disabled separately for each device you have activated with us.

How do I enable Auto-Renew or update my billing details?

A: If you would like to enable Auto-Renew 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.
1. 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.
2. 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 Device Billing in the lower left corner.
Select Enable Auto Renew.
Click on Yes to confirm.
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.

Please note that Auto-Renew is set at a per-device level. This means that it must be enabled separately for each device you have activated with us.

I didn’t receive a confirmation email for my order. Did something go wrong?

A: Your order confirmation email should be delivered within about five minutes of making your purchase. We recommend that you check your spam and junk mail folders, as some email providers can mistakenly flag our order confirmation emails as spam.

If you are still not seeing this email, we recommend that you contact our Global Support Department directly for more assistance. Please have your Absolute order number and the email used to make the purchase available.

What methods of payment do you accept?

A: We currently accept Visa and Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal and Bank or Wire Transfer as payment options.