Removing cut laptop locks from laptop

S

Selsaral

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 21, 2001
Messages
234
I fix Dell laptops (lattitudes) where I work. We've had quite a few come back with the laptop locks cut and the combination lost, so the lock and a bit of cable is dangling from computer.

How can I remove these? A bolt cutter? Then I just need to open the case up to remove the part that's still inside? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
your sol youll have to break the case to get them out or litterally cut the lock off and pick it or take it to a locksmith and they can pic it
 
your work place doesn't show you how to deal with these situations? yeah....
 
you know if where u worked was LEGIT they wouldve taught you how to do it, but since ur asking on a forum...i hereby declare u suspicious and i will now be watching you 24/7...no matter where you are i will be watching...always watching...always...
 
I wasn't surprised that there weren't tons of articles out there about how to hack off laptop locks.

I AM the laptop support here. Before I worked here, the techs didn't even test the laptops. If they powered on, they were redeployed.

I called a locksmith and he said he couldn't pick them.

It appears that our users lock their laptops, forget the combination, then have to cut the cord to get their laptop home, then return it for another laptop because it now has a lock and cable dangling from it.

I have ordered a small bolt cutter that I am hoping will do the job.
 
i somehow doubt a small bolt cutter will do the job...but remember...always watching...always....
 
LOL.

Well it was only 8$ so the purchasing guys had no problem ordering it for me. If it doesn't work.... I don't know what I will do. Maybe try another locksmith?

If it does work it still means I have to take each laptop apart to get the bolt out of the case of the laptop, which will not be fun.
 
I am all about using a dremel to cut through just about anything. Just cover the laptop and it'll cut through it.

~m
 
Am I the only one that feels fishy about the whole "oh I somehow forgot/lost the combo so i just cut the cord off".
 
a lot of places expect you to just figure this crap out and no one there knows. That's why you were hired. It's a severely under appreciated field. good luck and I have no idea how to do it other then to maybe take the laptop apart?
 
I've had a few laptops come in where they lost the key to their Kensington locks, and didn't know where the other key was. I knew it was there laptop too, or I knew it was the company's laptop I was working on.

I used a dremel each time and prayed I wouldn't scratch the laptop with it. I put tape over the vents and any other openings so as to avoid metal shavings getting inside it. always made me nervous when I did it though..
 
batteriesnotincluded said:
I've had a few laptops come in where they lost the key to their Kensington locks, and didn't know where the other key was. I knew it was there laptop too, or I knew it was the company's laptop I was working on.

I used a dremel each time and prayed I wouldn't scratch the laptop with it. I put tape over the vents and any other openings so as to avoid metal shavings getting inside it. always made me nervous when I did it though..
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Thats sounds like the best method to me, I would be afraid it would be easier to damager the case using bolt cutters if they slip. Of course the dremel could damage it also, but that would be my method of choice, just make sure to put masking tape over everything close by and a towel or something over the rest and to avoid shavings getting into it and plus the tape will help protect it just incase you did slip, not much protection, but some.
 
mryerse said:
Heh, got to wonder why we're doing this :)
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I work at GenenTech in the IT department and we have security cut the locks off the desk when the employee is let go, or terminated…

so this is something that happens a lot in big corporations.

What we have been doing is using a rotary tool to remove the lock from the case--after we have dissembled it completely, next we then order a new chassis from hp to replace the cut one.
 
What we do here to get the locks off is use a large set of pliers and crush the lock. They're really not that strong. All the parts fall out & you just take the lock off, no damage to the laptop or anything. We finally started ordering serialized locks with preset combos for users because they forgot their personally set combos so often. Now if they forget we just look up the combo in our database & give it to them :)
 
We don't have any sort of hardware locks on out computers at work. We have a private facility with a higher security level than your typical commercial complex so we really don't have to worry about a random stranger stepping inside and running off with something.

That said, if we did get them we'd almost certainly do what Banshee164's employer does and keep records in a secure location. We already do that for everything else that can't be reset by software and somethings that can, eg opening a safe is quicker than callling for a sysadmin.
 
at the company (a very large company, with a large IT department) I used to work for, employees were given 1 key, and the IT department kept the other. They kept records of what key went where, and if you forgot your keys on moving day or for whatever reason (or lost them), an IT person could come down and unlock the system. Typically, though, these were used to lock docking stations, and there was another set of keys to unlock the docking station itself (which, the IT department kept as well). There were also RF cards required to get in the door. Sometimes you're not protecting equipment from outsiders, but insiders.

Sadly, I also know that there were several thefts of the systems, as a Kensington lock takes all of 1 minute to chew through with a set of wirecutters on a >insert brand< multi-tool. There were also thefts where people just ripped laptops out of the docking station, from what I heard (it happened in the next aisle over from me).

I personally have a half dozen locks that I'm using on my various pieces of equipment, even though they're at home. Peace of mind is worth $20.
 
Selsaral said:
I wasn't surprised that there weren't tons of articles out there about how to hack off laptop locks.

I AM the laptop support here. Before I worked here, the techs didn't even test the laptops. If they powered on, they were redeployed.

I called a locksmith and he said he couldn't pick them.

It appears that our users lock their laptops, forget the combination, then have to cut the cord to get their laptop home, then return it for another laptop because it now has a lock and cable dangling from it.

I have ordered a small bolt cutter that I am hoping will do the job.
Click to expand...

First, add to your sign-out sheet that all employees who return laptops in said condition will be docked a fee for the lock+cable (assuming company-purchased), and IT's time in removing it. Otherwise, they can continue to feel free to use a laptop with a lock dangling from it rather than getting a replacement. :D

Otherwise, get a system, a real system where all of your purchased locks have a master key that only IT has. That way you can get them off easily. I'm sure it's out there.

Dark Helmet: So the combination is one, two, three, four, five? That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! The kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!
 
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