How to Report a Dell Laptop or Desktop as Lost or Stolen

Summary: Learn how to report a lost or stolen Dell laptop or desktop, including necessary details. Follow our guide for timely action and how to contact Dell Support.

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Instructions

If your Dell laptop or desktop is lost or stolen, this article provides information about what you should do.

 

    Reporting a Dell Laptop or Desktop as Lost or Stolen

    NOTE: Dell cannot assist with locating or recovering a lost or stolen device. Reporting the device to Dell only results in the Service Tag being marked as lost or stolen in Dell's records, helping prevent unauthorized warranty and support activity.

    This article describes how you can declare a device as lost or stolen to Dell. This prevents any use of valid warranty or support until the Lost or Stolen Flag is removed and ownership is confirmed.

     

    If the device has tracking or security software installed, customers should provide those details to local law enforcement to support any investigation. Customers may also attempt to locate the device using Microsoft's Find my device feature if it was previously enabled and associated with their Microsoft account. Dell cannot access or manage these tracking services on behalf of the customer.

    For stolen devices, you are advised to contact your local police authority and file a police report prior to calling Dell.

    Note: Police reports are only required if the computer is stolen within the first 30 days of the ship date. Computers stolen outside of 30 days of the ship date do not require a police report.

    Required details before the Lost or Stolen Flag can be applied:

    • The stolen computer's Service Tag or Express Service Code
    • Date of theft
    • Date theft was reported (if stolen within the first 30 days of the ship date)
    • The police case's reference number and a PDF or scan of the report (if stolen within the first 30 days of the ship date)
    • Name of officer and Police Agency Name the Crime was Reported to (if stolen within the first 30 days of the ship date)
    • Contact name and phone number of the person filing the report
    • The police agency's phone number

    Contact Dell Support and one of our representatives can assist you with a lost or stolen computer. After gathering some information from you, they can update your account to reflect any lost or stolen status.

    Find out your local Technical Support phone number by clicking the Contact Us link below. Alternatively, click the Contact Support button on the right side of the page.

     

    Protect Your Accounts and Personal Information

    If your device has been lost or stolen, take immediate steps to secure your personal and business information:

    • Change the passwords for all accounts that may have been accessed from the device, including email, banking and financial accounts, workplace accounts, cloud storage services, social media accounts, and shopping websites.
    • Update passwords from a trusted device and use strong, unique passwords for each account.
    • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever available to provide an additional layer of security.
    • Sign out of active sessions and remove the lost or stolen device from trusted devices lists where supported.
    • Monitor bank accounts, credit card statements, and other sensitive accounts for suspicious activity.
    • Notify your employer's IT department immediately if the device was used to access corporate resources, VPNs, or business applications.
    • If sensitive personal information was stored on the device, consider placing a fraud alert or credit monitoring service with the appropriate credit reporting agencies.
    • If available, remotely lock, locate, or erase the device using built-in services such as Microsoft Find my device, Microsoft Intune, or other device management and security tools.

    Taking these actions as soon as possible can help reduce the risk of unauthorized access, identity theft, and data loss.

    Useful Links

    If you require further assistance, Contact Us.

    Additional Information

    How to report a lost or stolen Dell system

    Duration: 01:04
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    Affected Products

    Chromebox, Alienware, Dell All-in-One, Dell Pro All-in-One, Dell Pro Max Micro, Dell Pro Max Slim, Dell Pro Max Tower, Dell Pro Micro, Dell Pro Slim, Dell Pro Tower, Dell Slim, Dell Tower, Alienware and Dell Gaming Monitors, C Series, D Series , E Series, P Series, S Series, SE Series, UltraSharp Premier (UP) Series, UltraSharp (U) Series, Dell Monitors, Dell Plus Monitors, Dell Pro Monitors, Dell Pro Plus Monitors, Printers & Accessories, Chromebook, Alienware, Dell Plus, Dell Pro, Dell Pro Max, Dell Pro Premium, Inspiron, Latitude, Dell Pro Rugged, Vostro, XPS, Legacy Laptop Models, Tablets, Mobile Devices, Latitude Tablets, Surface, Venue, XPS Tablets, Thin Clients, Fixed Workstations, Mobile Workstations, Dell Command | Monitor, D/Dock Expansion-Station, Dell Dock WD15, Dell Dual Charge Dock HD22Q, Dell Dual Video USB3.0 Docking Station D1000, Dell IN1720, Dell IN1910NWFP, Dell IN1920, Dell in1930, Dell IN1940MW, Dell IN2010NWFP, Dell IN2020, Dell IN2020M, Dell MR2217, Dell MR2416, Dell Rugged Desk Dock, Dell SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Docking Station, Dell Thunderbolt Dock TB15, Dell Thunderbolt Dock TB16, Dell Precision Dual USB-C Thunderbolt Dock - TB18DC, Dell Universal Dock D6000, Dell Universal Dock - D6000S, Dell Universal Dock UD22, Dell USB3.0 dock D3100, Dell Dock WD19, Dell Performance Dock - WD19DC, Dell Performance Dock – WD19DCS, Dell Dock – WD19S, Dell Thunderbolt Dock - WD19TB, Dell Thunderbolt Dock – WD19TBS, Dell Wireless Dock, Dell Wireless Docking Station WLD15, C/Dock Expansion Station, C/Dock II Expansion Station, Dell Thunderbolt Dock – WD22TB4 ...
    Article Properties
    Article Number: 000129627
    Article Type: How To
    Last Modified: 09 Oct 2026
    Version:  13
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