Prey for Windows

User Reviews

• Didn't correctly show where my laptop was at

  Derek VasconiMay 20, 2015

  Pros

  easy to install, has a lot of features even for the free version

  Cons

  well, see my summary for this, but basically it just didn't work.

  Summary

  I downloaded Prey and tried it out three days in a row. All three days it showed my laptop was two streets away from where it was. I was sitting right next to my brand new, ultra powerful wi-fi router. When I contacted Prey's support team, they blamed it on Google and said there's nothing they can do about it. Glad I didn't pay for the extra services when the most basic service doesn't even work correctly! The customer service also admitted that Prey couldn't fix this problem, so essentially, that means the most important function of Prey is something that is, by their own admission, flawed in a way that's out of their hands. I can't tell you how disappointed I am by this. If it's showing my laptop is two streets over from where it actually is and I report it as stolen to the cops, do you think that will help the cops actually find it? They will be looking two streets over, which means my laptop won't get found, which means Prey didn't do its job.

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• Works on Mac even without logging in

  wassimjApril 19, 2013

  Pros

  1. Easy to install 2. Web interface easy to manage 3. Tracks a mac even when the computer is logged out.

  Cons

  1. Missing computer has to connect to the Internet. So, make sure you provide a guest account for the thief to be enticed to log in and connect to a WiFi spot. 2. The free version makes you wait for reports to be generated and sent at regular intervals. You cannot set an interval of less than 10 minutes. A bit annoying. 3. Sometimes it does not generate a report. I don't know why that happens. People on forums had similar problems with it.

  Summary

  I found prey to be as good as if not better than other paid applications. It worked reliably on my Mac laptop. I was most impressed that it sent a geo-location, captured a screen shot and a webcam image even when the computer was logged out of any account! However, the computer has to be connected to a WiFi spot for all this to work. Obviously, if someone is savvy enough to first remove the disk and wipe it, you are out of luck. Most thieves, however, are not that smart. SSD disks and the pentalobe screws on the new MacBooks make the issue of removing the disk even more cumbersome.

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• Works good

  msaffoldNovember 11, 2012

  Pros

  Free Location is pretty accurate(Unless you have GPS, you can't complain) Screenshot works Uptime, Running programs, connections & wifi all work Didn't notice a thing while report was sent, I don't think webcam light went on)

  Cons

  Webcam picture is too dark, no big deal

  Summary

  This works great, has great features for free. I plan on upgrading soon. You can get a screenshot, rough location, possibly webcam image of your suspect. You can send a message or alarm to the laptop and either lock it or secure it if worse comes to worse. You will not get this for free with any other app(trust me, I've been looking all night)

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• Works good, but takes some time. Be Patient.

  mechfrancisSeptember 2, 2012

  Pros

  Works. IN free mode you can configure the settings to play an alarm siren, lock the computer, even wipe passwords and browser history.

  Cons

  Takes a minimum of 10 minutes to get a report of where the device is. Testing it now and still waiting for the report. The first test did get the alarm to activate after about 5 minutes or so and the screen to lock. Second test is still waiting.

  Summary

  This program does take time to do it's thing. In the report it showed a location with a Google map where it is. It was accurate for me. It took a screenshot of what I was looking at also. The report also showed every wireless connection the computer sees, how long the computer has been "awake" and some other "geek" stuff. Even though it takes time to get the report and location information, I think this will be a good addition to my programs.

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• Super easy to install and set up.

  LarryARCMarch 2, 2012

  Pros

  It did exactly what it said it would do. And it is free!

  Cons

  None so far.

  Summary

  I recommend it to anyone. It's free!

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• Great Utility!

  ykrmillerSeptember 30, 2011

  Pros

  Easy to use Does a great service

  Cons

  None I can think of

  Summary

  I would recommend this to anyone.

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• Must have software

  senojjonesSeptember 8, 2011

  Pros

  So easy. There's a Free version. When I checked "stolen" on my laptop, it returned a Google map with my house number in 20 minutes. Returns an IP address. Lets you "lock" the computer.

  Cons

  Some software like PGP locks the computer before it boots to Windows, so this will not work if your computer is really protected.

  Summary

  My son had his gaming laptop stolen the day before his engineering prioject was due. Cost me $1,500 to replace. For college students this is great because it returns an IP address. At most colleges this gives you a dorm room number. Also lets you find your computer or laptop is you just lose it. Leave the cellphone at Starbucks, you'll have the street address in minutes..

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• Free and Fabulous

  Tracie365February 2, 2011

  Pros

  Love the ability to rename and utterly hide the program wherever you want. Features and choices available to implement once you send up the alarm are terrific. I feel so much better with this thing on my laptops.

  Cons

  Haven't found any yet.

  Summary

  Free or not, this is a must -have anti-theft program. They even have a free app for Android phones so you can also add that phone to your account along with your other computers being protected.

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• Kinda like LoJack for Laptops but free and better

  January 8, 2011

  Pros

  Non-intrusive program, most people don't even know to look for it... checks your computer on regular intervals. VERY easy to set up, you can set up to three items for Prey to follow. Remote access to sound alarm, find out where your laptop is, etc.

  Cons

  Doesn't come with a useless guarantee like LoJack for Laptops offers, and if you do lose your computer, nobody will "help" you with the cops to find it - but if you read enough reviews on LoJack, you'll see they don't really follow through on much.

  Summary

  Great freeware solution to an expensive alternative (LoJack). Very few system resources used, gotta give this one a try.

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• It couldn't find WiFi zones

  Bob43xDecember 4, 2010

  Pros

  The author's Blog had over 700 entries between himself and other programmers that showed he was making a sincere effort to correct the bugs in the program.

  Cons

  It couldn't find WiFi zones, so it couldn't tell where my laptop was on a map. I couldn't use Revo to uninstall it, because it wasn't listed in the Control Panel. I uninstalled it, but don't know what was left behind. It's not documented well.

  Summary

  I spent two days trying to get it to work, but it couldn't locate my laptop on a map, because it couldn't find WiFi spots. I drove into town and connected the computer to the Internet at a WiFi zone, and it still said it couldn't give me a map of where the computer was because it couldn't find any WiFi zones. So it was useless to me. But the author's Blog showed that many people were using it, or trying to use it. But they were mostly programmer types that were involved in correcting minor bugs. I was a former professional programmer myself, so I understood what they were talking about. But it's not ready for the general public yet.

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