how to find computer owner

Might there be a simple way to find the owner of a computer?
While cleaning up the road side in front of my place, we found a laptop computer. We feel like it probably slid off of somebody's truck tool box. Landed in the ditch, open, most likely rained on. Does not turn on.
If we knew how, we would return it to its owner.

Neal said:

Might there be a simple way to find the owner of a computer?
While cleaning up the road side in front of my place, we found a laptop computer. We feel like it probably slid off of somebody's truck tool box. Landed in the ditch, open, most likely rained on. Does not turn on.
If we knew how, we would return it to its owner.

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Easy Peazy turn it in to the authorities.  If the owner registered it they will be able to get the persons name from manufacturer. If stolen the police might have a report on it.

darsben said:

Easy Peazy turn it in to the authorities.  If the owner registered it they will be able to get the persons name from manufacturer. If stolen the police might have a report on it.

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We took it to our local sheriff, but they said, they would not be able to locate the owner. He kept our name & number in case anyone reported it lost.

All I can say is WOW.

Last year we found an Apple Ipad in our front yard.  We put a big sign in our yard "Apple Ipad found" 

Several hours later a neighbor parent of the 13 year old girl who lost it appeared.  We made him describe the case color and markings.  Problem solved!

So put a big sign out front.

If you can open it then check the email account and send them an email.

SeilerBird said:

If you can open it then check the email account and send them an email.

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And if it doesn't turn on, can you charge it?  Maybe a Best Buy would have a cord to plug into, and would allow unit to turn on, then Tom's idea might work.  Of coarse, it'll probably be password protected.

Some computer technicians can read the hard drive or other memory device even without the password. Often the owner's name will be easily found. or his E-mail address.

But alas I can not direct you to such a technician.. In theory the police could but the value of the device is below the threshold of their involvement.

It may not be as difficult as you might think. If it has been rained on, you may have a very difficult time getting it started. However, everything you need is on the hard drive. All you have to do is remove the back and then remove the hard drive. Take that hard drive to any computer store, Best Buy if you have one, and they can download everything that is on that hard drive to a thumb drive. The problem with this solution is that it will be somewhat expensive to do. A small computer company may be able to do it cheaper for you. If I were the one you did this for, I would reimburse you for your expense and I would guess the old owner would as well. All of my contacts are on my computer as well as many e-mails I would like to keep. (Yes, I do a back-up once a month...but most don't.) BTW...when you get the transfer done, you might just get them to transfer the e-mails since that is where you will get the owners address. Also, you may want to open those e-mails with someone else present to prove you did not read confidential e-mails. You only opened the first e-mail they wrote to someone else to get their address. You never know if the owner is going to be as nice as you and while I doubt you would lose a law suit, you would have to defend it and that would be expensive. (Sorry to bring that up) Good luck with your decision. 

Neal said:

We took it to our local sheriff, but they said, they would not be able to locate the owner. He kept our name & number in case anyone reported it lost.

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You can be assured that if a crime were even suspected they would have done more. Whatever happened to serve and protect? I find it hard to believe that they shined you on.
RichH

Put a cardboard sign out by the road. FOUND LAPTOP. All they have to do is describe it. 

QZ said:

Put a cardboard sign out by the road. FOUND LAPTOP. All they have to do is describe it.

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Unless you're a techie and know how to take laptops apart this is the best advice.

The hard drive can usually be removed from a laptop without too much effort. A USB adapter for a 2.5" laptop hard drive can be used to access the laptop drive once it is removed.
Unless the owner encrypted the files on the hard drive, one can usually see the data on the drive once it is attached to a working computer.  A little searching may reveal enough into to find the owner.
The adapter is usually a small case that has an internal connector to which the hard drive is plugged into. Power is provided by the USB connection.
The "host" computer will usually recognize the new hard drive as an external device once it's plugged into the USB port on your computer.

Here's an example of an adapter: https://express.google.com/u/0/product/13487526377033143188_16777329076209815837_6136318?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=tu_cu&utm_content=eid-lsjeuxoeqt,eid-koyayyivmf&gtim=CJ67zdyLx4nq6wEQgcbWyJHI6bE5GPDV5wMiA1VTRA&utm_campaign=6136318

I have a similar one and have used it on more that one occasion to recover data from a failed hard drive that would not boot up on the laptop for family and friends.

Seems like someone who lost a laptop would have retraced his steps looking for it......unless it was stolen.

BruceinFL said:

Seems like someone who lost a laptop would have retraced his steps looking for it......unless it was stolen.

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A friend of mine did just that, retraced his steps, after leaving his laptop on the roof of his car as he drove off.  He realized his mistake, turned around and found his laptop, about 1/2 inch thinner after being run over by a delivery truck..

aguablanco said:

You can be assured that if a crime were even suspected they would have done more. Whatever happened to serve and protect? I find it hard to believe that they shined you on.
RichH

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It's not like every cop knows any more about computers than you do. Even if that laptop was involved in a crime, it could take months before someone in a lab had an opportunity to look at it.

Real police work isn't like TV, where DNA testing is done between commercials and crimes are solved within the hour.

darsben said:

All I can say is WOW.

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no revenue for them.. now if you were driving 31 in a 30 then that's a different story..
they'd be all over you..

Call Google, they know who the owner is (along with where they live, the last thousand sites they visited, what kind of cereal they like and their shirt size). Kidding, not kidding 

Throw the darn thing away.
Too much trouble finding the owner

darsben said:

Throw the darn thing away.
Too much trouble finding the owner

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Not much trouble just putting a sign out front of your house. I know if it was me who lost it, I'd be so appreciative if someone did that for me.