Has your PC ever been stolen?

[keyvin]

I don't live in the best area. My friend who grew up in public housing told me half jokingly he locks his doors when he is on my street. In the last year there have been three murders within four blocks kinda bad. With summer starting and having to put a window unit in somewhere, I'm worried about someone kicking it in. 

My PC is the only thing I'm worried anyone would take. Everything else is about 10 years old or purchased for near nothing and repaired. It's pretty understated - a fractal core 1000. Right now I'm thinking about taking everything out of of the case (or buying a CM n200), then having a machinist friend mill out holes for bolts and bolting it to the desktop through the bottom of the case. In the past I had a 3.5" floppy drive in my front bay, but I needed the space so I took it out.  

I have renters insurance with a super low deductible, but I don't know how much they would hassle me over a custom built PC. I know the ideal solution would be to move out of the hood, but my income is limited by the fact I lost the genetic lottery. 

So, has anyone ever stolen your PC in a break in?

 

[Himommies]

I woud imagimne all you need to do is put a Pentium 3 or windows Xp sticker on it

Edit:ebay bad

[Skiiwee29]

If you are that worried about it, put it in a place its not visible from windows or through areas someone outside can look in at it. 

[mpsparrow]

My father had his laptop stolen from his vehicle about 10 years ago. Some dude smashed the window and took his laptop.

 

Anyway... I would suggest you hide your PC out of sight. Maybe in a closet or behind your desk or something.

[keyvin]

Just now, Himommies said:

I woud imagimne all you need to do is put a Pentium 3 or windows Xp sticker on it

Hmm, I might go dig through an e-waste skip I have access to for some.

 

Just now, legacy99 said:

If you are that worried about it, put it in a place its not visible from windows or through areas someone outside can look in at it. 

Only place that meets that description is the kitchen... The cat pan is back there, and that cat has the foulest smelling scat. Shes old and arthritic so we had to get rid of the top cover. Dunno if you are familiar with a shotgun layout, but I'm in a wide shotgun that was converted to multiple units. Only time it is really visible is when the inner front door is open (try to keep it closed so no-one can window shop). I'm probably just overly paranoid, but like I said - it's really the only thing I own worth worrying about.

[xDylanio]

Maybe hide your pc in the wall when not in use and not armed.

[ProjectBox153]

If I had room to, I'd just setup somewhere to put the computer and use RDP to access it from some cheap laptop or something. Then just pull it out to game. Not the most elegant solution, but hey, it'd work. 

[SCHISCHKA]

buy a big case and put lead bricks in it. they will steal what they can carry like your tv or monitor. Which reminds me I use to keep and old broken bike and hide my real bike. Get a broken monitor for free and put it on display.

[Kiani]

Buy a cheap decoy PC.

[MarvinKMooney]

When it comes down to it if some one is going to rob you there's nothing you can do most criminals are rather dumb or just to desperate to think of any thing else then what they "need"

also once they get in there no "decoy" is going to work they will take what ever they can that looks like $ to them.

[Arika]

[removed]

[HelplmChoking]

Wow.. in my entire country we had about 60 murders in 2014, and that's been going down every year, in NZ we have fairly low crime rates (but lots of drugs).

I used to live out in the country, a couple km's away from the nearest town, up a long driveway with a dog. Too much effort to rob, then I moved to a shared flat. But the flat was in a nice area (we could afford it because we had 8 people in a 5 bed house) up a private road so it was safe. Now I live in a nice-ish apartment building, with a code on the front door, plus a code on my apartment door so no one would even try to get in. 

 

I do have friends who's flat was broken into, but they only took laptops, alcohol, the TV and sound system. They weren't interested in the 2 desktops, but they're pretty plain Define R4's so don't look like much. I guess they figured it would be harder to carry/sell or something.

 

[keyvin]

Got a cooler master HAF 912 off a friend, and some solid steel cylinders to put on the bottom. I've got a 90 days of AOL included sticker and a designed for windows vista badge. I used a t handle torque screwdriver to tighten down the side panels. If someone wants to carry it off they better not have skipped leg day. 
 

1 hour ago, Rangaman42 said:

Wow.. in my entire country we had about 60 murders in 2014, and that's been going down every year.

 

They were all kids under 20. Kinda off topic - I blame ending Wellfare. There is a two years maximum on benefits now. Recession drug on for four or five. Once benefits were exhausted you had kids in this neighborhood grow up in the kind of conditions you associate with sprawling slums in Rio or Calcutta. No food security, no housing security. Kids grew up in a squats - no running water, no electricity. Wonder what kind of mindset you are going to have coming up with that.

[HelplmChoking]

1 minute ago, keyvin said:

They were all kids under 20. Kinda off topic - I blame ending Wellfare. There is a two years maximum on benefits now. Recession drug on for four or five. Once benefits were exhausted you had kids in this neighborhood grow up in the kind of conditions you associate with sprawling slums in Rio or Calcutta. No food security, no housing security. Kids grew up in a squats - no running water, no electricity. Wonder what kind of mindset you are going to have coming up with that.

 

It definitely breeds resentment, "they don't give a damn so fuck them" kinda thing I guess. 

[yathis]

Never

But I lose shit when I am drunk, and lost a laptop while hammered.

I've lost one shoe before, so when I see one shoe on the ground, it reminds me.

[Atmos]

I had my laptop nearly stolen my first semester at college. The guy behind me took it out of my bag which was under my seat during lecture. One of my mates who was sitting in the back of class let me know with a txt and I confronted the would be thief during that lecture. I'm normally a very quiet, laid back kind of guy, but i just fucking stood up, turned around and told him clearly to return my laptop right in the middle of the lecture. Dude was having a heart attack i swear, also pretty sure he was expelled since the professor called in the campus police and he was escorted to the admin hall. Never saw em there again, and damn pleased about it, scum bag.

 

If you're worried about people breaking into your house and stealing stuff, then legit drilling a couple holes and bolting your computer to your desk is a great idea. People more than likely aren't going to break in just because they see a computer through your window, so hiding it likely won't do anything. If someones going to break in its because they think they can quickly grab something easy inside, and they will go through closets and desks, all manner of furniture to find jewelry or electronics. so if you're legitimately concerned about it being stolen, then straight up bolt it to your desk, god forbid someone does break in and see it, after a few seconds of tugging at it and it not budging, they'll give up and look for something easier to steal.

[Andreas Lilja]

Never been stolen anything. Canada tho.

 

 

[HelplmChoking]

19 minutes ago, Atmos said:

If you're worried about people breaking into your house and stealing stuff, then legit drilling a couple holes and bolting your computer to your desk is a great idea. People more than likely aren't going to break in just because they see a computer through your window, so hiding it likely won't do anything. If someones going to break in its because they think they can quickly grab something easy inside, and they will go through closets and desks, all manner of furniture to find jewelry or electronics. so if you're legitimately concerned about it being stolen, then straight up bolt it to your desk, god forbid someone does break in and see it, after a few seconds of tugging at it and it not budging, they'll give up and look for something easier to steal.

 

Bolting stuff down is the best way to do it. They say that just locking your car doors massively reduces the risk of it being broken into, simply because it makes it slightly more difficult, and there's probably an easier target somewhere. As soon as it becomes harder than just walking in, grabbing something and running, would-be thieves start looking for something easier.

[Mykie]

5 hours ago, xDylanio said:

Maybe hide your pc in the wall when not in use and not armed.

This sounds like some sort of awesome futuristic design for a room....

[Atmos]

9 minutes ago, Rangaman42 said:

Bolting stuff down is the best way to do it. They say that just locking your car doors massively reduces the risk of it being broken into, simply because it makes it slightly more difficult, and there's probably an easier target somewhere. As soon as it becomes harder than just walking in, grabbing something and running, would-be thieves start looking for something easier.

I feel like I should also add that simply slapping a core 2 duo or Pentium sticker on it will literally do nothing.

 

These are not people thinking logically, nor are the overwhelming majority of them even going to know the difference between a core i5 and core 2 duo. If its there, they're going to try and take it, regardless of what it says on it. Hiding it, unless you get really, REALLY creative is also just not going to work, and even then you'd have to go through the hassle of hiding it every time you leave, and taking it back out every time you want to use it. Keeping it under your desk and just bolted to a shelf or desktop is simply the best option for you. Also making it look unassuming, like using a core 1000 case is a benefit. Once they try and pull on it, and then realize that its not moving, and doesn't look particularly impressive, they'll move on to easier targets.

[keyvin]

34 minutes ago, GamingMemeKing said:

My place got burgled at the end of January.
 

Loads of electronics got taken, about £6000 worth of stuff including a low-budget PC.

Did they just pull up with a moving truck and put everything in it? That is one heck of a PC!

[Spenser1337]

My house was robbed and tvs and such were taken, my laptop and monitor were taken but my pc was left. People assume desktops are worthless I guess, have an aero cool strike x

[Tech_Dreamer]

Nothing in whole or  anything near being stolen, but there was this one time where one of my relatives whom i showed my PC to thought they would just take a ram stick before they left & fit it out in his PC that i kept aside because it was broken , didn't even knew it was gone until he called & ask "if it was good" after he tested it out & failed This was when DDR2 ram was the best , the ones that looked like green pcb if i'm right.

[EasonIDontKnowAnything]

16 hours ago, keyvin said:

I don't live in the best area. My friend who grew up in public housing told me half jokingly he locks his doors when he is on my street. In the last year there have been three murders within four blocks kinda bad. With summer starting and having to put a window unit in somewhere, I'm worried about someone kicking it in. 

My PC is the only thing I'm worried anyone would take. Everything else is about 10 years old or purchased for near nothing and repaired. It's pretty understated - a fractal core 1000. Right now I'm thinking about taking everything out of of the case (or buying a CM n200), then having a machinist friend mill out holes for bolts and bolting it to the desktop through the bottom of the case. In the past I had a 3.5" floppy drive in my front bay, but I needed the space so I took it out.  

I have renters insurance with a super low deductible, but I don't know how much they would hassle me over a custom built PC. I know the ideal solution would be to move out of the hood, but my income is limited by the fact I lost the genetic lottery. 

So, has anyone ever stolen your PC in a break in?

 

stick it underground and hide the cables.

[EasonIDontKnowAnything]

16 hours ago, keyvin said:

I don't live in the best area. My friend who grew up in public housing told me half jokingly he locks his doors when he is on my street. In the last year there have been three murders within four blocks kinda bad. With summer starting and having to put a window unit in somewhere, I'm worried about someone kicking it in. 

My PC is the only thing I'm worried anyone would take. Everything else is about 10 years old or purchased for near nothing and repaired. It's pretty understated - a fractal core 1000. Right now I'm thinking about taking everything out of of the case (or buying a CM n200), then having a machinist friend mill out holes for bolts and bolting it to the desktop through the bottom of the case. In the past I had a 3.5" floppy drive in my front bay, but I needed the space so I took it out.  

I have renters insurance with a super low deductible, but I don't know how much they would hassle me over a custom built PC. I know the ideal solution would be to move out of the hood, but my income is limited by the fact I lost the genetic lottery. 

So, has anyone ever stolen your PC in a break in?

 

just get barred windows and barred doors. 2 layers. one outside the door and one inside the door. same with the windows.