How to install

Step One

Purchase hidden for each computer you would like to track, and create your hiddenapp.com account. You will need to supply the Apple serial number for each computer you wish to register - instructions to find the Apple serial number for your computer can be found here. After you have completed the payment you will be taken to your tracking control panel.

Step Two

Your tracking control panel contains a link to download the hidden installer. Once downloaded, unzip and install hidden on all devices you have registered.

Step Three

When your computer is stolen login and change the theft status of the computer to 'stolen'. hiddenapp.com will start collecting location and network information for your stolen computer which you can see by clicking 'view updates'.

TIP: We also recommend that all hidden users set up a Firmware Password and a Guest Account

Why does my control panel say Verifying Installation?

It's possible that your computer may not have a System Serial Number. To ensure that your computer has a System Serial Number please follow these instructions:

  1. Click on the Apple menu icon on the top left of your screen
  2. Choose 'About This Mac'
  3. In the popup window click 'More Info'
  4. A new window will open, look near the bottom of the list on the right hand side for 'Serial Number (system):'
  5. If you see 'SystemSerialNumb' or 'System Serial #' or anything else that doesn't resemble a serial number then you need to have your serial number fixed. This is very quick job and your local Apple store should be happy to help.

If your serial seems fine and you still see 'Verifying Installation' your may need to repair disk permissions. Click Here for instructions.

Faq's

  1. Do you provide a test mode so I can check its working?
  2. Can you explain the information that has been collected?
  3. I'm using another theft recovery application, can I upgrade to hidden?
  4. Can I delete the information hidden has collected?
  5. Does hidden collect information when my computer has not been stolen?
  6. How can I prevent the thief from wiping my computer and reinstalling OS X?
  7. What if my user account has a password? Will hidden still work?
  8. Does hidden work in my country?
  9. Can hidden be uninstalled by a thief?
  10. Can I uninstall hidden from my computer?
  11. Are there any extra costs?
  12. Do you offer bulk discounts?
  13. Does hidden tie up my computers resources?
  14. Why can't I see a map in my tracking updates?
  15. Does installing hidden affect my Mac's Warranty?
  16. What versions of OS X does hidden work with?
  17. Does hidden work with Little Snitch?
  18. Why does my control panel say verifying installation?
  19. I've sold my computer, how do I remove the serial from my account?
  20. I've bought a new Mac, can I change my serial number?

Q. Do you provide a test mode so I can check its working?

A. Yes, Click 'Edit Device' in your control panel and change the status to 'Test Mode' then click save. The status will automatically change back after test data has been collected.

Q. Can you explain the information that has been collected?

You can read about your public IP address here
You can read about traceroute here
You can read about ifconfig here

Q. I'm using another theft recovery application, can I upgrade to hidden?

A. Yes! Send us proof of your previous purchase and we will give you a 10% discount.

Q. Can I delete the information hidden has collected?

A. Yes, you can delete all of the updates collected in your tracking control panel.

Q. Does hidden collect information when my computer has not been stolen?

A. No! Absolutely not. hidden will not collect any information whatsoever from your computer until you inform us that it has been stolen in your tracking control panel.

Q. How can I prevent the thief from wiping my computer and reinstalling OS X?

A. We strongly suggest all hidden users set up a Firmware Password to prevent a clean installation of OS X.

Q. What if my user account has a password? Will hidden still work?

A. Yes. hidden will still work, although we strongly suggest all hidden users set up a Guest Account. This will encourage the thief to use your computer before trying to sell it.

Q. Does hidden work in my country?

A. Yes, hidden works across the globe.

Q. Can hidden be uninstalled by a thief?

A. No, You can only uninstall hidden if you have the administrator password for the stolen computer.

Q. Can I uninstall hidden from my computer?

A. Yes, you can uninstall hidden by following the instructions below. These instructions require the administrator password making them useless to a thief.

  1. Navigate to: /Library/LaunchDaemons
  2. Delete com.hidden.daemon.plist
  3. Choose Go To Folder from the Finder Go menu
  4. Enter the following path: /usr/local
  5. Remove the folder called hidden from this folder
  6. Restart your computer

If you are using hidden 1.0 or earlier:

  1. Open Finder and navigate to: /Library/LaunchAgents
  2. Delete com.hidden.startup.plist

Q. Are there any extra costs?

A. No, hidden costs $20 per computer, there are no subscription or recurring payments.

Q. Do you offer bulk discounts?

A. Depending on the circumstance we may offer bulk discounts. Please contact support@hiddenapp.com to see if you are eligible.

Q. Does hidden tie up resources on my computer?

A. Absolutely not, hidden is extremely lightweight using barely any memory or CPU power.

Q. Why can't I see a map in my tracking updates?

The map information is provided by a company called Skyhook Wireless. You can view their network coverage in your area at the following page: http://www.skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/coverage.php.

The fact that you are unable to view the map does not impact greatly on the retrieval of your computer, the most important information is the public IP address and traceroute.

Q. Does installing hidden affect my Mac's Warranty?

A. No, installing hidden has absolutely no effect on your warranty with Apple.

Q. What versions of OS X does hidden work with?

A. hidden works with OS X 10.5 and 10.6.

Q. Does hidden work with Little Snitch?

A. Yes, You should change the status of your computer to 'Stolen' in your tracking control panel and when hidden tries to connect to hiddenapp.com Little Snitch will ask you what to do.

Select 'Allow connections forever' and set the condition to 'Any connection'. After changing Little Snitch settings, make sure to lock the settings by clicking the lock icon.

If there are multiple user accounts on the computer when using Little Snitch you will have to enable 'Global Policies' in Little Snitch preferences.

When you're finished you can change the status of your computer back to 'Not Stolen' in your tracking control panel and delete the collected information.

Q. Why does my control panel say verifying installation?

A. Please read the section above.

Q. I've sold my computer, how do I remove the serial from my account?

A. Please send an email to support@hiddenapp.com containing your old serial number, asking us to remove it from your account.

Q. I've bought a new Mac, can I change my serial number?

Yes, click on the device name in your tracking control panel to edit the device.

Contact

For support and general enquiries please email: support@hiddenapp.com