Google Adds Remote Lock Feature to Chromebook for Admins

[[Coi] Mr.CLuBBeR]

Now admins can disable a stolen Chromebook

Well, this was a long time coming. As Chromebooks grow in popularity, so does the risk of one being stolen -- it's just a numbers game, really. It sucks if that happens, but on the bright side, Google has issued an update that will finally allow admins to place lost or stolen Chrome OS devices in a disabled state. They can flip the switch right from their web-based management console.
They can also input a custom message to be displayed on the disabled device's screen. That could come in handy if you think the system's been lost rather than stolen, allowing you to put a "Reward if found" message or something to that effect. Or if it's stolen, "I know where you live -- return this laptop within 24 hours and I'll spare your pets."
Google's François Beaufort announced the new feature on his Google+ page, and also linked to a related support document. Clicking through reveals some additional information, including the fact that the new feature requires the device to be running Chrome version 40 or later.
Once you enable the feature, any user that's signed in gets signed out and taken to the device disabled page. Once that page is displayed, the user can't sign back in, and it will stay in that state until an admin re-enables or deprovisions the devices. It also returns licenses associated with the device to the license pool while disabled, and removes the serial number from the default ("Provisioned") view.
Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook


More...