Detecting laptops in Car Boot

[Androcles]

If your WiFi enabled laptop is locked in your boot and switched off, is it possible for a thief to ping it from outside the vehicle to see if there is a laptop in there? If so, does it make any difference if the WiFi is disabled? There seem to be some suggestions that they can send out a signal to see if there is a response, or is this a myth?

[ChuckFickens]

NO, not possible.

[Androcles]

Thanks CF - I thought that was the most likely, but you never know!

[Vagrant]

I agree with CF, it's not possible to detect laptops in boots in this way - however - thieves do have a way of doing it. A few months ago my brother had his laptop stolen from a hotel car park near Bristol - along with about 20 other people. There were about 80 cars on the car park, thieves broke into only the 20 or so that contained laptops!
I wonder if perhaps they use some kind of scanner that can detect the oscillator for the battery backed up clock?

[ChuckFickens]

There are a couple of "possible" ways I can think of that "might" make it possible to detect a laptop in a car.

Both of them are a very remote "might" and both of them would very likely be seriously hampered by the fact a car boot tends to be steel (hatchbacks might be easier). also any way I can think of would require equipment that your average laptop theif would not have access to.

Also one of the ways would be very risky that it will fry the laptop.

I think it's more likely that the theives have simply watched people putting the laptops in the boots.