is it possible to deactivate computrace using a uefi variable editor or could it be disabled without editing the bios itself so the checksum is still valid and can be updated normally? if so what is the procedure to do so? @Lost_N_BIOS @Fernando you are the two i can think of who might have some hope of knowing. the machine is a dell precision m6800.
@lowrck - Sorry, I’ve never messed with this. Maybe remove the main DXE module? Maybe @DeathBringer can help?
Probably best to discuss this in PM, since only the original owner should be able to deactivate this and if info lost Dell would help you once you proved to be owner (I don’t care either way, so don’t get me wrong, only speaking “legally”)
@lowrck :
Sorry, I cannot help you either. Since I don’t even know what “computrace” is, how should I be able to deactivate it?
@Fernando - It’s like LoJack for cars, but for computers, to track and trace stolen or missing laptops 
https://www.dell.com/community/Latitude/…10/td-p/5766137
See also for more in-depth info @lowrck this may help you as well - https://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=114641
I see this is a VERY common problem with old, sold used, and refurbished systems. So not so much a theft and security thing with old models, so probably OK we discuss openly 
Further reading, looks like you can low-level format the HDD, or swap in another once you do the next step, while at the same time reprogram the BIOS with stock version (and or reset the activation status in NVRAM to disabled)
The NVRAM can be done via Setup_var, H2OUVE, or RU program method, depending on BIOS type. Do you have flash programmer?
yes i do have a programmer however im not 100% clear on where the bios chip is on this particular unit and or where to look for it. i can confirm i have legal ownership of the laptop, i purchased it second hand. i tried to contact absolute and have them disable it on their end but they say it has already been disabled. its a dell precision m6800, i don’t know the particular bios manufacturer but i suspect it is amibios with a custom ui dumped ontop. i’m also trying to figure out if a pcie subsystem id mod could be done to make the gpu identify as if it was in a precision 7720 so standard drivers can be installed without modified inf files.