laptop * walking-off *

[Buffalo]

think the above would be great for a reminder that you just left it and started walking away. Buffalo

[The Natural Philosopher]

Give it to your girlfriend. That behaviour (a reminder that you just left it and started walking away) is hardwired into the BIOS.

[Richard]

>>>>

Oh dear. I could of course have a rant about your reply and apparent lack of comprehension, but I won't. Had you bothered to assimilate the information provided in the sentence "Maybe something like this?" you might have been able to understand that 'something like' means something similar to, but not exactly 'this'. Carry on ROFL, at least you're cleaning the floor rather than being absolutely useless.

[Huge]

She'd only do that once in this house.

[Paul D Smith]

Look up the "Prey Project". Won't stop it getting stolen but you might get it back.

Paul DS

[anyone]

[Desk Rabbit]

>>>>>>>

Nice backpedal. Let me know when your using that device in the cafe, I could do with another laptop.

[Desk Rabbit]

Similar type of advice though ;-)

[Huge]

Err, no. They're all crap. What do you expect if you attach a plastic laptop case to a steel cable?

[BartC]

How would you trust someone who's absent minded and trusting to take any security precautions?

Assuming this someone is female, does she also leave her handbag with valuables unattended? If not, then attach the laptop to the handbag in any manner which makes it easier to take the laptop with her than to disconnect.

[RobertL]

i think the cables are fine for discouraging the quick 'pick it up and put it in bag' theft.

Also paint a picture on it in a very visible way so peopel can't claim "I thought it was mine" when they 'accidentally' pick it up.

Robert

[grimly4]

+11 With knobs on. Old advice but still very true.

[Steve Firth]

Using a computer in a coffee shop is about the daftest thing one can do.

As others have pointed out, some who is absent Indeed about expensive electronic toys is a bit of a 'mare as far as security goes. OK you can buy a Kensington lock (the cable you refer to). This will be useless because they won't use it and if they do they will do something silly like wrap the cable around a table leg. They will also, inevitably, lose the key.

Rather than try to secure the laptop from theft you should look at mitigating the consequences of theft.

Make sure the drive is encrypted (full disk encryption) then if it is stolen the data is inaccessible to the thief. Data here means bank accounts, credit cards, on line accounts, personal data.

If possible make use of on-line backup so that if the lap top is stolen the vital data is not lost.

Ensure there's some form of backup at home as well, ideally using an automated backup to an external drive. Some form of NAS is ideal but relatively expensive and a USB drive will suffice if the user can be persuaded to plug it in whenever returning home.

Above all make sure that the laptop is password protected using a "complex" password longer than 9 characters. Complex is a mix of upper, lower, numerical and "special" characters.

Remember insurance can replace a laptop. Insurance cannot perform the necessary steps to preserve the data on the laptop.

[F Murtz]

I have some software in mine that does not stop it being stolen but sends me an email if they log on with details of where it is they are logging on from.

[John Williamson]

Which is fine, except that the first thing the fence does is to format the HD. *Then* he re-installs a cracked copy of an operating system.

[Jethro_uk]

Or, more likely, breaks the thing down for spares to flog on eBay.

[anyone]

"yes, if you're dumb enough to buy any of the cheap knock-offs." (seems you weren't able to interpret it, the first time.)

I expect you're dumb enough to buy a portable PC that has a plastic frame. (you're welcome)

[Bear]

Huge wrote in news:9vqkunFo26U1 @mid.individual.net:

LOL

[Mark]

That'sw what I thought but it doesn't seem to work with my kids.

Mobile phones and laptops always have a short life.

[Steve Firth]

For many people this would be unavoidable. In general they won't have a laptop and a desktop.

There are handy AES encrypted notebook apps for this sort of data that at least will secure it under a single password and prevent casual viewing of the data. However even if a user does not store that data on a laptop many user set up online banking and store the passwords in the browser do they font have to remember the password to log in.

Remember the spec was for someone who is "absent minded".

No, really, don't. There's no point in backing up the OS or the applications. Those should be restored from the source media. Backing up any licenses is critical. Backing up media such as images and video is only really essential for original work. If its some shonk downloaded from the net backing it up is a tad redundant.