| Laptop Insurance: Looking after your laptop - Some | | | | necessary - obvious but true - o you really need to |
| things are obvious - some are not ... | | | | take it with you? Laptop theft peaks on Friday, |
| You already know how much your laptop is worth. | | | | when office workers take their laptop home with |
| Unfortunately, there's a fair chance that the laptop | | | | them. |
| thieves as well … | | | | Put it in a rucksack not the laptop bag. If you want |
| Here are some tips on looking after your laptop, | | | | to use the laptop bag eg because it has stronger |
| minimizing the likelihood of a loss, theft or damage | | | | edges to keep your laptop protected, put the laptop |
| and also shrinking the possible pain if it does happen. | | | | in the laptop bag, and then put the laptop bag in a |
| First, make sure it doesn't matter so much if you do | | | | rucksack. This stops it being visibly a laptop. |
| lose your laptop: | | | | When your do travel with your laptop, mentally |
| Everything that is important on your laptop should be | | | | program yourself to keep hold of your laptop. On |
| backed up. Buy an external hard-drive (usually about | | | | trains etc jeep it between your legs, so you can feel |
| £50/US$90). Keep it connected to your laptop | | | | when it is not there immediately. There are many |
| whenever possible. Then buy a software system | | | | cases of items even being stolen from between legs |
| that will automatically copy your essential files to the | | | | at restaurants etc, so also put 1 foot through the |
| external hard-drive. "Second Copy" is a good option - | | | | strap. |
| Backup the backup - Copy the back-up files to | | | | Make sure you have got a good laptop insurance |
| another external hard-drive or computer. Your first | | | | policy in place. Make sure you know exactly what is |
| may have broken or corrupted - and if you did not | | | | covered. |
| notice that until your laptop goes or goes wrong ... | | | | Avoid traveling on a Friday with your laptop - this is |
| Make sure you have copies of the license keys for all | | | | key theft-day, because many staff take their laptop |
| software on your laptop - create a text file of the | | | | home to use over the weekend. This means that |
| these. This makes it much easier to reinstall when | | | | Friday is key theft day. |
| you get a new laptop. For security you might want | | | | Complete these simple steps and your laptop will be |
| to lock this license key file away behind a | | | | far safer - and should your laptop be lost, damaged |
| password-protected system. RoboForm is handy - | | | | or stolen, you will feel the pain far less. |
| Don't travel with your laptop unless absolutely | | | | |