Steps in preventing computer theft or making it less painful

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Basic recommendations
 
Below is a short list of recommendations that can not only help protect your laptop from being stolen but will also help eliminate stress if it does happen to be stolen.
 
Protecting:
 
Write down the computer serial number and model number, the support phone number and any other useful details about the computer and store that information in your files. 
 
Keep your receipt of your computer and associated equipment. 
 
If you're using a laptop while at a coffee shop, work, school, or away from home attach it to a lock. Most laptops today support the Kensington Lock, which can help prevent it from easily being taken. If a Kensington Lock is not available Compucage, Kensington, and Targus offer other types of security protection and locks. 
 
If this is a personal computer engrave your name and contact information into it. 
 
If you're taking your laptop with you on a plane keep a close eye on it at all times, especially when it has to leave your hands to go through a metal detector. Thief's can use this opportunity to take your laptop. 
 
Check to see if your laptop has TheftGuard or any other type of security system that can be enabled. If not consider alternative program, we've listed several of these programs in the below services that help track and protect. 
 
Engrave or put a sticker on the laptop with a phone number with a reward of around 0 for laptop return if lost. Often many thief's can't get more than this on the black market and may call you to sell it back to you. 
 
Eliminate stress:
 
Keep an frequent external backup of all your important data. Having your important data on a CD or other drive that's not part of your computer can save you a lot of time and pain if your computer goes missing. 
 
Create a BIOS password so your computer prompts for a password before it boots. 
 
If you have important or information you'd like to keep confidential make sure to encrypt or password protect that data. 
 
Services that help track and protect
 
There are dozens of online services that can help protect your computer and in the event that it's stolen, help locate it. Below is a list of some of these companies in alphabetic order.
 
 Theftguard
 
 Absolute Software - http://www.absolute.com/ 
 
 Lojackforlaptops - http://www.lojackforlaptops.com/ 
 
 Safeware - http://www.safeware.com/ 
 
 XTool - http://www.xtool.com/ 
 
 zTrace - http://www.ztrace.com/