winkydink

I never lock it. If I go somewhere for a day and it doesn't come with me, it's likely to stay right on the desk, all set up and waiting for me to return. <knocks wood> I've had no problems to date. What kind of hotels are you guys staying in??? In fact, in all my travels, the only time I ever had anything taken from my room was once in Cozumel, the maid took all of the loose peso coins (a whole bunch, not 2 or 3) on my night stand.

garlin

Maybe she thought it was tip?

LightingGuy

I've had hotels give me a room key for a room that's already occupied. Now I always put out the DND sign (and deadbolt the door when I'm in). I figure getting a room key to a room with a DND sign makes it less likely someone will go right in.

MY laptop won't fit in the safe, but I can usually lock the cable to the safe somehow.

I like the suggestion to remove batteries and drives and lock them up somewhere else. I'll do that.

swanscn

If I am leaving the PC usually I just leave it on the desk already connected. This is what I have always done and will continue to do since I never have had any issues.

jtrader

Until I read the last few posts, I was starting to think I was the only one who does nothing.

Most of my travel is in Asia and I usually stay and pretty good hotels. I tend to leave the laptop connected on the desk. Never had a problem so far.

I'm so used to doing this, I do the same when traveling in the US at Hampton Inn, Courtyards, etc.

To all of you who are more security conscious, have you ever had problems?

allen074

thanks everyone

powerlifter

I travel to the Former Soviet Union (FSU) monthly. I to never lock it up. I leave it on the desk when I leave the room at night and never had a problem. Again what hotels do you people stay at. I never have a problem with theft. I lock up all small items in the room safe. Just to be on the safe side.

pb9997

To be honest, when staying at up-scale hotels I always kind of left laptop and gadgets on the desk, and would get out feeling completely safe.

From reading this post with advices and IPOD stolen from Westin I start to realize I might have been lucky all this time.

Apparently there are thieves everywhere, and worse, being in an up-scale hotel doesn't necessary mean that problems will be taken care in a professional way.

Thanks for the heads-up ^

jfe

I put mine with the dirty laundy

Nobody gets close to that, short of wearing a haz mat suit

underpressure

Most of the time I will turn mine off, that's about it.

In ten years, never had a problem with this or personally know anyone who has had a problem.

anteo

LOL!

Im fairly liberal with what I do with mine, just leave it on the desk if Im going to use it when I come back. But I have taken out a very comprehensive insurance policy for the laptop itself, which will cover it unattended in a locked room. So I guess its a matter of convenience...?

Dresden

I think the other posters have given you very good advice, particularly if you stay in a *** or better hotel. Overseas, I have found the inroom safes a little bigger and my laptop has always fit. In the US I have used the Kensington cable my company provides with the basic laptop kit.

Your Amex will probably not cover your laptop. Your homeowner's insurance might, but only if you tell them that the laptop is not used for business purposes.

Last month at a H***ton near NASA in Houston, we came out and found an entire row of rental cars had been broken into. Thieves used a puller to remove the driver's door lock and then used the interior trunk release to open about 8 cars one right after the other. Glad your laptop wasn't in that parking lot!

prncess674

I don't generally lock my laptop up in nicer hotels. I am more worried about the data than the actual machine. I always back up my data since I have been rather careless with my laptop in the past. My laptop is company property so from what I know our laptop insurance is pretty good. One time my laptop was completely wiped out (think crash on the floor). using my backup data they were able to give me a new machine with all my data in less than a day. If the computer won't fit in the safe and you have particularly sensitive data on your machine I suggest popping out the hard drive and sticking that in the safe. My hardrive comes up with undoing exactluy one screw. My work provides us with kensington cables and I will sometimes bolt my computer to the desk if I remember.

SFO-SJC Flyer

I am glad to find this thread.

I will be buying a laptop during the next several months primarily to use while traveling. I have been very concerned about safety and securing both the laptop and the information it will contain.

It seems like everyone has his or her individual opinion and level of tolerance when it comes to laptop security. I guess I will do something to secure and/or hide a laptop when in a hotel. However, I am not going to be paranoid or get crazy if I forget to secure or hide it.

Again, thank you very much. I enjoyed reading all the comments.

iCorpRoadie

Lock and Go! Just make sure it is locked to something secure and walk away. I leave mine in plain sight to everyone that walks by the door while they are cleaning. If someone really wants it, let they try. I do alot of work in hotels and ALWAYS lock it up to a table and will leave for lunch and come back and nothing touched.

~icorproadie