tips, incase you're laptop gets stolen: *1) Install Prey [http://preyproject.com/]* -Check the link for detail on how it works... but in a nutshell, you can flag you're lap as stolen online. Of course, we're hoping the thug has a social-life and will occasionally go online to facebook with fellow thugs and terrorists. For starters, the webcam will silently activate, taking pics of whoever is using the lap, and upload the pics to you're prey-account. I *think* it can also take screen shots too... and additionally, the location of ur lap can be "estimated" using wifi/gsm location... I dont know how, but using my office internet, my lap is *very* accurately pinpointed on a google-map huku westie. Sijui ni uganga gani, and its not just my lap... it worked on 5yr old desktops with certainly no GPS... [?] ... moving on http://thisguyhasmymacbook.tumblr.com/ Well, the software above is really, really cool... as long as it stays on you're laptop.... so, to make sure it can never get deleted, uninstalled or formatted away: *a) format-proof you're laptop* -There are lots of ways to do this, but first and foremost, password protect the BIOS setup utility [the interface/menu thingy u get when you press "F2" or "F-wareva" as soon as your comp boots]... -Then [this step is important, coz without it, the step above is useless], set you're hard-drive as the first boot device. If you can, disable USB booting and PXE (network) booting. And if your BIOS is super-ninja-cool (like mwa's [?]), "unmark" everything *except* the HD as bootable!! well, my BIOS cant really do that... but its still super-ninja cool!!!! -If you're BIOS can also show a special "boot list" when you press some special key, disable that too (... that "boot list" thingy is something that allows you to quickly specify an alternative boot device without tediously re-arranging the boot order in the BIOS setup utility... it simply lists devices you can boot from, and you pick whichever you want).... yeah, my BIOS has that [?] --- basically, the above limits booting to your HD only, deterring any effort to format you're lap. And if you happen to have sensitve, important, NSIS-Ocampo-level data, you can rest assured it won't be so easily wiped away. nonetheless, a good skunkie is a skunkie with a good back-up policy... (come to think of it.... in that case, i have been quite a naughty skunky [?] gotta work on that) *b) "password-ize" admin access* - Step *a) *above prevents formats... but if you're comp can shamefully auto-login into an admin account (mnajijua you Windows users! [?]), tracking software like prey will be uninstalled quite trivially -So, password-protect you're admin account... and don't use "password" as a password (as the devil on you're left sholder advises)... unless you're doing that for test-bed setups like we do in our office (our grill doors excuse such behaviour [?])... instead...as the angel on ur ryt sholder is begging u to do, use a pass-phrase, like "this wanna-be geek is so fake and gay!! and boring!! and trolling!!" *c) dont completely lock-down you're lap* - so, from the above ste[s, you're average thug cannot use you're comp (password-protected user accounts), and he probably doesn't know how to format it (and the BIOS is pass-protected, just in case ) .... well, thugs being as shrewd as they are, will take-it-apart, and sell the components. That 1TB 10,000RPM drive in you're lap could bribe a year's worth of nosy cops... -so to prevent the take-apart, have a "guest-account" available.... and fill it up with a series or two, a movie or two, a game or two... anything to keep the thug using you're lap. put in some "blue-movie"s too (yes, thugs like movies which are blue [?]). and to ensure (some more) that the thug surfs with you're lap, place a text-file on the desktop labeled "bank usernames & passwords", and perhaps a link to a thug phishing site... :-), lol... that would be something, hehehehe .... to prevent take-it-aparts and the sale of lap components... seal it up with epoxy!! :-D, hehehhee Yeah... be that paranoid. At least it affords you "paranoid insurance". ... so, *summarizing the above* (and in case some of you were smart enuf to skip the crap ahead and jump ryt to this summary): 1) Install tracking-software like prey. 2) format-proof your lap as much as u can 3) password-protect the admin accounts 4) dont lock down your lap completely. have a no-password guest account, preferably with entertainment to forestall any take-it-apart plans Regards