As an antitheft measure, assign a primary password and a hard-disk drive password to
prohibit unauthorized access to the computer.
Dell recommends that you follow these precautions before you travel with your computer:
- Write down your service tag and put it in a safe place
separate from the computer or carrying case. If the computer is lost or stolen, use the
service tag number when reporting to law enforcement officials and to Dell.
- Use the Asset Tag utility to place an owner
tag in the computer. In the owner tag, you may want to include your name or your company's
name and a contact number or electronic mail address that can be used to reach you.
- Use a text editor (such as Microsoft® Windows® Notepad) to create a file called if_found
in your root directory. Place information such as your name, address, and telephone number
in this file. (For instructions on using the appropriate text editor, see the
documentation that came with your operating system.)
- Attach your business card or other name tag to the computer.
- Contact your credit-card company and ask if it offers coded identification tags that
allow your property to be returned to you without the risk of revealing your name,
address, or telephone number.
- Use a permanent marking or stenciling device to write your driver’s license number
or some other unique identifying mark on the computer. If a lost or stolen computer is
recovered, such marking identifies the computer as your property.
The service tag is an alphanumeric sequence on a bar code label located on the bottom
of the computer. The service tag is unique to your computer and allows Dell technical
assistance personnel to identify the computer and its configuration quickly if you call
for assistance.
If Your Computer Is Lost or Stolen
If your computer is lost or stolen, Dell suggests that you perform the following steps:
- Call a law enforcement agency to report the lost or stolen computer.
Include the service tag in your description of the computer. Ask that a case number be
assigned, and write it down. Also write down the name, address, and telephone number of
the law enforcement agency. If possible, obtain the name of the investigating officer.
If you know where the computer was lost or stolen, call a law enforcement agency in
that area. If you do not know, call a law enforcement agency where you live.
- If the computer belongs to a company, notify the security office of the firm.
- Call Dell technical assistance to report the missing computer.
Provide the computer’s service tag, the case number, and the name, address, and
telephone number of the law enforcement agency to which you reported the missing computer.
If possible, give the name of the investigating officer.
The Dell support technician will log your report under the computer’s service tag
and flag the computer as missing or stolen. If someone calls Dell for technical assistance
and gives your service tag, the computer is identified automatically as missing or stolen.
The technician will attempt to get the phone number and address of the caller. Dell will
then contact the law enforcement agency to which you made the report of the missing or
stolen computer.
To prepare your computer for travel, perform the following steps:
- Detach any external devices attached to the computer, and store them in a safe place. If
a diskette is in the diskette drive, remove it. Remove any cables attached to installed PC
Cards (you do not have to remove the PC Cards themselves).
- To maximize battery life, check the charge on your battery. Then fully charge the
battery and any spares you plan to carry with you. For more information, see "Batteries."
- Turn off the computer or press <Fn><a> to enter suspend-to-disk mode.
(On a French keyboard, press <Fn><q>.)
NOTICE: When you disconnect the AC adapter from the
computer, grasp the adapter cable's connector, not the cable itself, and pull gently but
firmly to avoid damaging the cable.
- Disconnect the AC adapter.
NOTICE: When the display is closed, items left on the
keyboard could damage the display.
- Make sure that there is nothing on the keyboard and palmrest that can damage the display
when you close it. Then close the display.
- Pack all your computing accessories.
With the optional Dell carrying case, you can pack the computer and its accessories
together.
 |
NOTE: Follow the travel tips and take special
precautions if you are planning to travel by air. |
Accessories
You may want to take some of the following accessories with you when you travel:
- Spare batteries
- Cables for PC Cards (such as modem and network cards)
- AC adapter and AC power cable
- Power adapters for foreign electrical outlets and modem cable
adapters
for foreign telephone networks
- Appropriate printer driver files if you will be using a printer
- External media bay and its cable
- Diskette drive
- Backup diskettes
- Additional storage devices
Traveling by Air
You may want to take the following precautions when you are traveling by air with your
computer:
- Notify airport security in advance that you are bringing a portable computer.
- Be sure to have a charged battery or the AC adapter and power cable available in case
you are asked to turn on the computer.
- Do not check the computer as baggage.
NOTICE: Have airport security personnel check the computer by hand. If the
computer passes through a metal detector, data loss may occur. If you must pass the
computer through a metal detector, first remove the hard-disk drive.
- Do not put the computer through a metal detector. (The computer can
safely go through an airport X-ray security machine.)
- Before you use the computer on an airplane, check the in-flight magazine or ask the
flight crew to verify that such use is permitted. Some airlines forbid the use of
electronic devices during the flight. All airlines forbid the use of electronic devices
during takeoff and landing.
- Use a carrying case (available from Dell) to protect the computer and accessories during
travel.
- If you pack the computer in a suitcase, do not pack so tightly that the computer display
breaks or so loosely that the computer slides around.
- Avoid packing the computer with items such as shaving cream, colognes, perfumes, or
food.
- Protect the computer, the battery, and the hard-disk drive from hazards such as extreme
temperatures; overexposure to sunlight; and exposure to dirt, dust, or liquids.
- Pack the computer so that it does not slide around in the trunk of your car or in an
overhead storage compartment.
- If you are carrying a second hard-disk drive separately, protect the drive from exposure
to static electricity by placing it in the case you received it in or in an antistatic
bag, or wrapping it in a nonconductive fabric.
- Consider changing the settings of your power management options to maximize battery life
if you will be using battery power for extended periods.
- If you are traveling internationally, carry proof of ownership to speed your passage
through customs. If the computer is provided by your employer, carry documentation of your
right to use the computer. Investigate the customs regulations of the countries you plan
to visit, and consider acquiring an international carnet from your
government if you travel through many different countries.
- Power interruptions can occur frequently in some countries. Always have a charged
battery available if traveling abroad.
- Credit card holders should check with their credit card companies for information about
the kinds of emergency travel assistance they offer to users of portable computers. Many
companies provide services that help you solve problems, such as quickly locating 3.5-inch
diskettes or providing a direct-dial telephone line for your modem connection.
NOTICE: Do not use the CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or LS-120 drive while the computer is
in motion. Doing so could interrupt the flow of data to and from the CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or
LS-120 drive and the hard-disk or diskette drive.
