here’s what I do: I put my carry-on suitcase, coat, shoes, keys, cell phone, and
everything else through the machine first and my laptop last. Then I go through
the metal detector keeping an eye on the progress of my laptop and grab it as
soon as I am cleared.
Never make changes to the operating system and installed software on the
road. And avoid adding new software if at all possible. Your laptop should be
clean and ready to work when you go out the door; leave major maintenance
and changes for when you are back home at your desk with all of your backup
copies of software, tools, and friends nearby.
If you expect to have to use someone else’s printer while on the road, you
might want to consider obtaining a copy of the device driver software for that
printer ahead of time; get the manufacturer name, model name, and model
number and visit the company’s web site to obtain the software. You can
either install the driver before leaving or take it with you to have ready for
installation when needed.
As an alternative, you should be able to send any document that needs to
be printed as an attachment in an e-mail and then download and print it on a
computer at your destination. This allows you to avoid having to make changes
to your laptop’s configuration for a one-time use.
Which brings me to my final set of tips for travelers:
- Take the time the day before you head out on a trip to run your laptop
through a full set of diagnostics. - Run a system check, if you have this sort of utility installed, to fix any
problems with the Windows registry, shortcuts, and other operating
system elements. - Run a full antivirus scan.
- Test any applications you expect to use on your trip, including your
word processor, date book, Internet browser, and e-mail. - Clean out the Recycle Bin.
- Defragment your disk using the Windows utility if that’s the best you
have, or with a faster and more efficient third-party utility. - Make a backup copy of any unique files that are resident on your laptop.
You can upload the files to a desktop machine on your network or copy
them to a CD-R or other removable media. - Transfer a copy of any work in progress or presentations you need to
make from your desktop PC to your laptop; you may also want to move a
Chapter 21: Ten Essential Dos and Don’ts 321