Isn't it annoying when you're in the middle of writing an urgent report for class and your outdated laptop just freezes on you? If this happens more often than you'd like, then it's likely already due ...

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Take these preemptive steps to protect your data and make your laptop more recoverable in case it's ever lost or stolen.

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David Nield is a technology journalist from Manchester in the U.K. who has been writing about gadgets and apps for more than 20 years. He has a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Durham ...