This tip was submitted to the SearchWin2000.com tip exchange by member Kaisser Butt. Please let other users know how useful it is by rating it below.

Notebook computers pose many of the same security risks as desktop computers and servers, but they pose some unique risks as well. For example, it's much more likely for a notebook computer to be stolen than a desktop PC.

If a notebook is stolen, the thief can often easily gain access to the notebook's files, even without having user credentials for the system. Systems using a FAT file system are particularly at risk. You can minimize the risk to these systems by using NTFS and encryption for sensitive files.

The Windows pagefile, which Windows uses for virtual memory, is another potential source of sensitive data. Some applications store user credentials in memory as plain text, and it's possible that those credentials could end up in the pagefile. As a result, these credentials can be hacked from the pagefile on a stolen notebook.

To ensure the highest possible security for your systems, whether notebook or desktop, consider configuring the systems to clear the pagefile at shutdown. Set the following registry value to 1 to cause Windows to clear the pagefile during shutdown:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory ManagementClearPageFileAtShutdown

After changing this value, you must restart the computer for the change to take effect. Shutting down or restarting the computer a second time will clear the pagefile.

NOTE: Editing the registry is risky. Before making any registry edits, be sure to back up the registry so you can restore it if something goes wrong.