Executive Travel

* Name: Alex Auerbach

* Position: Public relations consultant

Many business travelers use laptop computers, which are easily lost or stolen in the rush of a business trip. Should an IBM-compatible laptop simply be lost, the finder can be encouraged to return it with a screen message included in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

The message should display the name of the computer’s owner, along with an address and phone number (with international dialing codes if traveling overseas) and an offer of a reward for the return of the system.

Including the message in the AUTOEXEC file will ensure that it is displayed as soon as the machine is turned on--which is what someone who finds a computer is likely to do.

Identification tags and labels on the computer and case are helpful, but they can fall off, or the computer may be misplaced without its carrying case.