How To Convert Work Laptop To Personal – 15 Easy Ways

Every laptop used for work is equipped with a number of different security measures to guarantee that sensitive business information is not disclosed outside the organisation.

When you begin working for a company, you are obliged to deactivate all of the personal safeguards that are on both your phone and computer. This ensures that there is no possibility of illegal access being gained.

When you leave the organisation, though, things get more challenging since it is then more difficult to handle the demands of both your personal and professional lives.

Because of the restrictions that are placed on the laptop, it is not possible to install any applications that are offered by a third party or to use any other devices, such as flash drives, which may be necessary for day-to-day activities such as watching movies, listening to music, editing documents, etc.

Luckily, there is a way to fix this issue, and it involves customising the laptop you use for work. Here are some different approaches you may use to transform your business laptop into a personal one.

There are a number of different methods in which you may transform the laptop you use at work into a personal laptop.

The simplest solution is to erase any information relevant to work and then restore it to its original factory settings. Because of this, all of the software that is necessary for working with the firm will be removed, and your computer will become more personalised as a result.

If you wish to preserve certain apps or data, however, you will need to deactivate the security settings on your laptop. This will allow all third-party software as well as flash drives to be compatible with the laptop.

1) Disable Windows Defender

Every laptop used for work is outfitted with a plethora of security measures to guarantee that confidential business information is never disclosed outside of the organisation.

When you begin working for a company, you are expected to deactivate any and all personal safeguards that are on your phone and computer. This ensures that there is no possibility of illegal access being gained.

When you leave the firm, however, the situation gets more challenging since it is then more difficult to maintain a balance between your personal life and your professional life.

Because of the limits placed on the laptop, it is not possible to install any software that are offered by a third party or to use any other devices, such as flash drives, which may be necessary for day-to-day activities such as viewing movies, listening to music, editing documents, etc.

The good news is that there is a solution to this issue, and it involves altering the laptop you use for work. The following are some suggestions for transforming your business laptop into a personal one.

There are a few different paths you might take in order to transform your business laptop into a personal laptop.

The simplest solution is to wipe out any and all traces of work-related information and restore it to its original factory settings. This will delete all of the software that is necessary for working with the firm, so transforming your computer into a totally personal device.

In contrast, if you wish to maintain certain apps or data, you may deactivate the security settings on your laptop and make it compatible with any third-party software as well as flash drives.

2) Use TrueCrypt To Encrypt Data

You are able to protect the information stored on your work laptop by encrypting it using TrueCrypt so that others cannot access it without the appropriate authorisation.

You are able to encrypt individual files, folders, drives, and even complete partitions with the help of this open-source programme.

You are able to create a virtual encrypted disc inside of a file, and then store all of your critical information inside that disc.

For your convenience, you may either save the encrypted files on a USB drive or email them to yourself. Both of these options are available.

In addition, you may use TrueCrypt to create a covert operating system inside your already installed OS in order to do other tasks.

Without the appropriate permission from you, the hijacker or thief will not be able to enter this virtual environment at all.

3) Disable Windows Firewall

Your firm will have put a number of precautions in place to ensure the safety of the data stored on your work laptop.

One of them is the firewall, which blocks remote access to your computer system by hackers and other malicious users.

It is suggested that you turn off Windows Firewall if you are working on a computer that is accessible to anybody, or whenever you are using a public wireless connection.

You should turn off the firewall if you are connecting to a public Wi-Fi network in order to protect your computer from being hacked.

4) Use Portable Applications

You are free to use your laptop for whatever kind of job you choose, so there is no reason not to make the most of it by downloading all of the available third-party software.

You will not need to install these programmes at a later time, which will allow you to save time.

All that is needed of you is to save the portable version of your preferred programme on a network-attached storage device or a pen drive, and then utilise it straight from those locations whenever it is necessary.

It is more efficient to store all of the applications from third-party developers in a one spot on your computer rather than having them dispersed among the many discs in your system.

5) Disable Windows Updates

At your place of employment, you are required to keep updating your computer on a daily basis because new patches and security upgrades are always being released.

This could be vital while you are using the laptop provided by the firm, but after you have left the organisation, it is no longer necessary.

You may save yourself a lot of time by disabling Windows Updates, which will save you from having to install all of the available updates every week or month.

You are free to do any updates to your system whenever you see fit in the future.

6) Use Virtual Machines

After leaving an enterprise or taking data with you to utilise it for personal purposes, virtual machines are another method for keeping your data safe.

With the help of these virtual machines, you can quickly construct several instances of the Windows operating system on the same computer.

Simply download and install VirtualBox, which is open-source software for creating virtual machines, and you will have the ability to generate several copies of the Windows operating system for your own personal usage.

You may also build a distinct working environment inside your current operating system in order to access all of the essential data.

7) Use BitLocker To Secure Data

Another security tool that is included in Windows is called BitLocker, and it encrypts whole partitions on your hard drive.

Simply right-click the disc on which you want encryption to be enabled and pick the Turn on BitLocker option from the context menu.

In addition, you may save the recovery keys on a USB drive in the event that your hard disc is stolen or becomes inaccessible for any reason.

8) Use Portable Apps For Encryption

It is possible to encrypt files and folders using TrueCrypt, but the process is not quite as straightforward as utilising portable applications.

Because of this, you may simply encrypt any data that is stored on your work laptop using encryption software that was not developed by your company before taking it home with you or giving it to another person.

The data is encrypted in a manner somewhat similar to that of TrueCrypt, but with a variety of other techniques.

All you have to do is download the encryption software of your choice, then either save it to a USB drive or send it to yourself through email.

Install the application on your personal laptop once you go home from work, and then utilise the encrypted files immediately from there without having to re-encrypt them. This saves you from having to do so at work.

9) Use Steganography Software

Steganography is the process of hiding information in plain sight, often in the form of an image, in a manner that is impenetrable to prying eyes.

To put it another way, if someone is attempting to pry into your personal life, you may protect your privacy by using this programme to conceal intimate images from them.

Downloading the Steganography programme is all that is necessary, after which you may capture covert photographs as needed.

After some time has passed, generate encrypted files from those photographs, then either send them to your personal email account or save them to a USB stick that you can access on your own computer.

10) Use Self-Destructing Message Apps

One more method for keeping your company’s data safe is presented here.

You only need to find software that allows you to send messages that automatically delete themselves and download it from the internet. After a certain time and date, the message will be deleted.

You can avoid having to erase the mails from your system by storing them on a USB drive and using them on a personal laptop instead of having to do so.

Encrypting them using steganography software allows you to send them to anybody without worrying about their safety.

11) Use Cached Data On Your Personal Laptop

While you are working on the computer provided by the firm, you should continue to install third-party applications on your own laptop as needed.

They may be used for official reasons while you are at work, but as soon as you come home after completing a job, you should simply shut that programme in the native mode for which it was designed.

Because the application is already cached on your personal laptop, the next time you start up your system with that programme loaded, it will take a few seconds longer than usual to open the application.

12) Create A Separate User Account

It’s possible that this isn’t required, but if you want to do certain operations that need a high level of security, you may always establish a new user account and log in using that one instead.

You are free to make use of any password or sign-in method that is accessible to you, and the system will automatically transfer you over to the primary account when it is necessary.

Everything that you do in your personal life will be kept secret from the main account.

13) Use Virtual Machines For Personal Activities

Yes, using virtual machines is a straightforward method for installing and running two distinct operating systems on a single computer.

You are able to construct virtual machines inside of your currently installed operating system, and then utilise those virtual machines to run an entirely other operating system.

For instance, you might use Windows 8 Professional on the laptop you use for business, and then construct a separate virtual machine so that you could run older versions of Windows, such as XP or 7.

Your private actions will be concealed from the main account that is logged into Windows 8, and the only thing that will be visible, if there is anything at all, will be the virtual machine that is logged into Windows 8.

14) Use Quick Boot Updater To Disable Fast Startup

When moving between a laptop you use for business and one you use for personal use, if you have the option to deactivate the speedy boot-up function, doing so may save you a significant amount of time.

Even when you are signed into your primary account, there are instances when your system will start up quicker than normal. This is because most computer makers use this function in order to speed up the boot process.

If your IT managers or bosses are able to hack into your laptop, this may reveal your private actions to them. This is especially true if they have administrative privileges.

Therefore, you need to ensure that this functionality, at the very least for two accounts on the same computer, is disabled.

15) Change Work Profile To A Guest Mode

Work profiles are installed on certain company computers so that workers may use such computers for work-related reasons while concealing their personal actions from the IT department. This allows employees to utilise company computers for both official and personal purposes.

Therefore, if you acquire access to a work profile, you have three distinct options to choose from in order to conceal any private information you may have.

To begin, go to the Guest account’s installation directory and remove all of its associated files and folders from that location.

Install a virtual machine later on that account so that Windows XP or 7 may be operated on that computer, and then set that account to be a guest account.

Through this method, the primary account will not be aware of any of the private activities you participate in.