The hand-back checklist
Before you hand a borrowed laptop back.
A shared laptop remembers whoever used it last: signed-in sites, saved passwords, downloads, paired phones. These six steps are what the counter asks on every return. They are written by Lend Shelf as general good practice; they are not any maker's procedure, and menus differ between computers.
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01
My files are saved somewhere that is mine
Anything left on the laptop can be read by the next person, and it may be cleared before then.
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02
Signed out of the browser and every site I used
Email, school or work portals, shopping, banking and streaming sites stay signed in until you sign out.
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03
Removed any passwords I let the browser save
A saved password signs the next person straight into your account.
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04
Emptied Downloads and the Trash or Recycle Bin
Downloaded attachments and deleted files stay on the disk until they are emptied.
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05
Unpaired my phone, earbuds or other devices
A paired phone or headset can reconnect to the laptop when you are nearby.
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06
Told the shelf about anything broken, sticky or missing
The next person gets a laptop that works, and nobody is blamed for an old crack.
If you look after the laptops
A shelf can add up to five steps of its own (for example "Plugged it into the cart" or "Logged out of the shared account") with the Shelf Pass. For more privacy between borrowers, many computers can also have a separate user account just for borrowers; that is set up on the laptop itself, not on this site.