What is the small hole in my laptop? The small rectangular hole on your laptop is called a K-Slot or Kensington Lock hole. The hole is backed by a metal bracket that is integral to the laptop or other device. A Kensington Lock has a metal tab that inserts into the K-Slot / hole and turns 90° and locks. The lock may require a key, combination, or simply the press of a button to release. The lock is attached to a security cable to prevent the computer device from being removed from the immediate area. Locking cables are suggested for devices in insecure environments like public spaces, hotels, hospitals, and high-traffic locations. Depending on the situation, the cable can be secured to a piece of furniture, the wall, or floor. Often, the cable has a loop in the end making it easy to secure it to the leg of a table, desk, or bed.

History. Around 1990, an engineer at Hewlett Packard, one if the biggest computer manufacturers in the world, came up with this design. When the presented to HP they were not interested in using it in their products. They allowed the engineer to take the design to other companies with Kensington finally becoming its new home. Today, the K-Slot / Kensington Lock hole are found on virtually every laptop, mini PC, and peripheral device sold.