I am more qualified than most on this forum for knowing what is and what isn't a distraction when it comes to things like flying / driving etc.
I am quite new to aviation and therefore there is a lot for me to learn
Anyway - what happens if you start the laptop recording from outside the cockpit, then put the laptop inside it? Anything? Worth a go.
If you *don't* close the lid on the laptop, does it work - do you have the power options set appropriately so that the laptop doesn't enter hibernate/sleep when the lid is closed, or when it's not on external power?
And as previously said, if the lid is shut but for whatever reason, the screen isn't off (happens on my Mac Air occasionally), they can get really hot, really quick and if stuck in a back seat pocket (which I wouldn't trust to keep anything in while inverted btw), it'll get even hotter even quicker, and shut down due to thermal protection, or worse - catch fire!
This is all terribly complicated when you consider the benefits of a cheap video recording digital camera/video device, with a suction mount.