How To Extend The Life Of Your Laptop

How To Extend The Life Of Your Laptop

Laptops are an important part of our lives and simply put, you can’t live without them. No matter if you’re a student or a professional, a child or an adult you need one. The kind you have varies depending on what tasks you want to accomplish with it and depending on the specs, the prices can vary. Even the most basic model can be pricey and the high-end models can cost a fortune. Suffice it to say then that laptops are a big investment so it’s understandable that you’d want to extend its life and use it for longer.

Once you buy a laptop, you’re generally set for the next three to five years after which, you might have to upgrade. Even before that though you might see the performance drop. If you’re someone that wants to make their laptops last longer or ensure it gives optimal performance you’ve come to the right place. Here is what you can do to extend the life of your laptop.

Keep it clean!

Cleaning is the key to everything.

Once dust gets in, it difficult to get it out which is why, you should cover you laptop when not in use. Also, if you have pets, look out for loose hairs and remove them as soon as possible. To remove debris, use canned air.

Pay special attention to your laptop fan. Dust might cause it to slow down which can cause overheating. Also, keep food and drinks away from your laptop. Like dust, breadcrumbs too can clog the gears and if you spill a drink, you’re done for.

When cleaning your screen, use a cleaner specially made for computers. The ammonia you find in household cleaners can dull your screen in the long run.

Take your battery out

One of the main reasons why laptops become a pain to use is their low battery life. It can really impact your productivity and even if you change it, it’s still not the same anymore. To extend the life of your battery, once it’s charged either unplug it from charging or take it out and use the adapter to power you laptop. If you keep using it while it charges its capacity to store power will decrease over time. And, if your laptop is prone to heating up, it can damage the device. Additionally, when not using the laptop, either shut it down or put it in hibernation mode, the charge will last longer.

Cool it down

Whenever you use a laptop, it heats up and if you don’t cool it down, it can harm its components. Laptops have its own fan to help keep it cool, but if you’re using it for things like gaming it can overheat. It can also overheat in the hot summer months even while performing simple tasks. In such cases, the fan is not enough. If you sit in air conditioned rooms it helps but we’d recommend that in such cases you get a cooling pad. If you think your fan is not as efficient as it used to be, you can also try getting it replaced.

Routine maintenance

It’s not just the outside that needs maintenance, the inside matters too. A lot of us get intimidated by the technical lingo and steer clear of it for fear of damaging the laptop by mistake. However, there are some simple things you can do to ensure your laptop give optimal performance.

Make sure to run ‘Disk Cleanup’ and ‘Defragment’ tools monthly. To find them, go to Start > Programs > Accessories. That’s it. Just make sure to turn off screen saver before you begin.

You should also check for disk errors on a monthly basis. Just go to ‘My Computer’, click on drive ‘C’ and then select ‘Properties’. Then click on the ‘Tools’ tab. There, you’ll find Error Checking, click on ‘Check now’ and select ‘automatically fix file system errors’. You will then have to restart the device. There, it’s that simple.

You should also make it a point to keep your Windows updated. Set it to download new updates automatically. For this, go to the Control Panel and double click on ‘System’. Next, click on ‘Automatic Updates’ tab and select an option depending on what you’re comfortable with. Obviously, your windows pausing to update in the middle of an important assignment can be problematic which is why most people choose the option ‘Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them,’ and we’d recommend you do the same.

Protect against virus and malware

Virus and malware protection is a must. If a virus makes its way to your laptop, it corrupts your files, compromises your data and also slows down your laptop, none of which is acceptable. To avoid this whole thing, download a virus protection software and set it up to install updates automatically. Make sure to scan for viruses each week so you can remove the threat before it gets a chance to take root.

Clear space on your hard drive

With time, you accumulate files and programs on your laptop. The more space it occupies on your hard disk the greater the chances of it slowing down your laptop. To avoid having a sluggish laptop, free up hard drive space. One way you can do this is by uploading your files on a cloud. You should also stop unnecessary programs from launching on their own. This is sure to free up RAM memory and increase performance.

Final Words

These are a few simple things you can do to extend the life of your laptop. Ensuring the device gives optimal performance means you can get your work done faster without having to spend big bucks to buy a new model. Remember, your Mediacom internet can only work as fast as the device you have it connected to. To get maximum speed and to ensure your laptop lasts longer, take out some time each week for its maintenance and you’re good to go.

March 3rd, 2020 by