Are you afraid that you might break your newly bought laptop? Worry no more! Learn from the experts how to take care of their laptops properly to maintain your laptop’s life.
First of all, why should you take care of your laptop? Did you know that a laptop’s average lifespan is around 3-5 years? Taking action that prevents early crashes and ensuring your laptop lasts longer saves you money in the long run. Because, let’s be honest, spending 40,000PHP or higher every 3-5 years in this economy isn’t a great way to save money.
With that in mind, here is GigaHertz’s list of Do’s and Don’ts for taking care of your brand-new laptop so it’ll last longer and won’t break as easily.
KEEP IT AWAY FROM DANGER!
This might be common knowledge, but not everyone realizes how keeping food and liquids away can help a laptop retain its health. Remind yourself to keep your food and beverages at a distance from your gadget (at least 20 centimeters) to keep food crumbs and spills from your screen or keyboard.
You can also buy a laptop stand that lifts your device to keep it away from other stuff that can destroy it. It also adds maneuverability to the user, so it's really a dual-purpose gadget.
Under other conditions, if you need to eat or drink while working, keep your computer away from where it’s dangerous and vulnerable, so it is relatively safe.
CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO?
Hey! So did you know that the most vulnerable parts of your laptop are the vents, keyboard, touchpad, and the screen? That’s why investing in proper cleaning solutions is crucial in keeping your laptop healthy and clean.
A soft microfiber cloth is the safest fabric to clean your screen, and buying one goes a long way in cleaning and protecting the screen, as it picks up dirt well and is easy to wash. Also, buy a container of 70% rubbing alcohol to use as a disinfectant for your screen and keyboard.
Speaking of the keyboard, if your laptop has an SSD-type storage drive, you’d want to start cleaning the keyboard by flipping your laptop upside down with the screen open. Then hold it firmly so it doesn’t drop on the floor, and shake it gently for 5-10 seconds to help remove some of the dust or other particles stuck under the buttons. Please don’t do this if you have an HDD-type storage, as it might damage the hard drive from vibrations due to its spinning disk structure.
Lastly, use a soft brush and microfiber wipes to clean your laptop. Some even use an air blaster to make sure all dust particles are gone. Using the right tools is the key to keeping your laptop clean and healthy.
BATTERY LIFE MATTERS!
Just like they say in the song Collide, “Even the best fall down sometimes”. No matter how great or expensive your laptop is, its battery will still deteriorate over time, especially if you use it to depletion. Optimizing battery settings is important for an increase in longevity.
Contrary to popular belief, keeping your laptop plugged in while using it isn’t as bad as you think it is. The lithium-ion batteries used in modern laptops are designed to handle frequent charging cycles without significant capacity loss. Actually, the battery can be damaged more when it’s constantly drained to 0% before recharging.
LET IT BREATHE!
Hey, so we mentioned earlier that your laptop’s vents are one of the most vulnerable parts. Your laptop is constantly cooling itself through its vents, and you have to make sure that it’s breathing properly.
To ensure proper airflow and cooling, place your laptop on a stable and hard surface like a desk or table. Avoid using it on a pillow or any soft materials, as it prevents the necessary heat from dispersing. You can also buy yourself a laptop stand with its own fan for added cooling.
WHERE DID YOU PUT IT?
Yes, we have to remind you to STORE IT PROPERLY! Where you place your laptop matters; distinctly avoid placing it where it’s exposed to sunlight or other sources of direct heat, as you’re just gonna ask for the worst outcome.
You should also buy a proper laptop sleeve and bag if you’re always traveling for work. Look for a carrier with enough padding for your laptop to prevent unnecessary damage. A silicon cover can also help protect your screen and keyboard during travel to avoid scratches while also covering your keyboard from dust and other particles.
If you own a device like the Asus Vivobook S 14 Flip TN3402YA-LZ096WS with a 360° hinge, always make sure that you close it down with the screen facing the keyboard; in this way, you avoid screen damage and dust entering from the keyboard.
“KEEP ME UPDATED” - your laptop probably
We know it’s tiring to keep updating your laptop (we also don’t like doing it), but it is necessary to do so it won’t slow down. Outdated applications and systems can cause compatibility issues that might expose your laptop to security issues and impede its performance.
With that in mind, you can abuse your laptop’s features to make sure that you’re always up-to-date. Just go to SETTINGS > WINDOWS UPDATE > then turn on the AUTOMATIC UPDATE. You can also do the same with your apps on the Microsoft Store, just under App updates, set update apps automatically to ON.
Make sure to also delete unused apps on your laptop, as it is a primary suspect in why it’s slowing down due to overloading. You’re hitting two birds with one stone here, and you’re also freeing up space as you prevent slowdowns.
VIRUS NO SWIPING !!!
Just like us mere humans, laptops don’t like viruses. Computer viruses are a cause of slowdown, and they expose your files and activities.
Sadly, anti-virus software comes with a price. Luckily, GigaHertz also offers software security.
To help with the avoidance of these silly little pests, you should avoid websites that have a bad reputation. Inappropriate ads are a guaranteed sign that the site you're on should be avoided. When you’re installing applications, only download them from the Microsoft Store or the developers’ website directly.
You may be asking yourself if all these purchases are necessary since you just bought a pricey laptop. But we assure you that these are all foolproof ways to make sure that your laptop can live longer. If you still haven't bought one and came across this article, it might even be a good idea to buy one that’s a tad bit more powerful than what you’re thinking of buying. GigaHertz offers a variety of gaming, premium, and mainstream laptops at discounted prices, so you can save just enough to buy some other things that can help maintain your laptop’s life.
Making sure that your laptop lasts longer with small purchases is a good investment plan!