People don’t spend so much money on laptops to buy a new one after 3 to 5 years of use. They expect to use their machines much longer. But, with no care and causal use, one can forget about longevity and run off to a laptop repair shop earlier than usual. Worst case scenario, you could end up buying a replacement. So, it’s essential to take care of one’s laptop well to not only save money but reduce e-waste that pollutes the environment.
Here, we’ll give you the five most practical tips for taking care of your laptop. Stick around!
Table of Contents
1- Run a periodic disk cleanup:
A periodic disk cleanup saves you from the headache of storage issues. So, making it a habit to run monthly disk cleanups will prevent major hardware and software problems in the long run. Slowdowns, screen freezes, and unresponsive apps could result from full storage that interferes with your productivity. In contrast, ample storage space allows the operations to run smoothly and enhance performance.
So, you can either manually sort out unnecessary files you want to delete or use disk cleaning software. There are many good programs that help automatically clean the disk. If you use Windows, you can also use the in-built disk cleanup utility.
2- Defragment the hard drive:
The hard drive tends to fragment the data and store it in various places, which makes it difficult and time-consuming to accumulate all the pieces and read them quickly. So, defragmenting the HDD will put everything back in place. This practice will improve the laptop’s overall performance and elongate the hard drive’s health. You can use defragmenter software to get the job done and ensure to run it once a month.
However, you don’t need to bother with this process if your laptop uses SSD instead of HDD. Hard drives may also trouble you with many other issues over time. So, you may visit a repair shop to get help. Master Computer is one of the best computer repair shops in Australia that provide high-quality repairs with warranties. It’s an excellent choice to opt for Aussies in Perth, Melbourne, and surrounding areas.
3- Update the Operating System:
We cannot stress more the importance of updating the OS than the fact that it’s the basic and, without a doubt, the most practical maintenance practice you can follow. The OS patches loopholes in the system that prevents malware from entering your device. Moreover, it improves the operational performance, also installing the latest hardware drivers with other important stuff your laptop needs to stay in top condition.
Other than the OS, remember to update the programs for optimal performance. For instance, your antivirus system would require the latest improvements to catch viruses efficiently.
4- Back up the data:
Backing up the data is another obvious maintenance tip that almost everyone knows, yet only a few follow diligently. There’s no way of telling how one can lose all their data unexpectedly, and you can’t possibly sit around waiting for a data loss accident to happen to understand the importance of a backup. A backup is necessary to avoid any data calamity, whether you store office files on the laptop or keep your academic assignments and documents on it.
Thanks to cloud services, storing and protecting data is even easier nowadays. You can save all important files on a remote cloud server. Getting an HDD, SSD, and USB drive is a reasonable option if you’re more comfortable with physical drives.
5- Keep your laptop’s frame clean:
Cleaning the display and overall frame of your laptop prevents many issues. It isn’t merely a matter of aesthetic appearance but rather keeping muck and gunk away from the laptop’s exposed areas, mainly the air vents, ports, and speakers. There are multiple methods you can apply to clean your laptop. Either you can buy a cleaning kit that comes with various sizes of brushes, use a lint-free cloth, or compressed air. Mini vacuums are also available in the market that specializes in cleaning laptops and other computer equipment.
Final Thoughts:
This article explained the most practical tips you can implement to keep your laptop in optimal condition. If it looks like too much, you can set aside a day every month where you do nothing else but take care of your laptop by following these tips.
