Being a proud owner of a laptop computer, you would surely want to maintain it in the best possible condition. Apart from cleaning the screen and dusting the keyboard, you'll need to take a few extra steps in ensuring the longevity of your laptop computer.
1. In terms of health of your machine, always try to keep it in a well-ventilated environment. A laptop computer generates a lot of heat. Combined with high power productivity programs, this heat is amplified even more. Don't block the fan grills on the sides, back, or bottom of the machine at any time. Good air flow is key to keeping the internal temperature down.
2. Avoid frequent touching or playing with your LCD screen. It might be fun to watch the waves generated by your finger against the screen, but LCD displays are fragile devices that must be cared for. Even when cleaning them you must be extremely careful.
3. Try to make sure the rubber feet underneath are in good condition and are still attached. This will prevent the device from sliding around accidentally.
4. If you need to have a drink while working, be careful not to spill it. Your laptop computer could suffer the consequences from just a few drops of liquid poured in the right places. It's not just a keyboard you would be spilling on but rather the computer itself.
5. Security wise, install an antivirus program. Secondly, keep it updated. Buying an antivirus and not updating it really negates it purpose. Your laptop computer could be exposed to thousands of new viruses every month if you don't update your virus definitions. Most antivirus programs have automatic update methods, eliminating the need for you to have to remember to do it manually.
6. Pop-ups are the most annoying menaces on a laptop computer. Install a pop-up blocker, such as the Google Toolbar (located at http://tools.google.com), to prevent these pop-up ads. Trying to close a bunch of windows without a regular mouse can be a nuisance. Many intrusive forms of advertising, and even some viruses, can install software on your machine by using various forms of pop-ups. It's best to get yourself a blocker and avoid the situation entirely.
7. Continuing the talk of spyware, install a program that hunts down and eliminates all such software that could even be causing pop-ups. You can continually update the program to look for new forms of spyware and it will gladly search out and destroy all such problems which may exist on your laptop computer.
8. Megabytes of data can build up in the cache directory of your laptop's Web browser. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator both feature push-button methods of flushing the cache. In Navigator, select Options/Network Options, then click on the Cache tab. Click on the "Clear disk cache now" button. In IE, select View/Options, then click on the Advanced tab. Click the button labeled Settings under "Temporary Internet files," then click on the "Empty folder" button.
9. Utilize a firewall on your internet or network-enabled laptop computer. Even if you use Windows XP's built-in firewall (or purchase one from such companies as Norton), your security will greatly benefit from it. Blocking out all the unnecessary ports and closing all the loopholes will prevent a hacker or virus from freely entering your hard drive. Combined with an antivirus, your computer will be secure from almost all viruses and attacks, as long as you continually update your virus definitions, keep your laptop computer clean of spyware, and block obtrusive pop-ups.
10. While cleaning the screen, make sure the cloth is very soft, and has no imprints or monograms on it, as these may scratch the screen. Also ensure that the cloth is lint-free, else it will leave fibres on the screen, and make the display unclear. Make sure you don't spray any cleaner directly on the screen. Instead, spray onto the cleaning cloth, and allow the cloth to capture the dirt and contaminants.
11. The screen is the most expensive component of your laptop. Adequate care must be taken while choosing the cleaning spray. Harsh sprays could turn the screen yellow, and may even cause cracking. Use plain water or vinegar to clean the screen.
12. Invest in the iSkin which does double duty: it keeps crumbs out from between the keys and also protects the screen from keyboard scratches. If your laptop keys are already sticky and furry, give it a good cleaning with some compressed air, cotton swabs and elbow grease.
13. Hard drives work on the property of magnetic flux, so any electrical field may damage the hard disk and the data on it. Make sure your laptop is a foot away from any electrical appliance that generates a strong magnetic field-such as a microwave oven.
14. Never leave your laptop in a cold environment. When you bring your laptop into a warm place condensation will form and may cause electrical shocks throughout your laptop. Also turning it on while it's still cold can lead to overloading
15. If you have just shut down your laptop, give it 30 seconds before you start it up again. This ensures that the hard drive has spun down, and is not subjected to sudden switching on and off.
16. No Hard Booting. You may sometimes be tempted to turn your laptop off by simply holding down the power button until it powers down. Although quick, this method is harmful to the laptop and could cause data loss. A hard reboot should only be used as a last resort. Sometimes this is inevitable, for instance, when Windows hangs. But this should not be a regular practice.
17. Clean up the Junk. Uninstall applications you don't use. Apart from saving on disk space, you'll also prevent your notebook from slowing down. Be resourceful-keep backups of the OS, drivers and commonly used applications on a secondary partition so that you can do some re¬installing on your own if you face any issues when traveling. Carry driver CDs and recovery disks
18. A good leather case with separate compartments is the safest way to carry your laptop. Make sure the case has separate compartments for add-ons this will avoid scratches over your laptop
19. Never try to fix your laptop yourself. Laptops have many small parts that can easily be broken and misplaced. Leave it to the professionals. However, please note down the Model No., Serial No. and the Used space size available when you give it for repair. Noting the Used space is for the extra security check if nothing has been lost while repairing. Also it would be better to take a backup of all your important files either on a cd or in a desktop and delete it in the laptop.