LAPTOP MAINTENANCE TIPS

 

 Laptops are expensive gadgets made for mobility. Generally, they are not very tough, and are not known to take too well to being mishandled. If you do end up messing your laptop, even the smallest of repairs will set you back by thousands of rupees. Read on to learn how to care for your laptop. We have also included some important pointers you need to stick to before, during and after using your laptop.

 

Clean It Right

The screen is the most expensive component of your laptop. Be extremely careful 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 fibers 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.

 

Placing The Laptop

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 at least 13 cm away from any electrical appliance that generates a strong magnetic field-such as a microwave oven. Protect your laptop from dust. Ensure vents are clean to enable good air flow.

 

Give It A Breather

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.

 

Data Backup

Always back up your data using CD/DVD writers. Laptops are mobile devices, and are susceptible to breakage. Also, it's possible that the hard disk simply crashes. Remember, you can never back up too frequently.

 

Keep Your Battery Healthy 

Before the first use, charge the batteries for 12 hours or the minimum charge time, as mentioned in the manual.

For daily use, charge the battery to capacity, then run the laptop on battery power until it is completely drained (for Ni-Cd or Ni-MH batteries,) or almost drained. (For Li-ion batteries, this can help prevent overcharging).

Don't leave your battery unused for long periods of time. Even if you use AC power most of the time, use the battery regularly to keep it in good condition. Switch off your AC adapter when the laptop is not in use. This prevents overcharging.

To extend battery life, you can try decreasing the LCD brightness while using your notebook. You can activate the `Standby' and `Hibernation' power saving modes, too, for better battery life. 

 Battery Storage

If you do not use your laptop for extended periods of time-a week or more remove the battery pack from the laptop, but only after discharging it fully.

The batteries should be stored in a cool dry place, removed from heat, humidity and dust as well as metal objects.

 

Use A Laptop Case

The case should ideally be hard from the outside and soft on the inside, while being a comfortable fit. It should be able to absorb shocks and carry your laptop accessories.

 

Keep Eatables Away

Obviously, avoid eating and drinking near or around your laptop. The least bit of water could short-circuit some sensitive laptop circuits, and render it useless. Don't place any containers filled with beverages (hot or cold) near your notebook, to prevent accidental spills.

 

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.

 

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 you can do some reinstalling on your own if you face any issues when traveling. Carry driver CDs and recovery disks. Avoid installing unnecessary software.

 

Laptop Security

Don't subject your laptop to jerks and shocks. This will help avoid damage to your hard drive. Preferably, power the notebook off before moving it from one place to another.

 

Power Saving Tips

Set the device to switch off the LCD screen, and hard drive after fixed intervals of time. Booting the notebook when it is not connected to a power source draws a lot of power from the battery. Instead of shutting down your laptop in the middle of a meeting, choose the `Suspend' mode if you wish to use it again after just a short interval. This will save battery and help you restart your work faster.  

Disconnect

External peripherals and accessories such as external optical drives, PC cards and USB keyboard lights draw power from the notebook. Disconnect such devices when not in use.  

 

 

System Administrator

Asian School of Business