Are You Really Taking Care of Your Laptop?

Apart from being expensive, laptops are sensitive electrical devices. Looking after your laptop involves more than just protecting it from drops and limiting its exposure to the elements. Maintaining your computer and monthly back-ups ensure its stable operation and can improve productivity. A machine that’s well looked after is less prone to mechanical failures. 

Follow these tips to make sure that your laptop is always in good shape.

Keep Your Device Clean

Over time, dust and small dirt particles can accumulate on laptop surfaces and hamper ventilation. This can cause your device to overheat and reduce its lifespan. Keeping the screen and body of your laptop clean can often offer more than just cosmetic benefits.

Defrag Your Drive Monthly

Sometimes, data stored in clusters gets distributed in different areas of the drive. Running a defragmentation program rearranges these ‘fragmented’ data clusters and allows the laptop to work faster and more efficiently. Solid-state drives do not face these issues so don’t require defragmentation.

Clean Up Your Hard Drive

With moderate use, most laptop users tend to generate and store several files that are no longer needed. These can cause clutter and unnecessarily take up space on your hard drive. Set aside time once a month to sort through the files on your hard drive. Mark important files that may be required at a later date and save them on portable storage or a cloud. Uninstall and delete programs that are no longer required to create more space. 

Benefit From Software Updates

From time to time, laptop manufacturers and software companies offer software updates. These updates could include security patches or software changes to protect your data and increase efficiency. Install updates regularly to ensure that your information remains private.

Back-up Your Data

Backing up your laptop should be done at least once a month. This ensures that your information is safe if your laptop has an accident or your hard drive fails. With several programs available to help you back-up to an external drive or even a cloud, take your time to find the one that suits you best.

A well looked after laptop runs well and can be a useful productivity tool that can last for years.