Laptops have become part of our daily lives, whether for working, studying, or simply amusing ourselves. It’s important to care for your laptop if you want to get the longest life out of it. However, some people think that laptop maintenance is an expensive undertaking. Not at all!
We’re here to give you 12 budget-friendly ways to keep your laptop in perfect condition and extend its life expectancy.
1. Clean Your Laptop Regularly
The dust inside a laptop makes it overheat and reduces its performance. Wipe down the outside of your laptop regularly with a soft, dry cloth. For the inside, if you cannot afford a can of compressed air to blow the dust and dirt out, use a leaf blower (carefully) or bicycle pump.
2. Look After Your Laptop's Battery
Proper care of the battery can help retain its health and extend its lifespan (maximum about 500 charges). Firstly, always keeping your laptop plugged in compromises the battery life. Instead, let it drain to around 20-30% before charging again. However, don’t let it fall below 20%. Secondly, always store your laptop in a cool, dry place when not in use. Lastly, quit any apps that are running in the background to save power.
3. Use a Cooling Pad
Laptops can generate a lot of heat, which decreases performance and can burn the components inside. Get an inexpensive cooling pad to help to dissipate the heat and help your machine run within optimal temperatures.
4. Upgrade Your RAM
Bring renewed zip to an aging laptop with a memory upgrade. This relatively inexpensive upgrade can bring huge performance improvements. Be sure to check out the specifications of your laptop to ensure that you are buying the right type and size for its RAM.
5. Optimize Your Laptop's Storage
Your laptop's memory becomes cluttered over time with files and programs you never use. Every so often, spring clean your laptop by removing all unnecessary files. You can always make use of cloud storage services or an external hard drive to free up storage space.
6. Protect Your Laptop with a Sleeve or Case
Give your laptop protection from scratches, dents, and other forms of physical damage by getting it a protective sleeve or case. This is especially important if you carry it around from place to place every day. Shop around for cheaper options that still offer decent protection.
7. Update Your Laptop's Software and Drivers
Keep your laptop's software and drivers updated so the system can stay at peak performance. Ensure the security especially is updated often. The easiest option is to set your system to check for updates automatically.
8. Get a Laptop Stand or Raiser
Lifting your laptop with a stand can improve airflow and prevent overheating. There are many affordable laptop stands available online.
9. Do Not Eat and Drink over Your Laptop
Spills and crumbs fall into the depths of a laptop and destroy inner components. Develop a habit of keeping food and drinks well away from your device so you don't unintentionally drip or spill anything over it.
10. Back-Up Your Data Regularly
Regularly backing up to the cloud or an external hard drive will prevent you from losing data like photos, messages, and work documents.
11. Do a Factory Reset Once a Year
If your laptop has become slow or there are other problems associated with its performance, a factory reset may solve the problem. There are plenty of online guides that will take you step by step through how to do this.
12. Seek Professional Help When Needed
If you run into more serious issues with your laptop, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. It might save you money in the end. Problems needing professional assistance include:
- Battery will not charge
- System shuts down suddenly
- Blue screen
- Hardware becomes hot
- Fan becomes noisy
- Unresponsive keyboard
Basic laptop maintenance doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and will certainly enhance performance and extend its lifespan. We hope our budget-friendly tips encourage you to set up a maintenance schedule so that your laptop will serve you for years to come.
