Benefits
Compared to a tablet or smartphone, a laptop provides you with a built-in keyboard that’s full size or near full size, so you’ll be able to touch-type for fast data entry. Compared to a desktop PC, you’ll enjoy the ability to use the computer anywhere you go, which may also allow you to be more productive. For example, you can work during your commute or read through emails at a coffee shop between client visits. Or maybe you just want to work outside on nice days.
Ideal Users
Business travellers enjoy the power and versatility that a laptop offers. The portable computing power of a laptop is also helpful for researchers who have quick report back to base when out in the field. Lower cost laptops are a good choice for students who require a PC they can use away from home. Home users who want to move from desk to the couch will also like the lightweight freedom of a laptop.
What You’ll Understand Here
This article will help you learn more about laptops, such as how to maintain it and how to troubleshoot problems. Additionally, Laptop Buyer’s Guide will highlight some new models and list the key features, which can help you determine if that laptop is right for you.
The best thing you will enjoy in a laptop is the power and versatility it offers.
Laptop Maintenance Tips
A Clean Machine
Obviously laptops are designed to withstand mobility difficulties, that doesn’t mean that they are not liable to damages. Dust, heat, and bumps are all dangers that can reduce the useful lifespan of your laptop. Here, we’ll cover some common laptop maintenance tips that you can perform.
Fan Cleaning
Laptops have fan vents on the sides and back of the case, which is where the laptop pushes out the heat generated by the processor and other components. Over time, dust can build up in the vents and trap some of the heat inside the case. That heat can increase the temperature of all of components inside the case and may cause some parts to overheat and either fail or behave erratically. At the very least, the excess heat will keep the hardware from working at its peak. You can use pressure can to blow the dust out of the vents.
Ensure that your laptop’s vents are free of dust.
Keyboard Touch-Up
Keyboard certainly harbour dust and debris. You can also use compressed air to blow any dirt out from under the keyboard. When using the can of compressed air, it’s best to turn the keyboard upside down, so that the debris has someplace to fall. Try to do this over a surface you can easily clean after the dust and dirt has fallen out. If you managed to spill something sticky onto the surface of the keys, dip a cotton swap in isopropyl alcohol and use the cotton swap to clean the sticky substance off the side and tops of the keys.
Heat Avoidance
Internal heat is a threat to your laptop, you’ll also want to watch out for placing your laptop in locations where the entire laptop will be exposed to prolonged external heat. Avoid leaving your laptop in a hot car, placing it in direct sunlight for several hours, or placing it on a non heat conductor object, like leaving it on a leather seat.
Clean The Screen
The LCD screens found on laptops and monitors require a specific cleaning solution to create a streakfree look. Modern cleaning agents contain ammonia that can damage the display panel. Invest in a monitor cleaning spray and a micro fiber cloth to wipe down the screen. Spray the monitor cleaner onto the micro fiber cloth and wipe down the screen. Don’t spray the monitor cleaning solution directly onto the screen, because it can streak down and leave a mark.
You’ll want a micro fibre cloth to clean the screen.
Connector Damage
If the need arise for you to leave with your laptop, ensure you remove any connected peripheral like mice, flash drive, Wireless Modem from the ports before placing it inside the bag. Similarly, you’ll want to avoid damage to the laptop’s power socket by ensuring that the power cord isn’t positioned in a location where someone may trip on it and forcefully pull the power cord out.
External Clean
Once you’ve addressed the internal parts, you can clean the exterior of the case. Use a damp cloth to wipe down the exterior and remove any dirt that has accumulated. If there are slight scratches along the exterior, you can try to buff out the scratch with the damp cloth. You may also want to open the lid and wipe down the areas around the keyboard to remove dust. Clean the laptop every other month and you should avoid the accumulation of debris that could ultimately injure the system.
You rely on your laptop to get work done, so even minor computer glitches can mean big productivity problems.
Laptop Is not Turning On
This can be frustrating, as you don’t have much information to help determine what’s wrong. Look for a light on the laptop that indicates whether or not the battery is being charged. It’s possible the laptop has been plugged into an outlet that’s not functional, so you’ll want to try plugging the power adapter into a different outlet. If the battery appears to be charging, let it sit for 10 minutes to see if the battery just needed some juice. If the laptop still won’t turn on, it’s likely there is a problem with the battery.
Laptop Turns On But Does not Run
In this situation, you’ll likely hear fans turn on and see lights on the laptop—but the PC doesn’t display
anything on the screen. After a few seconds, the laptop shuts down and may attempt to restart. This often happens when some component on the laptop is failing. Try unplugging any peripherals, such as a USB flash drive or any readable external devices connected, that could be causing a short in the system. If that doesn’t work, you may need to take the laptop in for repairs, as most of the hardware inside of a laptop is fairly inaccessible.
Laptop Turns Off Randomly
When a laptop gets too hot, it will typically shut itself down to protect the internal components from overheating. If this is happening to you, track down the cause of the heat. For instance, is there anything blocking the vents, such as dust or a blanket, that’s preventing the vents from exhausting hot air? A can of compressed air can be used to blow dust out of the vents. Random shutdowns may also occur due to an overheated battery or short circuit within the laptop.
If your laptop is having trouble starting, try removing some of the external devices connected to the laptop to rule out a short.
When your laptop freezes up, you may need to remove the battery to restart it.
Laptop Is Frozen
If this were a desktop computer, you could simply pull the power cable, but a laptop’s battery will allow it to continue running—even when it freezes up. To quickly reboot the laptop, press the Power button and hold it for about five seconds. The laptop should power down. Press the power button again to turn on the device. Another way to shake the laptop out of its freeze is to disconnect the power cord and turn the laptop over to remove the battery. Wait about 10 seconds for the residual power to discharge, and you’ll be able to reinstall the battery. Now, you can turn the laptop on, reload your applications, and start off where you last saved.
Battery Life Drain Quickly
When you first purchased your laptop, it could run for hours at a time. Now, you’re lucky if you get an hour out of it. With the Lithium ion batteries found in today’s laptops, total capacity is expected to decline as you discharge and recharge the battery. You can utilize the Windows Mobility Center found in Windows 7 and Windows Vista to make changes to settings that can extend battery life. For instance, you could lower the brightness of your screen, turn off wireless connections that aren’t being used, and change Windows’ power modes to extend battery life. If you can rule out power and heat issues when troubleshooting your laptop, it’ll be much easier to pinpoint the cause of the problem.
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