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So, you just got your hands on a brand-new laptop. You’re wondering how to maximize your return on the investment and keep it looking and running like new for as long as possible.

Sounds about right? Here are 10 laptop care tips that will help make sure your computer stays in good shape, on the outside and inside, for years to come.

• Keep Food, Drinks, and Liquids Away
• 5 Tips to Prevent Digital Eye Strain
• Increase Battery Lifespan
• Let Your Laptop Breathe
• Invest in a Protective Sleeve or Bag
• Store Your Device Properly
• Keep Software Up to Date
• Remove Unused Apps and Files
• Stay Virus-Free
• Future-Proof Performance
• Why Take Care of Your Laptop?

Keep Food, Drinks, and Liquids Away

It’s common sense that electricity and water aren’t a good combination. Unfortunately, liquids or breadcrumbs and laptop keyboards, for example, aren’t either.

One of the most important ways to ensure your laptop’s longevity is to keep it away from food and beverages. But if you’re going to have a drink while working, make sure to keep your cup far enough away from the computer that, in case of a spill, liquid doesn’t go directly on your laptop’s keyboard. 20-30 centimeters should do it.

Another option is to use a laptop stand that lifts your machine up, keeping it away from liquids and food.

Otherwise, if you’re working at the desk while eating or drinking, place the computer as far away from the edge as possible. This way crumbs or liquid won’t fall straight on the keyboard.

Invest in Dedicated Cleaning Solutions

It is crucial to clean your laptop regularly. Make sure to pay special attention to the keyboard, touchpad, display surface, and vents.

Below are some small investments you can make to help in keeping your laptop clean.

Get a soft microfiber cloth for your laptop screen, and always have a container of 75% rubbing alcohol handy, so you can use it as a disinfectant when wiping the screen or keyboard.

Another important purchase is an air blaster (which usually comes in a can).

Finally, invest in a small, soft brush and cotton swabs.

The key is to make sure all the products are appropriate for laptop maintenance, as using the wrong product can scratch surfaces. For instance, screen wipes will have information about suitability for computers screens on the label. Do not use typical household cleaners or dish soap. Also avoid paper towels.

Laptop cleaning kits that combine all the mentioned are available and inexpensive. You can get one at your local store or via an e-commerce platform of your choice.

We have another article that details how to clean your laptop correctly and safely. Give it a read!

Increase Battery Lifespan

Even the most impressive laptop battery life can deteriorate over time. It’s important to optimize the battery settings for increased longevity.

The first thing you need to know is that you should keep your laptop plugged in as long as you can. If you’re working at the desk most of the time, simply keep the power cord plugged in.

Contrary to popular belief, overcharging your laptop’s battery is not as much of an issue as you might think. ASUS makes sure that when your computer reaches full charge, the power cord simply stops providing electricity until needed again.

Your computer settings can help you optimize your system to maximize battery health. If you’re using an ASUS laptop, visit MyASUS customization options. Under Power & Performance, you can change the charging option to Battery health charging ― which is a great option for those who mostly use the laptop at their desks. This will keep your battery at 80% charge maximum.

Full charge is great when you are on the move. If you’d like to keep your battery healthy for as long as possible, however, the Battery health charging is best.

Also, if possible, never deplete your battery completely. Letting your battery drop to 0% before recharging is proven to be damaging to the battery’s health.

Let Your Laptop Breathe

When your computer is running, its components get hot. Different laptops handle cooling in different ways. Some laptops come with innovative ways that improve airflow. Examples include the ErgoLift hinge or the vents under the ScreenPad Plus

As a general rule, to ensure proper cooling, you should place your laptop on a hard, even surface like a table or desk. Setting your laptop on soft materials such as pillows or cloth of any kind can prevent the necessary heat dissipation.

If you really want to use your laptop in bed or on your lap, invest in a laptop stand specially designed for that purpose.

And a reminder: If you decide to carry your computer out, remember to turn it off before you put it in the bag. If it keeps working in an enclosure, the vents are covered ― preventing necessary airflow, which can lead to damage due to overheating.

Invest in a Protective Sleeve or Bag

It is important to invest in a dedicated carrier for your laptop to help prevent damage. Plenty of solutions are available to choose from. The simplest is a laptop sleeve that can allow you to safely transport your computer in your favorite bag or hand-carry.

You can also look into buying a laptop bag. These usually come with a couple of partitions that help you carry other things, such as a power cord, mouse, earphones or dongles.

As another option, many commercially available backpacks also come with a well-padded dedicated laptop partition.

In any case, when choosing a laptop carrier, make sure there is plenty of padding. A simple neoprene sleeve may not provide enough protection. We recommend choosing a brand that specializes in computer products.

You can select something from some other reputable brand that offers computer carriers.

Store Your Device Properly

Where and how you store your machine matters, particularly when it comes to sunlight exposure. Leaving your laptop near a window or inside the car on a hot day is a recipe for disaster.

If you live in a country with a humid climate, it’s good to turn on a dehumidifier in the room where you keep your computer. Water (especially salt-water, if you live near the sea) in the air can accelerate the degradation of your computer parts.

As a rule of thumb, don’t put anything on top of your laptop. It may be tempting to see the flat surface of your laptop cover as an attractive place to store your mugs, computer chargers, and other things. Aside from potential aesthetic damage, putting weight on the laptop’s cover applies pressure. This can cause deformation of the chassis or screen cracks. It can even reduce the distance between the screen surface and the keyboard, which can lead to scratches on the glass.

Investing in a silicon keyboard cover can help protect your screen from scratches. It also helps in protecting your keyboard from liquids.

A screen protection film can help with keeping your display in a good condition, but even with the two layers of protection, it’s still crucial to make sure you don’t put anything on top of your laptop.

Finally, if you own a 2-in-1 device with a 360° screen hinge, make sure to always close it down so that the screen faces the keyboard instead of outwards. This way, you can limit exposure of the screen to damage and scratching, and prevent dust from getting inside of your keyboard.

Keep Software Up to Date

Make sure to keep your laptop updated. Outdated apps and systems can run slower and cause compatibility issues, which can expose you to security issues and also hinder your computer’s performance.

To take full advantage of the most up-to-date software, make sure to enable automatic updates, or if you prefer, regularly check for updates yourself.

To make sure your Windows system is up to date, go to Settings, then Update & Security, then Windows Updates; then click Check for Updates.

To automatically update your apps, visit Microsoft Store. At the upper right corner of the interface, select the account menu (the three dots) and then select Settings. Under App updates, set Update apps automatically to the On position.

Remove Unused Apps and Files

Many laptop users complain that their computers get slower over time. One of the main culprits that causes slowdowns is overloading that results from having too many apps on the device.

To avoid this common problem, you will need to develop a couple of good habits.

Start with carefully evaluating which apps you really need; then remove all of the apps that don’t fall into this category. Remember: you can always download an app as you need it.

Regularly review the list of applications installed on your computer, and if you identify any that you are not using, uninstall them. Along with potentially helping your computer run faster, it also frees up space.

Another crucial step is to manage the auto-launch of applications. Many apps are automatically set to start as soon as you turn on your computer, which slows down booting up the computer. Only auto-launch what’s necessary.

To change which apps launch on startup, go to Task Manager (Alt + Ctrl + Del), then click Task Manager; click More Details, then go to the Startup tab. Review which apps are set to launch automatically. Make sure only essential apps are set to open upon startup.

Also, if you any documents, images or videos (the last are usually the heaviest) that you don’t need anymore, delete them to free up storage space.

If you’re afraid of losing important files or simply need to keep lots of them for work, it might be a good idea to invest in another storage space. Either a cloud service or an external hard drive work well.

Stay Virus-Free

Computer viruses and other malware can slow your laptop down, and expose your files, passwords and activity history.

The first step in battling this is to install reputable antivirus software and run scans regularly (you can also automate that). Unfortunately, to get proper protection, you may need to pay for the software. Not all antivirus software is equal, and quality tends to come at a price. We recommend Kaspersky AntiVirus.

To help prevent viruses from infecting your computer, avoid websites with a doubtful reputation (there are telltale signs you can easily identify, like inappropriate ads). Do not click links that you aren’t sure about, especially from companies that you wouldn’t describe as reputable.

When installing applications, only download them either from Microsoft Store or directly from the developer’s website.

Also, be conscious of email attachments. If you have any doubts about the sender, it is best to simply not open the attachments ─ especially if you notice the file extension is .exe.

Future-Proof Performance

It might be a good idea to buy a bit more powerful laptop than you need right now, since laptops aren’t as easily customizable as desktops.

For example, if you are planning to buy a device with an Intel® Core® i5 CPU, maybe look into an i7 option instead. If you’re used to running your computer on 8 GB RAM, think about buying one with 16 GB.

Oftentimes, the newer the software, the more power it will require ─ you can especially feel that if you’re a gamer. Spending a little more right now for a more powerful machine can translate to savings in the future―because your laptop is likely to be better suited to handle future software.

Some devices (especially creator and gaming laptops) also come with storage or memory expansion slots. It is a good idea to look into such machines if you expect heavier workloads in the future.

Why Take Care of Your Laptop?

Maintaining good habits can extend your laptop’s longevity.

Many users buy a laptop every couple of years (average laptop lifespan is 3–5 years). Taking measures to ensure that your laptops runs longer can save you money over the long term ― because you don’t have to replace the device as soon as you otherwise may need to.

Posted on: March 26, 2023, by : Bhavin Thakkar