4 Important Laptop Maintenance Tips to Know

Around 31% of laptops fail within 3 years of being purchased brand new.

Having your laptop break is never ideal, and it can happen seemingly out of nowhere. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to extend the lifespan of your laptop and keep it working properly.

For 4 important laptop maintenance tips, keep reading.

1. Delete Old Files

One thing people often miss when thinking about maintaining a laptop is clearing out old files from time to time. Most people add files to their laptop, and after a while no longer need them, but don’t delete them.

If you have enough disk space, this may not seem like an issue, but any excess files can slow your laptop down. The downloads folder is a good place to start when looking for files you don’t need anymore.

Just be sure not to delete any critical files as this could stop your laptop from running properly. On Windows, anything in the System32 folder is essential, and Apple generally keeps these files hidden.

2. Clean Your Ports

Caring for a laptop involves keeping it clean. You can usually see when dirt builds up externally, such as on the screen or keyboard. It can be a lot harder to notice, however, in ports, and when these get clogged it can cause functional issues.

It can be tricky to get inside the ports to clean them properly, but there are ways to make it simple. One of the easiest things to do is use compressed air. You can use it to get rid of dirt in ports without physically touching any components or contacts so it won’t harm your laptop.

3. Install Updates

Developers regularly release updates for software and operating systems. It can often be tempting to put updates off, but this is generally a bad idea. Sometimes updates will add new features or upgrades, but most are simply patches for security measures.

When a developer learns of an exploit, they’ll work to quickly patch it and encourage users to install the update. Until you do, you’ll be exposed to whatever the potential threat is. Your computer will often notify you when an update is available, but you can also check for updates on most operating systems and programs.

4. Keep It Physically Protected

One thing that’s sure to quickly reduce the lifespan of a laptop is physical damage. Small things like scratches may just be cosmetic issues, but hard knocks or drops could completely break your laptop. Whenever you’re transporting it you should do so in a protective case or bag.

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The Importance of Laptop Maintenance

If you really don’t want to, you don’t have to worry about any laptop maintenance, but this will almost certainly lead to it breaking much sooner than it should. You want to look after it both in terms of the hardware and the software to keep it in good shape for as long as you can.

For more tech articles check out some of our other blog posts.