Do you love your laptop but it’s getting dated and you’re worried it’s won’t keep up with current demands. Some people sell used laptops and buy new ones every year but I personally see it as a waste of money. If your laptop is powerful enough and portable then there is no need to think about getting rid of it. Better think how can you extend the life of your ageing laptop? How can you get to save some bucks when selling your laptop and buying a new one?
Let me show you some useful tricks and tips to boost your laptop’s lifespan by 50%. In this article, I have come up with 5 (five) easy hacks to keep your old laptop running a little longer.
-
Monitor your laptop and cool things down
More often, there is usually one application you are running on your laptop that is hogging your RAM. This will probably cause your computer to run slowly. If you are using a MAC, open up the finder and search for the Activity center. This will allow you to see what application is consuming the largest percentage of your processing unit. You can choose to quit the program or delete it permanently if it is not useful to solve the problem.
If you are on a Windows laptop, look for the resource monitor by opening the task manager, and you will see how all the applications are running on your computer. Make sure you delete the app only when you are sure of what it does.
Cooling your system is also an essential hack to increase the lifespan of your computer. I had a MacBook which struggled during the humid summer months. I had to elevate it on a cooling pad to keep it from freezing. A cooling pad is very necessary and helpful, or you could just consider replacing the laptop’s built-in fan.
-
Clean your computer very often
There are basic maintenance that should be done on your laptop, especially if you use it every day. Cleaning your computer should be done every day just before and after using it. Taking some minutes periodically to clean the entry point around the keycaps, touchpad surface, keyboard surface, the hinge, ports and screen. This will save you from money and heartache in the long run. If you do not clean your touch screen regularly, it can make it filthy and in the long run, less responsive. Keeping fan vents dust free and clear is very important to make sure you maximize your computer’s usable life span.
-
Streamline your Laptop
Very often, look through your applications and file as well as services and program that run at startup. Delete any file or application you do not need. Will doing this extend the life span of the computer? Probably not. Except by reducing a meaningful amount of heat generated by the unnecessary activity of the processing unit.
But at least, deleting anything you do not need will make it feel faster just like cleaning up a room will make it bigger. The best way you can make your system feel like a new one is to freshen up the operating system. This will reinstall the operating system while leaving your files and data intact.
-
Do not eat or Drink Beside your Laptop
It is easy for you to think you can never eat near your laptop. But you will be surprised how pretty soon you forget. Make it a habit not to eat by your laptop because particles from your food can easily move through the keycaps of your keyboard and cause a long-term problem. Unlike a desktop computer which can have its keyboard replaced immediately, it is faulty, a laptop’s keyboard is integrated and is placed above some vital component. Small damage to the keyboard may cost you to replace the laptop and not the keyboard.
-
Accessorize your laptop
Many times, the built-in components of your laptop may wear out from constant usage. Using external accessories such as the keyboard, monitor and mouse; even the cheap ones helps to save the built-in components from wear and tear. When the components of a laptop start wearing out, the laptop itself may develop some faults.
Final verdict
Some laptops last longer than others. That usually correlates with the initial price of the machine. These hacks might not save you millions, but they will surely help you to prolong the life of your computer and give you some time to save up some bucks if you need to buy a new one.
