Keeping your laptop running smoothly for many years requires you to put in some extra effort. Most laptops are replaced every few years, not for new models with better features, but because they start to slow down after a while. Laptops can be vulnerable to everything right from dust to physical damage as they are often carried everywhere. However, your laptop can work for a longer period of time if you dedicate a little time every month to some additional maintenance work and laptop care. If you need tips on laptop maintenance, follow some of these steps to increase the lifespan of your laptop.
- Clean Your Hard Drive
Over a period of time, you tend to accumulate a lot of unnecessary files on the laptop hard drive. Take time out once in a month for laptop care to determine which ones should be saved and which can be trashed. You can even use an external drive to make storage much easier. If you regularly keep downloading different software and applications without using them, make sure you properly uninstall them. A clean hard drive helps your laptop perform much better.
- Keep Your Laptop Clean
Keeping your laptop physically clean helps avoid overheating problems. It also keeps away dust bunnies which build up inside your laptop fan and open exposed ports. Cleaning the screen keeps your view clear and is much easier on the eyes. The case carrying your laptop should also be kept clean. Setting aside some time for laptop maintenance on a regular basis keeps it looking new and working well over a longer period of time.
- Scan for Viruses and Reinstall OS
Software maintenance can be complicated if you try to resolve it in a single go. The easiest technique for laptop care is to run virus protection software from time to time. This is very important because your operating system keeps changing. Viruses, spyware and data corruption can degrade the system performance. After a particular time period, your system might begin to run slowly and freeze frequently. Every once a month, it’s mandatory to run virus protection software to complete a full scan for spyware and viruses on your laptop. Reinstalling your operating system can also make the OS run smooth.
- Check for Updates
You should always keep your laptop software updated. Keeping the latest version of software, especially for programs frequently used, helps the application work faster. The new version will have all new major and minor bug fixes that improve loading time. Before you update your software, you should also complete a full backup. This should be done on a monthly basis. Keeping a full backup of your valuable files on the system ensures that your system keeps working smoothly
- Defragment Your Hard drive
Defragmentation is a process of rearranging fragmented data so that it’s easier to read, allowing your computer to work more efficiently. Defragmenting your hard drive is another laptop care technique that ensures your laptop runs efficiently. You need to defrag the hard drive once a month to make your programs run quickly and make better use of space. After the defragmentation process, there will be fewer software crashes and freeze-ups of programs which will keep the system working better and faster.
Every time your laptop stops working, your time is wasted and work gets delayed. This is laptop maintenance plays a very important role. Apart from regular monthly maintenance, you should also get your laptop looked at by a professional. Visit your nearest Dell Exclusive service center to get your laptop serviced by an expert so it can keep working smoothly for a long time.