Looking After Your Laptop

Laptops are part of everyday life nowadays, whether this is for use in the office, work at home as your personal computer, or for academic work as part of a university course (plus watching DVDs of course, as we all know students need a break from their work!)
 
We spend a lot of money on our laptops so it is very important that we look after them correctly – because if we do not look after them, it can take weeks for them to be fixed. They are also very costly to replace and filling out all of the insurance forms can be a minefield in itself. Taking some simple steps can help prevent damage to your device and keep the screen in good working order.

Leaving your laptop on for long periods of time will damage this device, due to the screen itself becoming very hot. Therefore, it is best to keep the device in a well -ventilated area in the cool to prevent the laptop from overheating.
 
The best, and one of the simplest ways to prevent damage, is to buy a laptop case or bag. This is more likely to stop the device being bumped, knocked and dropped or the screen becoming scratched.
The main power cord should never be pulled when you are turning the device off. This is a common mistake and can cause dame to the laptop, the charger and jack socket.
 
When you are connecting and disconnecting external devices to your laptop, take care, as being too rough and trying to force them in and out of the socket can also cause damage.
 
This is another common mistake people tend to do. Never eat or drink near your laptop. Liquids can short out the circuits, causing damage – which most of the time cannot be fixed. Food falls between the keys causing bacteria to grow and eventually stopping the keys from working properly.
 
Never carry your laptop by the screen; you should always make sure there is nothing on the screen and shut the lid. Laptop screens can be replaced and have varying costs depending on where you go.
 
Scratches on your laptop are not only annoying, but become very frustrating to the user and can be off-putting. Acting quickly can increase the chances of being able to fix the scratch on the laptop, restoring the device to its former glory. You can fix small scratches on your laptop with relative ease and at little cost to yourself, with just some simple tools that can be purchased from most supermarkets.
 
Some simple tips for looking after your laptop by Vince Taylor, written for Accupart Ltd