Even with a high-end laptop, little maintenance work goes a long way. Giving your laptop some tender loving care is crucial to keeping it humming along for a longer time. Follow these easy-peasy laptop maintenance tips to make sure your laptop stays on top of its game.
Delete Old Files
Start in the downloads folder and systematically go through all your drives to get rid of old pictures, media files, or old installer files. This will clear your hard drive and improve performance. Make sure you don’t accidentally delete critical system files. In a Windows machine, these will be found in the Systems32 folder.
Organize Your Desktop
Use the automated option to organize and declutter a crowded desktop. If you have a Windows laptop, a quick right-click on your desktop wallpaper will arrange all your desktop icons by either Name, Size, or File type. On a Mac, press command and click simultaneously and choose ‘Clean up’ on the menu.
Clear Cookies
Browsing the internet clogs your machine with temporary files and internet cookies. Clear your browsing data by refreshing google chrome and selecting ‘Clear Browsing data’ from the settings menu.
Clean Your Screen, Keyboard and USB Ports
When dust, grime, and crumbs settle into keyboards and USB ports over time, they can affect performance, slow a laptop down or even cause a system crash. Never jam objects between keys or into the USB ports to clean them. Use a pressure can filled with oxygen instead. This dislodges debris without you having to touch the laptop at all. To clean your screen, switch off your laptop and wipe gently with a damp, clean microfiber cloth. Use water to dampen your cloth or a homemade cleaner made of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part distilled water.
Update Software and Firmware
Every in-use laptop is vulnerable to viruses and data theft. Deal with this problem by updating the security system on your computer. On a Windows 10 laptop, click the Windows icon on the desktop and select the Update & Security option. On a Mac, open the App Store and click updates. This will enable system updates and security patches that will protect your laptop from threats.