Taking Care Of Your Laptop Computer

By Joe Chianese

As the proud owner of a new or old laptop computer, you will want to keep your machine in the best possible condition.

Besides cleaning your screen and dusting the keyboard, however, you will need to take a few extra steps to maintain your laptop's health:

Always play it cool:

A laptop computer can generate a lot of heat, particularly when
running the latest high-powered software. Too much heat and
you risk damaging the internal circuitry.

Try to always keep your laptop in a well-ventilated, cool
environment. And be sure you never block the fan grills on
the sides, back, or bottom of the machine at any time.

Handle the screen carefully:
You should always avoid touching or playing with your LCD screen.


It may be fun to watch the waves generated by your
finger against the screen, but LCD displays are fragile
devices that must be cared for.

Take care when cleaning the screen also, and use only approved cleaning materials.
You will not want to pay the money for screen repairs or, even worse - a new machine entirely.

Don't drop it:

Whatever you do, never drop your laptop computer! To be sure keep it safe inside of a carrying case when moving around and traveling.

Of course don't leave it on the edge of a table or on an unstable support of some kind. One ill fated drop to the floor could spell death for your mobile office.

All ways make sure the rubber feet underneath are in good condition and are still attached. Because this will prevent the device from sliding around accidentally.

Be careful with those drinks...

If you need to have a drink while working or playing, be careful not to spill it. Your laptop computer could suffer the consequences from just a few drops of liquid poured in the right (or wrong) places.

While you probably do eat and drink around it regardless, you will want to occasionally wipe down the edges, the keyboard, the touchpad, and maybe even wipe down the screen to keep any dirt from accumulating.

Just say no to viruses:


For your security, make sure you obtain an anti-virus program.
Secondly, keep it updated!

Buying an anti-virus one month and not updating it for the next six really negates it purpose. Your laptop computer could be exposed to hundreds and thousands of new viruses every month if you don't update your virus definitions.

Most anti-virus programs have automatic update methods,
eliminating the need for you to have to remember to do it
manually. It will update while you are online all by itself.

Avoid Popups:

Pop-ups are particularly annoying on a laptop computer.
Trying to close a bunch of windows without a regular mouse
can be a nuisance.

You'll want a pop-up blocker, such as the Google Toolbar
(located at http://tools.google.com), to prevent these pop-
up ads.

Many intrusive forms of advertising, and even some viruses,
can install software on your machine by using various forms
of pop-ups. It is best to get yourself a blocker and avoid
the situation entirely.

Use a firewall:

Always utilize a firewall on your Internet or network-
enabled laptop computer. Even if you use Windows XP's built-
in firewall (or purchase one from such companies as Norton),
your security will greatly benefit from it.

Blocking out all the unnecessary ports and closing all the
loopholes will prevent a hacker or virus from freely
entering your hard drive.

So there you go. Combine all of the above tactics and help
your laptop enjoy a happier and healthier lifestyle!

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Joe Chianese is a technical writer and frequent contributor
to HowToBuyALaptop.com. For advice on how to find the right
laptop computer for you, visit: http://HowToBuyALaptop.com
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