<p>Hi guys,</p>
<p>So I'm looking for different ways to keep a laptop in great condition. I've heard that using a laptop on a pillow or in the lap can obstruct the vents and contribute to part deterioration. Aside from "don't drop it" and "don't download porn," what advice do you have for keeping a laptop in tip-top shape, both inside and out?</p>
<p>applicannot</p>
<p>If you have a harddrive and not a solid state drive (if you have the money for one, I suggest you grab an SSD), be very careful of shocks. This doesn’t simply cover dropping; rocking your laptop, rocking the table it’s on, or sudden movements can potentially damage the harddrive. Damage can range from nothing at all to bad sectors to complete mechanical failure.</p>
<p>Remember to defrag your harddrive regularly. Conversely, if you have a solid state drive, do NOT defrag, period.</p>
<p>Clean dust out of your exhaust and intake vents regularly. Around ~6 months in a typical environment sounds right.</p>
<p>If you must clean your monitor or laptop, a moist cloth will be fine. Any more water and you risk droplets running off into the laptop which is, needless to say, bad.</p>
<p>Avoid Best Buy’s and Fry’s “repair” services. They will overcharge. If you need maintenance/repairs but don’t know how to do it, seek out a CS major at your college. Yes, we do know our computers very well and most of us are willing to help out fellow students for free.</p>
<p>Do you remember those cool scenes in movies where a guy pulls something up then dramatically flips or swivels the laptop around to the camera? Yea, don’t do that. This relates to #1.</p>
<p>Be very careful not to drain your battery completely to 0%. A few times on accident won’t hurt you, but do it too often and you will kill your battery life.</p>
<p>That’s all I can think of right now :)</p>
<p>as of 5 o’clock today, I would say “do not put a half filled bottle of water next to your laptop when you are cleaning your room”</p>
<p>ugh…</p>
<p>Are we supposed to only keep our battery plugged up for charging, or can we keep it plugged in all the time? I here mixed opinions.</p>
<p>In general, don’t keep your laptop plugged in for more than two weeks without removing the battery.</p>