- A Computer’s Life is Determined by the User.
- Overheating is a Common Problem With The Wrong Usage.
- Charging The Battery to a Maximum Level Lowers its Life.
1. Switch off your computer too often
Components of the computers heat up during use and cool down when the system is shut down. The less this happens, the longer the computer life you can generally enjoy. However, it is also not recommended to leave your computer running 24/7. General users should find a happy balance between the two. Many decide to shut the computer down every other day or every two days to give it a chance to configure updates and settle down.
Press the burton once but not holding it to shut down your computer. Image-Reader’s Digest.
On top of that, you should always perform a shutdown either directly from the start menu or by pressing the power button. Note that pressing the power button once (not holding it) sends most computers the same signal as from the start menu option to begin safely shutting down. Holding the power button until your computer turns off is a forced shutdown and reduces your computer’s life. This should never be used unless the system is unresponsive and can’t be shut down normally.
2. Cool and Clean your computer regularly
Heat is very damaging to computers. Keep your computer in an open area. Do not put the CPU inside a cabinet or in another location that does not receive proper ventilation. Set it on a desk or another elevated area, not on the floor. Your computer gadget is made up of many moving parts which usually get hot while using it. This causes the metal to expand and then contract when it cools down again. It in turn promote unavoidable wear and tear and will cause parts to fail after so many uses.
All hardware will fail eventually, but making sure your system is as cool as possible is an integral part of extending the life of your computer. Dust and debris can clog fans and ports, reducing airflow, forming a “blanket” on internal components that traps heat, and preventing hardware from maintaining a solid connection. For this reason, it is recommended for thorough cleaning to take apart the laptop and clean the components in the open.
- Charge your laptop responsibly
Charge your computer’s battery up to 80%, and then let it drain to 40%. This can prolong the life of your battery by as much as four times hence prolonging your computer’s life. The reason is that each cell in a lithium-polymer battery is charged to a voltage level. The higher the charge percentage, the higher the voltage level. Constant heat also puts undue stress on batteries. Some computers come with a battery-saving feature that takes most of the work out of this process. However, an easy way to preserve battery life without this feature is to remove the battery once it reaches maximum power. Have your laptop run solely off and save the battery for when you aren not near an outlet.
- Keep on updating software and performing regular maintenance
When you are running Windows, make sure you install Windows Updates weekly which contain patches, security fixes, and software/driver updates that will keep your system running smoothly. Most computers come with Windows Updates set to install automatically. But it never hurts to check that the installation is completed correctly. The same should be done with antivirus software. Most are set to update automatically but you should perform a check weekly or monthly to ensure. Database updates for antivirus software contain new virus/malware definitions to catch recently released bugs identified by the manufacturer.
- Make use of Anti-Virus Software
An Antivirus product is a program designed to detect and remove viruses and other kinds of malicious software from your computer or laptop. Malicious software – known as malware which is code that can harm your computers and laptops, and the data on them. Your devices can become infected by inadvertently downloading malware that is in an attachment linked to a dubious email, hidden on a USB drive, or even by simply visiting a dodgy website.
Once it is on your computer or laptop, malware can steal your data, encrypt it so you can’t access it, or even erase it completely. For this reason, it’s important that you always use antivirus software, and keep it up to date to protect your data and devices prolonging you computer’s life.
6. Running regular Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenting
Disk Cleanup removes selected unnecessary files taking up space on your hard drive. This can include Recycle Bin contents, temporary internet files, and memory dump files among other files. Disk Defragmenter recognizes the files on your hard drive and helps them run more efficiently by consolidating fragmented files.
In reference to Microsoft’s website, Fragmentation happens to a volume over time as you save, change, or delete files. The changes you save to a file are often stored in a different place than the original file. This does not change where the file appears in Windows only where the bits of information that make up the file are stored on the actual volume. Over time, both the file and the volume itself become fragmented, and your computer slows down as it has to look in different places to open a single file.
Disk Cleanup and Defragmenter are generally set to run on a schedule. But it is always a good idea to ensure it is working and manually run each program as necessary. Newer versions of Windows will let you analyze a disk first to see its level of fragmentation. Every user has their own preference, but many run Disk Defragmenter if the level of fragmentation is above 10%. Run it too often, and you will not notice much of a difference.
- Manage startup programs
When you install a program on your computer it is often added to the startup group, meaning that each time you start your computer or laptop, the program will load and run in the background. While your antivirus software should be running at all times, most other programs should not because they use up system resources and slow the system down.
{Article by Abisai Maloba}
