Many Computer Owners Unknowingly Cause Damage to Their Computers
"You'd be surprised how many people unknowingly damage their computers," said Derek Meister, a technician for Best Buy's repair and on-line support service, the Geek Squad. A common mistake, says Mr. Meister, is using a laptop on your lap.
In spite of its name a laptop should not be used on your lap or on any cushy surface, like a bed comforter, that would restrict air circulation around the computer. Overheating is a major call of computer failure. Overheating can be easily prevented by resting the four nubs usually found on the computers based on a hard flat surface.
A Laptop Must be Properly Cooled to Continue Running Well
For those who use their laptop for long periods of time as a desktop an even better solution is to buy a little inexpensive cooling platform. The computer sits on top of the platform and is cooled by small fans which circulate air around the laptop.
In order to protect your computer's hard drive you must make sure that it is completely shut down and has stopped spinning before throwing your laptop into a travel bag or even carrying it across the room. If you move the computer around while the hard drive is still active the actuators arm could bump into the drive's fragile and easily damaged magnetic memory material and cause severe problems.
Even new modern laptop hard drives, which usually have gyroscopes that shut down the hard drive when they sense movement, should be given a few seconds to completely shut down before the computer is moved.
Another frequent user error is leaving a laptop plugged in all the time. "A lot of people use their laptops as a desktop," said Kevin Dane, executive director of product quality and reliability for Dell Computer. "Leaving it plugged in all the time diminishes the battery life and degrades its performance." Running a laptop two to three times a week off battery power should be enough to keep the battery in good condition.
Accumulating dust inside the computer case is another potential operating problem for any laptop computer. Dust accumulation is especially troubling if the computer is kept in areas with pets, smokers and carpeting or is used outside in dry dusty environments. Laptop service experts recommend cleaning out desktop and laptop computers at least once a year by taking them to a repair center for a thorough cleaning.
Great care must be taken to keep liquids of any sort away from the computer. Even a small amount of a Coke or cup of coffee spilled onto a laptop may cause a complete nightmare of operating problems.
A modern laptop computer that is properly cared for should give several years of trouble-free service. When laptops do have early recurring service problems the reason for the problems can usually be traced back to the user.
Technology Gather