Tip of the Month - November

Laptop Care

We’ve been fixing Laptop problems for a fair while and we’ve seen all sorts of problems that could have been avoided with a bit of TLC.

Firstly, like all electronic goods, they need to be treated gently. If you’re cycling to work, don’t put your Laptop in a Sainsbury’s carrier bag swinging from the handlebars. Don’t laugh, because we’ve seen it. One bang and your hard drive is gone or you might even pop a component off from the Motherboard. Invest in a good protective bag that’s water resistant too.

If you’re unwinding with some Merlot whilst browsing for shoes on the Internet, don’t put the glass anywhere near your machine. Spill liquid onto a Desktop PC keyboard and it’s £25 to replace, but Laptop keyboards are much pricier at £50-£90 plus labour to fit. It could be worse because lurking under your Laptop keyboard are often Hard Drives and exposed Motherboards and they really dislike swimming. House parties, beaches and Laptops are a really bad combination.

Batteries can also be expensive, typically £50-£100. You can easily prolong their life and strength by removing them ( very easy ) from your Laptop when you are working with the AC power supply on. If you buy a new Laptop or battery then charge the battery to full then immediately remove the AC supply and work until the battery is almost flat. Repeat this process twice more and you will have given your powerpack a great start in life.

It may be interested to some to make swirly patterns by sliding your finger over the LCD screen but replacing this will be more expensive than buying a stand-alone monitor, typically around £200. Ouch. If you’re using your Laptop in bed then put it on a shelf before retiring otherwise morning sleepyhead will probably put their foot through the screen if left by the bed.

Keep USB memory sticks, external hard drives and even your Laptop away from magnetic fields as they may get wiped. So stay clear of plug sockets, plasma TV’s and powerful electrical appliances.

Finally, if you are using the machine literally on your lap, or on a duvet or cushion, bear in mind that you may well be blocking the fan’s vent underneath the keyboard which will slowly cook your internal electronics until something breaks down.

If you’ve got any further questions please go to the Call Us page in the Laptop section.