Naturally it’s important to take good care of your computer if you want to keep it in good working order. Here are a few tips that can help!

An accident waiting to happen

1) LIQUIDS

Do you have any idea how many people accidentally DESTROY their computers with just a few drops of water? Even if you are being very careful, the reality is when you least expect it, an accident can happen. Seriously – just a few drops of a liquid (water, coffee, tea, beer, wine, etc) accidentally spilled on a laptop will kill it immediately by frying the motherboard of your computer. To fix it could end up costing you about 2/3 of the original purchase price if you have to replace the logic board which is the single most expensive part in a computer.  Many times it doesn’t make sense to spend that much and so you will need to buy a brand new computer. So what I suggest is this. Imagine a one foot circle of protection around your laptop at all times. Call it the “danger zone”. Do not let any liquid come inside the danger zone, ever! 

2) BACKUP

If you own a computer, you need to have a backup drive for it, period. All computers at some point will fail or have a problem, so if you don’t have a backup of all of the computer’s data, you could potentially lose everything. So buy a backup drive and use it regularly to keep your computer backed up. I have many clients who when I ask them if they own a backup drive, say sure, then show it to me sitting in a drawer and ask me “So do I need to plug it in?” So I say, “Yes, backup drives don’t magically back up your computer sitting in your drawer, you do need to plug it in to let it backup the computer”.  So if your backup drive is not always attached to the computer (ideal) be sure to plug it in at least once a month, once a week, or whatever works for your needs. A backup is only as good as the last time you did it. You can also use Dropbox, which will keep your files safe. Here’s a link for you to sign up to Dropbox (plus get an extra 500MB) for free if you don’t already have an account.

MORE TIPS

In general, keep your OS (Operating System) updated and especially be sure to perform any “Security” updates you are informed about. 

When working on a document, get into the habit of SAVING it every 5-10 minutes. If you don’t and you’ve been working for 2 days on a paper, the computer crashes or something else happens, you could lose the days of work you put in. Ony SAVE will update the file to the current version. Or use SAVE AS and keep incremental versions (Filename1, Filename2, etc)

Don’t block airflow to your laptop’s bottom. Try to use it on a desk or hard surface, not on a bed, or blankets, which could block airflow and possibly make your laptop overheat. If you do have it on a bed, put something hard under it. Better still, get a “laptop cooler” for it and use it on top of it which gets air blowing on the bottom. Watch your wires, be sure not to trip over them which might bring your pricey laptop crashing to the ground and break it. 

 A laptop is an expensive and delicate device. Carry your laptop carefully. Buy a nice padded case for it and keep it in it, zipped up, even if you have it in another bag. What I tell clients (especially college kids) is don’t just think you are putting a book in your backpack but think of the laptop you are carrying as an expensive and delicate glass mirror that you are carrying around in your backpack…you need to really protect it from breaking! Think of it that way and you will be safer. Laptops are expensive and fragile devices. Screens get broken all the time! They cost hundreds of dollars to fix.

So take good care of your computer and hopefully it will last you a long time….