Methods to Extend the Life of Your Laptop, Notebook or Netbook

by Graham Kelly
http://www.trilogicuk.co.uk

Laptop users rarely consider how easy it is to wreck a laptop. This article outlines how easy it is to damage a netbook by careless use.

The notebook screen can easily be damaged if it is distorted or dropped. If the damage is minor then one or more lines may be displayed; the laptop may still be usable but the display damage ruins the picture quality. If the damage is severe then cracks may be seen inside the screen often with what looks like ink leaking. This will render the laptop unusable as the display will not be complete. Sometimes the display will be very dim where the backlight bulb has broken, again rendering the laptop unusable. Care must be taken never to subject the screen or notebook to g forces when opening the lid do it slowly paying particular attention to the releasing of the lid catch so as not to twist or distort the lid.

The hard disk drive can easily be damaged if the laptop is banged or subject to g forces whilst it is turned on. Generally, bad blocks and hard drive errors could be created that if minor, will cause occasional errors in programs or Windows, but if severe will prevent Windows from launching. When the notebook is turned off the hard disk drive parks its heads, safeguarding against minor g forces, so a severe g force or drop would be necessary to damage the hard drive when the notebook is turned off. Try to avoid moving your laptop when it is running as it is too easy to wreck the disk drive by banging or clonking it.

If fluid is spilt on the keyboard one or more of the keys will usually stop working; isn't usually possible to remove the fluid so a brand new keyboard will usually be required. Generally, if more fluid is spilt over the keyboard it will enter the laptop and damage the motherboard and also the keyboard. In many cases the motherboard will need replacing, however, this will likely cost as much as the notebook is worth especially if there is other damage. It depends on how much fluid enters the netbook, but not much is required before other laptop parts become damaged. Always avoid having a drink near your netbook.

Pulling the cable from the power pack or tripping over it can often cause the internal power socket to fail. Treat this connector with care since it is expensive to repair or replace.

Dropping the laptop when turned off may damage the plastic case, notebook motherboard, DVD drive or screen and hard disk as mentioned earlier.

Be careful to always shut down the notebook properly, use the Windows shut down feature for this. Do not use the sleep or hibernate function since it does not always completely turn off the notebook leaving the hard disk vulnerable to movement damage. It always takes longer to start the notebook from a full shutdown but has the extra benefit of clearing the RAM such that numerous programs will operate quicker. Just closing the notebook lid should not be used as a method of shutting down the laptop since the setting could be set to merely sleep or hibernate when this is done.

Finally, never shut down the netbook by removing the battery/power supply or holding the power button on for 10 seconds. This must only be used as a last resort after a system crash as potentially hard disk drive errors could be created by this action.

If you treat your notebook with care it should offer you many years of use.

I have spent many years successfully repairing broken laptops and notebooks. Usually a faulty laptop motherboard can be repaired rather than replaced. Laptop repair is difficult but is definitely a challenge. http://www.trilogicuk.co.uk

Article submitted Monday, August 29, 2011 & read 4 times.

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