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How to Keep Your Laptop in Tip-Top Shape

HOW TO KEEP YOUR LAPTOP IN TIP-TOP SHAPE Nearly 90% of college students own laptops. They're a big investment for anyone, but most college students don't have the extra funds sitting around to replace them when they break down. A few simple tech- niques can keep your laptop running for the whole length of your college career. 1 ALWAYS RUN YOUR LAPTOP ON A SMOOTH, HARD SURFACE Though the name suggests otherwise, never set your laptop on your lap- or pillows, blankets, or other soft, uneven surfaces. These can prevent airflow to the bottom of the computer and cause overheating, one of the biggest contributors to computer failure. THE HEAT FROMA LAPTOP CAN REDUCE SPERM COUNT IN MEN BY AS MUCH AS 40% WHEN PLACED ON THE LAP. PUT YOUR LAPTOP TO SLEEP Z BEFORE PUTTING IT IN YOUR BAG Don't drop your laptop into your backpack as soon as you close the lid. It often takes several seconds for the hard drive to shut down, and it can be damaged from bumps and movement while still running in the mean time. Just to be safe, put your computer to sleep before closing it. A Put Computer to Sleep Close Lid Place in Bag LAPTOPS ARE 80% MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT THAN THEIR DESKTOP COUNTERPARTS. THEY ALSO RUN 20% MORE EFFICIENTLY WHEN PLUGGED IN. 3 DON'T LEAVE YOUR LAPTOP PLUGGED IN 24/7 Constantly charging your computer can degrade the battery and shorten its life. If you use your laptop as your desktop, make sure to unplug 2-3 times a week so the battery can get the 'exercise' it needs to stay healthy. Similarly, don't leave your computer without any battery at all for long periods of time, as this too can cause degradation. EVERY YEAR, AMERICAN HOMEOWNERS WASTE $4 BILLION ON VAMPIRE POWER, THE ELECTRICITY CONSUMED BY DEVICES THAT REMAIN PLUGGED IN BUT NOT IN USE. 4 A CLEAN OUT YOUR COMPUTER ONCE A YEAR Excessive dust build-up is Compressed A one of the most common Air factors in compromised Cotton computer performance. Use compressed air, Swabs Laptop Vacuum a vacuum, or cotton swabs to keep all openings clear year round (also works for the areas beneath the keys), then open up the case once a year to gently clean the insides (repair shops will do this for you if you're squeamish about such things). C MAJOR DUST BUILDUP CAN MAKE THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF A COMPUTER RISE AS MUCH AS 30°F - A LEVEL WHICH CAN CAUSE COMPLETE FAILURE. SHUT DOWN YOUR COMPUTER EVERY FEW DAYS Many of your computer's normal maintenance tasks revolve around your computer shutting down and starting back up, including clearing caches and short term memory and installing system updates. Are you sure you want to shut down computer now? Restart Sleep Cancel Shut Down Clear Browsing Data Obliterate the following items from: the past hour O Clear browsing history O Clear download history O Empty the cache O Delete cookies O Clear saved passwords Cancel Clear Browsing Data For those of us who live on our laptops this is often tough to remember, but it can work wonders (especially if your machine has been behaving oddly). 6 BE PREPARED O FOR THIEVES Most people immediately turn to the police when their laptop is stolen, but even with locating software installed, it can be difficult for the police to get a warrant to reclaim the laptop. The best solution is A: TrueCrypt Software A encrypting sensitive data. Using an open-source tool like TrueCrypt is like a safe for one's computer: Locating Software G Laptop Lock a thief may get in the front door, but they can't get to the valuable goods. And though it goes without saying: never leave your laptop unattended, and lock your dorm room door even when leaving for just a few minutes. ACCORDING TO THE FBI, A LAPTOP IS STOLEN EVERY 53 SECONDS. ONLY 3% ARE EVER RECOVERED. 7 ВАCK UP EVERYTHING 1GB DATA A gigabyte of data is very cheap in 2011, so there's no excuse to not back up your files. ERTY • DDO And though it may seem like obvious advice, many people just don't do it. For students, the stakes are especially LOST DATA COSTS THE U.S. ECONOMY AN ESTIMATED $18.2 BILLION ANNUALLY. high as papers, notes, and projects can all be lost permanently. Buy an external hard drive from a reliable brand and 35% OF COMPUTER USERS back up at least once a week-you'll be safe in case of theft, crash, or spilled beer. NEVER BACK UP THEIR DATA. ONLY 7% BACK UP DAILY. CREATED BY: O www.OnlinelTDegree.net http://www.zdnet.com/news/study-laptop-heat-a-threat-to-fertility/140204 • http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and _science/the_green_lantern/2008/12/keep_on_plugging.html • http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/a-nano- solution-to-vampire-energy/?scp=1&sq=vampire%20electricity&st=cse • http://www.computerdust.com/downloads/ special_report_on_the_effect_of_dust_on_electronics.pdf • http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/how-to-keep- your-laptop-from-being-stolen/1766 • http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/securing-your-laptop-before-it-gets -stolen/?src=busin • http://blog.backblaze.com/2011/07/12/94-of-computer-users-still-risk-data-loss/ • http://gbr.pep perdine.edu/2010/08/the-cost-of-lost-data/ BY NC ND This Work Is Licensed Under Creative Commons License HOW TO KEEP YOUR LAPTOP IN TIP-TOP SHAPE Nearly 90% of college students own laptops. They're a big investment for anyone, but most college students don't have the extra funds sitting around to replace them when they break down. A few simple tech- niques can keep your laptop running for the whole length of your college career. 1 ALWAYS RUN YOUR LAPTOP ON A SMOOTH, HARD SURFACE Though the name suggests otherwise, never set your laptop on your lap- or pillows, blankets, or other soft, uneven surfaces. These can prevent airflow to the bottom of the computer and cause overheating, one of the biggest contributors to computer failure. THE HEAT FROMA LAPTOP CAN REDUCE SPERM COUNT IN MEN BY AS MUCH AS 40% WHEN PLACED ON THE LAP. PUT YOUR LAPTOP TO SLEEP Z BEFORE PUTTING IT IN YOUR BAG Don't drop your laptop into your backpack as soon as you close the lid. It often takes several seconds for the hard drive to shut down, and it can be damaged from bumps and movement while still running in the mean time. Just to be safe, put your computer to sleep before closing it. A Put Computer to Sleep Close Lid Place in Bag LAPTOPS ARE 80% MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT THAN THEIR DESKTOP COUNTERPARTS. THEY ALSO RUN 20% MORE EFFICIENTLY WHEN PLUGGED IN. 3 DON'T LEAVE YOUR LAPTOP PLUGGED IN 24/7 Constantly charging your computer can degrade the battery and shorten its life. If you use your laptop as your desktop, make sure to unplug 2-3 times a week so the battery can get the 'exercise' it needs to stay healthy. Similarly, don't leave your computer without any battery at all for long periods of time, as this too can cause degradation. EVERY YEAR, AMERICAN HOMEOWNERS WASTE $4 BILLION ON VAMPIRE POWER, THE ELECTRICITY CONSUMED BY DEVICES THAT REMAIN PLUGGED IN BUT NOT IN USE. 4 A CLEAN OUT YOUR COMPUTER ONCE A YEAR Excessive dust build-up is Compressed A one of the most common Air factors in compromised Cotton computer performance. Use compressed air, Swabs Laptop Vacuum a vacuum, or cotton swabs to keep all openings clear year round (also works for the areas beneath the keys), then open up the case once a year to gently clean the insides (repair shops will do this for you if you're squeamish about such things). C MAJOR DUST BUILDUP CAN MAKE THE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF A COMPUTER RISE AS MUCH AS 30°F - A LEVEL WHICH CAN CAUSE COMPLETE FAILURE. SHUT DOWN YOUR COMPUTER EVERY FEW DAYS Many of your computer's normal maintenance tasks revolve around your computer shutting down and starting back up, including clearing caches and short term memory and installing system updates. Are you sure you want to shut down computer now? Restart Sleep Cancel Shut Down Clear Browsing Data Obliterate the following items from: the past hour O Clear browsing history O Clear download history O Empty the cache O Delete cookies O Clear saved passwords Cancel Clear Browsing Data For those of us who live on our laptops this is often tough to remember, but it can work wonders (especially if your machine has been behaving oddly). 6 BE PREPARED O FOR THIEVES Most people immediately turn to the police when their laptop is stolen, but even with locating software installed, it can be difficult for the police to get a warrant to reclaim the laptop. The best solution is A: TrueCrypt Software A encrypting sensitive data. Using an open-source tool like TrueCrypt is like a safe for one's computer: Locating Software G Laptop Lock a thief may get in the front door, but they can't get to the valuable goods. And though it goes without saying: never leave your laptop unattended, and lock your dorm room door even when leaving for just a few minutes. ACCORDING TO THE FBI, A LAPTOP IS STOLEN EVERY 53 SECONDS. ONLY 3% ARE EVER RECOVERED. 7 ВАCK UP EVERYTHING 1GB DATA A gigabyte of data is very cheap in 2011, so there's no excuse to not back up your files. ERTY • DDO And though it may seem like obvious advice, many people just don't do it. For students, the stakes are especially LOST DATA COSTS THE U.S. ECONOMY AN ESTIMATED $18.2 BILLION ANNUALLY. high as papers, notes, and projects can all be lost permanently. Buy an external hard drive from a reliable brand and 35% OF COMPUTER USERS back up at least once a week-you'll be safe in case of theft, crash, or spilled beer. NEVER BACK UP THEIR DATA. ONLY 7% BACK UP DAILY. CREATED BY: O www.OnlinelTDegree.net http://www.zdnet.com/news/study-laptop-heat-a-threat-to-fertility/140204 • http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and _science/the_green_lantern/2008/12/keep_on_plugging.html • http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/a-nano- solution-to-vampire-energy/?scp=1&sq=vampire%20electricity&st=cse • http://www.computerdust.com/downloads/ special_report_on_the_effect_of_dust_on_electronics.pdf • http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/how-to-keep- your-laptop-from-being-stolen/1766 • http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/securing-your-laptop-before-it-gets -stolen/?src=busin • http://blog.backblaze.com/2011/07/12/94-of-computer-users-still-risk-data-loss/ • http://gbr.pep perdine.edu/2010/08/the-cost-of-lost-data/ BY NC ND This Work Is Licensed Under Creative Commons License

How to Keep Your Laptop in Tip-Top Shape

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Nearly 90% of college students own laptops. They're a big investment for anyone, but most college students don't have the extra funds sitting around to replace them when they break down. A few simple ...

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