5 mistakes that are shortening your laptop's lifespan

Key Takeaways

• Don't dismiss surge protection - voltage spikes can harm your laptop
• Handle your device with care - prevent physical damage over time
• Regularly update and maintain your laptop for optimal performance

While the best laptops these days are reliable machines that last a long time, there are some things to be aware of if you care about long-term use. Whether you have a Mac or a Windows machine, taking care of your devices is important. Unfortunately, a lot of people unknowingly contribute to their early demise. If you want to keep that shiny machine of yours running for a good while, here are some mistakes to definitely avoid.

5 Dismissing surge protection

Unexpected power surges can be detrimental to device health

The battery life on most laptops is generally decent these days, but you’ll still often find yourself wanting to use your device while plugging it in. While laptops generally don’t draw a lot of power from the wall (desktop PCs consume much more power), a power surge can still damage some internal components. Modern laptops are built with some level of internal protection, as are OEM chargers, but unexpected voltage spikes can still pose a threat.

This is especially of concern if your city has an unreliable power grid. Get yourself a dedicated surge protector, or only plug your laptop into outlets that already have surge protection built in. Overall, this may not be as large of a concern in most areas, but an unexpected voltage spike did fry my MacBook’s charger before. After that experience, I always play it safe with a surge protector.

4 Handling the device carelessly

Protect your laptop from physical damage

Most people who buy a new laptop are going to take good care of it, but as time passes by, you will eventually take it for granted. Chances are that you move your laptop around a lot, and that can eventually contribute to significant wear and tear. Here are some general things you should avoid in order to prevent physical damage.

• Never pick up the laptop by its display. You may put unintentional stress on the screen, the hinges, or the bezels. There’s also a high chance that you may drop the laptop if you’re grabbing a flimsy part like a display.
• Don’t just throw it into any old backpack. Instead, use a proper laptop sleeve that holds it snug and adds a bit of protection.
• If you’re sitting down with your laptop and a drink by your side, make sure the drink is a bit further away and on a coaster. Liquid damage can be a nightmare to repair.
• Don’t immediately use your laptop if it was recently exposed to cold weather. Let the laptop return to room temperature before you charge it or turn it on. If condensation is formed inside the device, and you immediately turn it on, the moisture could damage the internal components.
• Finally, try not to drop your laptop. This is obvious, but don’t put yourself in positions where you could drop it in the first place. Make sure the charging cable is routed properly so you don’t trip over it. And again, always use a laptop sleeve.

Other than all that, make sure you’re using Microsoft Defender if you have a Windows laptop. It’s a great free antivirus tool, and considering it’s a Microsoft feature, it’s surprisingly unintrusive.

3 Ignoring updates and maintenance

Regular maintenance of both software and hardware is vital

There are plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t ignore updates, regardless of the devices you own and their respective operating systems. Vulnerabilities and bugs exist in almost every version of operating systems, which is why manufacturers release updates so often. If you don’t regularly update, you’re putting yourself at a security risk. Make sure you regularly update drivers as well, to get performance and stability improvements in more demanding tasks.

Apart from software maintenance, physically cleaning your laptop is just as crucial. Check for dust and debris in the ports, the keyboard, and the screen. A dirty USB port can stop working if something is lodged inside and you try to plug a cable into the port. Similarly, skin oils on your keyboard could transfer to the display, removing the oleophobic coating. A dirty laptop isn’t just an ugly sight, it’s also more prone to damage.

2 Bad charging habits

Maximize battery health as much as you can

On older laptops, the battery is usually the first thing that goes bad. While batteries naturally deteriorate over time, there are some things you can avoid if you want to extend the battery life of your laptop. The first rule of thumb is that you never want to leave it plugged in at 100% charge for an extended period. Similarly, letting it sit somewhere with a drained battery for days or weeks at a time is also a bad idea.

Both macOS and Windows have unique battery-saving features built inside, so put them to good use. Some laptops will also have a protection feature that stops charging once you reach 80% - 90%. Similarly, there’s also the consensus that you shouldn’t frequently drain your battery fully. This speeds up the degradation, so plug in your laptop before it reaches 0%. Finally, using or storing it in the heat will also deteriorate battery health.

1 Ignoring overheating problems

Heat is the nemesis of all laptops

Thermal issues are a major concern with a lot of computing devices, especially if you have a gaming laptop. Some laptops might have CPUs that are more likely to overheat, and while the CPU will throttle itself down when it reaches high temperatures, overheating can still cause damage to the battery life and reduce performance. This is another reason why you want to regularly clean the laptop, as dirt and debris can choke up the fans and cause heat damage.

Running an extreme 3D render while your laptop is plugged into the wall is one type of situation where your device will produce more heat than usual. Now, if your laptop has a capable cooling system, demanding tasks should not be a worry. But if it doesn’t, stick to more lightweight tasks and do the heavy lifting on a different machine.

Since laptops are so convenient, a lot of us put them on blankets while we’re in bed. While this creates a comfortable experience for you, your poor laptop fans are likely choking because of the poor airflow. So, try to strictly use your laptop on a desk or flat surface that allows the feet to raise the chassis slightly.

Better to be safe than sorry

All of these tips and tricks might seem like overkill, but they are generally tiny adjustments to your laptop habits that improve its lifespan. Of course, you will have to eventually upgrade or replace your machine at some point. If you take proper care of your device though, you can delay that inevitable day for a while.