Imagine spending a couple of years saving up to buy yourself a new laptop or PC, and it ends up damaged in the span of a few months. Devastating, right? Has your PC become incredibly slow even though it is brand new? You may not know this, but several environmental factors cause your computer to act up. Small amounts of unusual activity in your software can actually be malware and viruses in your computer that are slowing it down.
Each time you access the internet, you put your laptop at risk of a software attack. There are a few simple rules you need to stick to. They will ensure the safety of your device and data and increase your PC’s longevity. These rules pertain to both environmental factors and software safety. Let us have a look at them!
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- Use Dust Covers
Dust particles are not seen instantly. They can accumulate over time because it is very easy to not pay attention to them. When dust accumulates on your keyboard and CPU it gives an untidy look. But more importantly, it slows down your computer significantly. The performance of your device is impacted for a couple of reasons.
The dust particles cause the device’s internal components to retain heat, causing the computer to become very hot. This slows down your PC a lot. Secondly, when your CPU’s internal cooling system (internal fan) tries to cool down your overheated processor, the dust makes it harder, causing the device to positively burn up! The solution is quite simple. Everyone has dust bags or covers at home.
If you do not then they are pretty easily available. Get your hands on a couple of those and keep your device covered with them when it is not in use.
- Use Keyboard Covers
These days, especially for teenagers, it is rare that they use television sets of smart TVs to watch a television show or movie. Everything is available online so most people use their phones or computers to watch anything. Now you have probably watched something while having food.
But when you do this with a computer or laptop, there is a significant chance that you spill your food and drink all over your keyboard. This is because of your proximity to the device while eating. The spill substance can significantly damage the working of your keyboard or make it dirty if nothing else. Worst case scenario, you will have to completely replace your keyboard.
The solution to this is also quite easy. Get a protective cover for your keyboard. The functionality of the keyboard cover is quite similar to that of a dust cover. Except these covers are specifically designed to fit the shape of keyboards. Some are even transparent and allow you to type through them.
You can place them on top of your keyboard while you are enjoying a meal while watching something on your monitor. You can keep your keyboard covered when it is not in use. You can even keep it covered when you do not have a lot of heavy typing work to do.
- Keep Your Anti-Malwares Updated
This may seem obvious but you need to update your anti-viruses and anti-malware software very regularly. New viruses and malware are coded and sent out over the internet constantly. To keep your device and data safe, you need to install and update protective software.
These viruses and malware either work by slowing your device down by overloading the processor or their sole purpose is data theft. This leads to crimes like identity theft, extortion, and blackmail.
While downloading anti-malware though, be aware of something called a Trojan horse. It is a very aptly named pesky software that is actually malware disguised as anti-virus software. It remains undetected in your computer’s default protective scans.
- Keep Away from Water
This may seem obvious but it is so important. Water can irreparably damage the circuits within your processor or any electrical device. The standard procedure in case your device does come into contact with water is to switch it off completely. Cut off any power source it is attached to.
Then you can take your device to a tech support or repair shop. They will probably open it up and if the damage is extensive, you will have to replace parts or the entire device. Otherwise, they will dry it up and reassemble it.
- Use Console Enclosures
Operator console enclosures are like dust bags but much better and robust. They are enclosures built to the specifications of PCs. Not only do they protect from dust particles but all sorts of liquids as well! They are specially built to withstand any environmental factor you throw at them.
These enclosures can be used as desks that fold over your PC’s components to protect them when they are not in use. The best part is you can lock up the enclosure. This protects the PC from theft and unwanted access.
Conclusion
So you see, there are so many factors you must be aware of to maintain your device’s life. This was just a small list. But if you follow these tips, your device should give you a useful life of up to seven to eight years depending on its type. A couple of last bonus tips are to never open an unknown email address or click on an untrusted link.
For physical factors, try keeping your PC in an air-conditioned room for optimal environmental conditions.