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Make Your PC Last Longer by Quitting These 8 Bad Habits

make pc last longer

Nothing lasts forever! We have often heard this aphorism. And unfortunately, it also applies to your gadgets and PC that you so dearly invest in. However, some habits are particularly destructive. You need to steer clear of them if you want your PC and gadgets to last longer.

Along with these tips and habits, you should also be thorough about how to clean your PC. Let’s talk about some of the most common bad habits to quit, which are destroying your PC.

Computer Safety Tips and Destructive Habits to Avoid

  1. Careless Handling.
  2. Overheating Problems.
  3. Never Cleaning Properly.
  4. Mismanaging the Old Battery.
  5. Unnecessary Maintenance.
  6. Stressing Ports and Cables.
  7. Inconsiderate About Electrical Safety.
  8. Surfing the Web Unprotected.

Careless Handling

While many laptops and PCs have the luxury of sitting comfortably at your office station, most of them don’t. Moreover, all of them are still subject to different kinds of abuse and mishandling.

You would notice people doing all the weird things with their laptops. Some instances are picking the laptop by the display, opening the hinge from one side, using laptops as coasters for the drinks, tossing the laptop onto the bed (and missing the target), and the list goes on.

People who are good at handling and maintaining things grit their teeth in anxiety at sights like these. Yes, laptops are portable and durable. But they are not meant to be abused. If your laptop has a spinning hard drive and not an SSD, shaking and tossing it especially while the drive is active will damage it.

Therefore, for those who are seamlessly connected to one of their wireless internet providers but don’t have the habit of backing up their data, this damage can result in losing their data.

Overheating Problems

Overheating problems are common. And most of the users don’t pay much attention to them. Remember that heat is the mortal enemy of your computer. If the PC gets too hot, the processor will slow down and will throttle itself to reasonable temperatures.

Overheating can also reduce the lifespan of your PC’s fans, processor, and battery. If you have a PC, ensuring adequate airflow will solve the overheating problem. Keep your system out of tight and congested cabinets, which trap heat. Moreover, if you are overclocking, be extra watchful about temperatures and voltages.

If you have a laptop, keeping them on a plush surface or a blanket can lead to overheating. This results in blocked airflow under and through the laptop. We would recommend using your laptop on a flat surface. If you have to use it in the bed, using lap desks is a good idea. Therefore, don’t leave your PCs or laptops in hot places such as in the sun or in the car.

Never Cleaning Properly

Don’t let the dust, dirt, and liquids run wild. We use our PCs for several hours in the day and like any other thing; they accumulate dust and dirt over time. Moreover, heating problems don’t let the fans work properly.

So, consider thorough cleaning after every few days or at least weeks to prevent stuff from accumulating on your computer. In addition to dirt and dust, pet fur, cigarette smoke, debris, and other similar things exacerbate these problems.

Those who put their desktop PCs on the floor, they invite more debris, dust, hair, and other intruders. Furthermore, on a carpeted floor, the power supply of the intake fan can be blocked. Therefore, keeping your computer on a higher surface is the right thing to do.

Moreover, if you are in a habit of eating and drinking near your PC, you need to quit it. Because you will leave the crumbs and food particles in your keyboard. It can damage the keys and switches. Also, you don’t want to end up spilling your coffee on the laptop. That would be a nightmare!

Proper cleaning doesn’t mean you spill tons of Windex on your machine and go crazy. Use a micro fabric, a small amount of spray, and be gentle with it.

Mismanaging the Old Battery

Advertising 8 hours of battery life doesn’t mean you have to consume every bit of it. Batteries usually degrade over time. Therefore, it’s normal for a new battery to give you 8 hours on a full charge but slowly deteriorate to 6 or 7 hours.

There is no escaping this decline but you don’t have to run it down to 0% battery. Because it will degrade the battery life quicker. To ensure prolonged battery life, you need to recharge it frequently. However, don’t over-stress about it.

Furthermore, in case of a swollen battery that bulges out against your laptop, an urgent replacement is recommended. Because this can lead to an explosive failure. Also, make sure you invest in a good quality battery from a reputed and official manufacturer. Low-quality batteries cannot be trusted.

Unnecessary Maintenance

Yes, PC maintenance was a big deal and made a difference back in the Windows XP days when slow hardware was common in computers. But today, these procedures don’t really make much of a difference. So, steer clear of inefficient, unnecessary, and scammy advertising that’s meant to scare you into buying a product. It’s just like selling a Wi-Fi protect setup when your ISP has already ensured one.

Moreover, some types of maintenance can be harmful. For instance, registry cleaners have no benefit at all. Instead, if they end up deleting a registry, it can actually cause problems.

Stressing Ports and Cables

Mishandling the power adapter is more damaging. But damaging cables and USB ports can also cause unavoidable damage to your PC. It may sound like a no-brainer but people actually use more force than needed to plug cables into the ports.

Similarly, leaving something plugged in such as a flash drive with your collection of Hallmark movies and then pressing it due to your sitting posture can result in damaging it. The same is the case with cables. Constant sharp bends can break the connections inside the cables. So, if you don’t want your cables to become useless and finicky, avoid doing so. Also, don’t wrap them too tightly.

Inconsiderate About Electrical Safety

Power surges and fluctuations can be damaging for our PC. Sudden, temporary voltage changes in the power line can lead to such damages. Usually, these things happen after power outages. Or when you switch on some high-power device in the home. Moreover, an unreliable power grid can also be the cause.

Your PC does have basic surge protection but in cases of sudden and heavy surges, it may not be very effective. You will have to invest in a dedicated surge protector. Furthermore, you need to replace it every 3-5 years. The protection can wear out over time. This will be effective when it comes to small surges.

However, high-voltage spikes still remain to be a risk. Investing in a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) can be useful in times of sudden power outage.

Surfing the Web Unprotected

Even if you don’t browse risky sites with your home internet, your PC can still be infected even on the legitimate sites. Therefore, you need to have an effective antivirus and malware protection software in place. Thankfully, the built-in Defender features in Windows have gotten quite refined over the years. They will do the job for you.

Moreover, you can also use antivirus, malware, and spyware protection software programs on your system to ensure better safety and security. In addition, don’t forget to keep these software programs updated.

Also, don’t forget to follow the other basic security protocols such as using secured and strong passwords.

FAQ:

– Are torrents bad for your computer?

No, torrents are not bad for your computer. They can only be bad if you end up downloading a virus with them.

– Are games bad for your computer?

Gaming doesn’t damage the computer. However, excessive usage without breaks can cause the system to overheat, which may lead to hardware failure.

– Is it bad to leave your computer on?

Yes, leaving the computer on causes it’s components to wear and tear. Also, events such as power outages and voltage surges can cause significant damage too. So, better to shut it down when not in use.

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