Nothing lasts forever—especially tech—but your computer can last you quite a few years, if you treat it well. However, if your laptop tends to break down earlier than you feel it should, there’s a chance you’re the one who’s helping it along to an early demise with some especially bad habits. It’s OK; I’ve seen it all. Not everyone knows the best ways to take care of their tech. Here are some of the worst things I’ve seen people do to a computer without even realizing they’re doing anything wrong.
1. Disregarding Overheating Problems
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Heat is your computer’s mortal enemy. If your computer gets too hot, the processor may slow down, throttling itself to keep temperatures reasonable, or even shutting down completely. What’s the big deal? Well, if your computer is running at high temperatures for extended periods of time, it can reduce the lifespan of your processor, fans, and battery—not to mention make your computer loud and sizzling to the touch.
For desktop computers, the solution is pretty simple: Make sure your case has adequate airflow, with enough vents and fans to keep cool air moving through the components. A lot of people still do it, but I’d also keep it out of tight cabinets and other spaces that trap heat. If you’re overclocking, take extra care to watch those voltages and temps. It’s also always a good idea to monitor CPU temperature just in case.
Laptops, on the other hand, require a bit more care. I’ve seen firsthand how their portability can lead to a lot of bad habits. I know people who have left their computer in a hot car or on top of a radiator. You might not expect it, but even putting a laptop on a plush surface (like a blanket) can block airflow and cause overheating. Instead, keep it out of the sun and away from heat sources. I also recommend only using it on a flat surface, where the rubber feet raise it off the desk. If you use it on your lap, keep it free of anything that can block airflow, or buy a lap desk.
2. Letting Dirt, Dust, and Liquids Run Wild
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Speaking of heat, all computers accumulate some dust over time, heating up the components and making those fans work harder. While cleaning regularly can help, you also want to prevent stuff from getting into your computer in the first place. For example, cigarette smoke and pet fur will exacerbate those problems. Putting your desktop on the floor will also ensure more dust, hair, and debris gets sucked inside. If you have carpet, you could even be blocking the power supply’s intake fan. Keep your computer on a desk or other riser, if at all possible, and make sure there are filters on your intake fans.
I also need to stress that you should avoid eating and drinking near your PC, or at least take some care when you do. Getting crumbs in your keyboard is not only disgusting, but it can damage the switches or make certain keys harder to press. And I’m sure you’ve heard enough horror stories about people spilling coffee on their laptops, which can straight up destroy them. I’ve seen substances of all kinds ruin a computer—it’s not worth the risk.
Even well-intentioned moves, like cleaning your screen with Windex, can introduce liquid where it shouldn’t be (also, Windex is too harsh for your monitor). Here’s the proper way to clean your laptop; I tell people to spray gentle screen cleaner onto a microfiber cloth, instead of directly on the screen. And don’t go crazy here—a little goes a long way.
3. Handling Your Laptop Carelessly
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While desktops have the luxury of sitting comfortably in your office, laptops are subject to all sorts of abuse. And the more you abuse them, the more likely you are to damage something. I’ve seen people pick up laptops by the display, open the hinge from one side with way too much force, and toss their PC onto the couch from the other side of the room. I have even seen people use closed laptops as coasters for their drinks!
This kind of treatment could leave you with a worn-out laptop hinge, a busted screen, or a crack in the casing. If your laptop has a traditional spinning hard drive instead of an SSD, tossing or shaking the computer—especially if the drive is active at the time—can cause its head to dislocate or touch the surface of the disk. It isn’t common, but if that happens, you are going to have a bad day, especially if you haven’t backed up your data. Your laptop is an expensive piece of property, so it’s important that you treat it as such.
4. Mismanaging Your Old Battery
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Just because your laptop’s battery starts with eight hours of battery life doesn’t mean it will stay that way forever. Batteries degrade over time; you may get eight hours on a full charge when you first buy it, but after a few years, that may degrade to six or seven. There’s no escaping this decline, but depending on how you’re managing the computer’s battery, you may be degrading it faster.
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Instead of always running your laptop down to 0%, I recommend performing shallow discharges and frequently recharging whenever possible. But don’t overstress about this—an occasional discharge won’t kill your battery. Over time, it’s best to err on the side of charging regularly rather than constantly running it down to empty. An easy way to keep track of your battery’s capacity is to generate a battery health report in Windows.
You should, however, stress out if your battery is swollen. When this happens, you need to stop using it immediately and (safely) replace the battery, lest you encounter an explosive failure. When you replace the battery, don’t buy a cheap knockoff; get it from the manufacturer or a respected third-party store. Low-quality batteries will, at best, not hold a charge very well. At worst, they can be dangerous. The same goes for third-party chargers—just stick to the manufacturer’s official offering or, in the case of USB-C charging, a certified USB-PD charger. I promise it’s not worth the savings.
5. Disregarding Electrical Safety
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Your PC draws a sizable amount of power, and it’s susceptible to damage from power surges, which can happen from power outages, turning on another high-power device in your home, or an unreliable power grid in your city. Your PC’s power supply should include some basic protections, but I recommend buying a surge protector for longer-lasting protection. (This is different from a basic power strip.)
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Be sure to replace your surge protector every three to five years, since that protection wears out over time—any older than that, and it likely offers zero protection. Keep in mind that these will not protect against high-voltage spikes (like lightning), but can protect from smaller surges and extend the life of your PC. If you have the money, you might even want an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which contains a battery backup that prevents your PC from losing power during a power outage.
6. Stressing the Cables and Ports
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While damaging a USB port or cable isn’t as dangerous as mishandling the power adapter, it can still cause avoidable damage to your computer. This may seem obvious, but don’t force cables into ports if they aren’t sliding in properly (I once knew someone who forced a USB cable into a FireWire port and broke both). If you leave something plugged in, such as a flash drive, take care not to bend it. With USB ports at such a premium on today’s laptops, you definitely don’t want to ruin one.
The same goes for your cables. If you constantly make sharp bends back and forth or yank the cable out of the wall plug, you’re more likely to break the connection inside, which can render the cable finicky, useless, or even a fire hazard. Keep them away from hungry children and pets who might chew through the plastic. When you coil them up, avoid wrapping them too tightly. If you see the cable fraying or the inner wiring exposed, replace it immediately. Thankfully, a damaged cable is cheap to replace compared to your PC.
7. Browsing the Web Unprotected
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Contrary to popular belief, “common sense,” while very valuable, should not be your only malware protection. Even legitimate sites can become infected with malware, passing those problems on to you, so browsing carefully won’t always save you. Instead, you need to use an antivirus on your computer. Thankfully, Microsoft’s built-in Windows Defender feature has become quite good after years of subpar ratings. Just leave it on and let it do its job.
If you want extra protection, something like Malwarebytes is a bit more aggressive with its protection, and I’ve found that it catches a lot of stuff that Chrome and Windows Defender miss. The free version is good if you just want to run an occasional scan, but the paid version includes always-running anti-exploit features that block potentially harmful sites before they make it to your screen. When used in conjunction with a traditional antivirus, you’ll be pretty well set on protection.
Other basic security practices still apply: Keep your OS and apps up to date, use a good password manager (and don’t use the same password on every site), and learn how to spot phishing scams. Don’t pirate software (which often contains malware), and keep your home Wi-Fi secure with a WPA2 (or WPA3) password. Check out our guide to staying secure online for more tips.
About Our Expert
Whitson Gordon
Contributing Writer
Experience
Whitson Gordon is a writer, gamer, and tech nerd who has been building PCs for 10 years. He eats potato chips with chopsticks so he doesn’t get grease on his mechanical keyboard.
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