Keeping a laptop healthy: heat, battery and dust

Heat is the slow killer

Every component ages faster when hot, and a hot laptop deliberately slows itself down to survive. Dust builds up in the fan and vents until airflow is throttled, and the thermal paste between processor and heatsink dries out over a few years.

• Use it on a hard surface — beds, sofas and laps block the vents underneath
• A simple stand that lifts the back makes a measurable difference
• If the fan is constantly loud or the case is too hot to touch, it needs a clean
• A workshop clean and repaste every two or three years keeps it running at full speed

Battery, without the myths

Modern lithium batteries don't need conditioning or full discharges. What wears them out is sitting at 100% while hot, and being run flat repeatedly.

• Keeping it plugged in is fine — it stops charging when full
• If the laptop lives on a desk, enable the battery limit setting many makers offer (often 80%) for a noticeably longer life
• Avoid leaving it in a hot car or a sunny windowsill
• Expect a real drop after three to five years; a replacement battery is usually inexpensive and worth doing
• A swollen battery — a bulging case or a trackpad that no longer clicks — should be dealt with straight away, not left

Cleaning it safely

Once or twice a year is plenty, with the machine switched off and unplugged.

• Compressed air in short bursts at the vents; hold the fan still so it doesn't spin freely and damage the bearing
• A slightly damp microfibre cloth for the screen — never spray liquid directly onto it
• A little isopropyl alcohol on a cloth for greasy keys and palm rests
• Never use kitchen or glass cleaner on a screen; it strips the coating

The expensive accidents

Liquid is the one that writes machines off. If you spill something: unplug it, hold the power button until it switches off, turn it upside down like a tent and don't power it on to "see if it's alright". That check is what usually causes the permanent damage. Get it looked at quickly — corrosion continues for days.

For carrying, use a padded sleeve, and close the lid before moving it. Most cracked screens we see came from a laptop carried open, or something placed on a closed lid.

The hidden one: keep it backed up

Laptops are the devices most likely to be dropped, soaked or stolen. Good care reduces the odds; a backup is what makes the bad day survivable — the hardware is replaceable in an afternoon, the data isn't.