Upgrade your laptop’s hard drive

Clean up your notebook

What you’ll need:
• Hardware: Flashlight, can of compressed air, microfiber cloth, small Phillips head screwdriver, glass cleaner, and lint-free wipes
• Software: Microsoft Windows
In this project, we’ll show you how to get inside and clean the guts of your laptop, and how to keep it looking spiffy on the outside, too.

Step 1: Keep your coolComputer components–processors, graphics cards, and the like–get hot when they run. To mitigate this, laptop makers put in elaborate heat sinks that absorb the heat generated by the processor. In addition, all but the tiniest models have at least a single fan; some bigger systems have two or even three. When the temperature rises above a certain level, the fans automatically come on to keep the laptop out of the red zone. Unfortunately, like all fans, the ones in your laptop will eventually end up covered in dust and dirt, and that could spell trouble.
An occasional cleaning will keep your laptop fans spinning effectively for years. But before you can clean them, you’ll have to find them. Fortunately, in most cases, they’re near the vents that are located around the edges of your case; these slats let cool air in and hot air out. Don’t worry if they’re covered in dust and lint, we’ll get to that. Now you’ll need to open up the laptop case.
Look for a few sets of screws, underneath the laptop near the vents. Remove the panel and look for the fans–they’re circular and plastic, usually about the size of a quarter, with a small propeller inside. Again, it may be covered with dust and lint.

Step 2: Dust bunny patrolNow that you’re inside the laptop, use a flashlight to look around for built-up dust and dirt. Using the eraser-end of a pencil or tweezers, pick off any nasty deposits you come across.
Start at the fan, then work your way to the ducts and vents. Look under the ribbon cables, around the hard drive, and near the tiny circuit boards. Grime can hide in the oddest places, like the processor’s copper-colored heat sink, so make sure you explore all the laptop’s nooks and crannies.

Step 3: Air it all outYou’ve done the detail work, and now it’s time to go big. Put on a dust mask, if you have one. Grab the can of compressed air and spray down the inside of your laptop. Go nuts. Blow out all the dust you can find. It won’t be pretty, and you might want to have a vacuum cleaner running nearby to grab all the junk it as it comes out. Don’t be surprised if a lot comes out of that little laptop.

Step 4: Shake, rattle, and rollNow that you’ve made your first pass at cleaning out the inside, give your laptop a little shake to dislodge any particularly resilient dust and grime. Keep cleaning and shaking until nothing more comes out.

Step 5: Key to the crumb highwayNow that the inside of your laptop is as clean as a whistle, it’s time to tidy up that nasty keyboard. Don’t be embarrassed by what you find: Most keyboards have enough crumbs to feed a flock of pigeons for weeks. Use the can of compressed air to blow it clean, but be careful not to break any keys off.

Step 6: Tighten upWhile you’ve still got the laptop open, give each of the major components a quick look to see if any are loose. A loose motherboard or hard drive can cause damage in the long run, so make sure all of the screws are tight and all of the cables are well connected. When tightening the screws, be careful not to overdo it–gently tighten until you feel some resistance. When you’re done, reconnect the access panels on the underside of your laptop.

Step 7: Clean your screenAll laptop screens are susceptible to nicks and scratches, and the latest glossy, high-contrast displays show off fingerprints that even Columbo couldn’t miss. We like to give our screens a quick rubdown about once a week. You can use any brand of window cleaner so long as it doesn’t contain ammonia or any harsh detergents. We’re partial to Sprayway, because it gets all foamy and doesn’t leave annoying streaks; unfortunately, Sprayway can be hard to find in some places, and you may have to make a special trip to a glass or mirror store to find it.
When wiping down the screen, stay away from tissue that leave lint behind or rough fabrics that may scratch the display. We recommend Kimwipes lint-free cleaning cloths, a soft cotton chamois or a microfiber cloth.

Laptop Safety

When you purchase a laptop, it is important to understand certain ways to care properly for the machine. Ensuring that you care properly for the laptop ensures that the laptop lasts longer and that you can maximize the potential of your laptop. In this article, we will review some basic tips to computer safety. The safety that we refer to in this article refers to the safety of the actual laptops and all the sensitive components that make up the laptop.
It is important that you understand that a laptop has the ability to actually overheat. When you are not using your laptop, it is very important that you shut it down properly. If you use the laptop a lot throughout the day, you may want to purchase a cooling pad to ensure that it stays cool while you are using it. You can generally purchase an effective cooling pad for under $30.00 at any electronics stores. You may also want to ensure that you use the laptop in a cool area of your home to ensure that the temperature of the laptop does not exceed safe levels. If you discover that your laptop still seems to experience issues with overheating, you may want to check and see if the fan in your laptop is working properly. If it is not, you should have the fan replaced by a professional.
When you travel with your laptop, it is essential that you use a carrying case that is made for the laptop. Most of these carrying cases come equipped with extra padding to ensure that the laptop is kept safe while traveling. It is important to ensure that the carrying case for the laptop is sturdy and keeps the laptop secure in one area. Constant moving around, bumping, and other movements can result in internal damage of the components in the laptop.
If you use very peripherals on your laptop, such as printers, external hard drives, and similar devices, you should unplug these items when you are not using them. Even though you may not be using the items, it can result in unnecessary strain on the laptop. Additionally, if you experience any type of power surge with any of these extra components, it can overflow into the laptop and cause serious malfunctions.
You should ensure that you limit the number of files that you place on your laptop. Normally, a laptop has a smaller storage unit than that of a regular desktop pc. This is one of the many reasons that people usually buy zip drives and external hard drives when they have a laptop. You must also ensure that you optimize your internet explorer and other browsers consistently to ensure that you keep space cleared up on your laptop.
There are many things that you can do to ensure that you are keeping your laptop safe. It is important to keep a watchful eye on your laptop and do everything that you are able to in order to keep it maintained and in proper working order.

5 Steps to Setting Up Your New Laptop

Set Up Your New Laptop Wisely

You have a brand new laptop and you’re ready to get working and checking out all the great things that your new laptop can do. Before you jump in and start downloading like crazy and installing all your programs, take a few minutes to review these steps to setting up your laptop.
Set aside a block of time when you can work uninterrupted and then start setting up your new laptop.

1. Install a firewall and anti-virus program. Update all settings and run a scan on your laptop.
2. Update the OS. If there is more than one update available, only select one at a time. Install the selected update and then re-boot your laptop.
3. Install any programs or additional drivers that shipped with your laptop. Again, install one at a time and re-boot after each installation.
4. Go to the manufacturer’s web site to check for any software updates for your laptop. Install one at a time, if there is more than one available and re-boot before you install the next update.
5. Install all your other programs that you need. Remember you should re-boot after each installation. When you have installed the programs, check for updates.
   Last, but not least…sit back with your favourite hot or cold beverage and enjoy some music or perhaps even a movie on your new laptop. It will be time to work soon enough.

NOTES:
Why Install One at a Time?

It is much easier to troubleshoot problems if you have only installed one update at a time. This process does take longer but it worth it in the long run and will make it easier to keep track of what updates you have made to your laptop.

Program Updates:

For most program updates you should save the .exe file to your hard drive and run it from there. Once you have updated your laptop, copy these updates to a CD, DVD or portable hard drive, this way you have them for future use.

System Tweaks:

You don’t need to adjust display settings or other system preferences immediately, wait and see how you work with your new laptop and make changes as needed based on your work habits.

Serial Numbers & Registration Details:

Make notes of all the serials numbers of your software programs and the details you used when registering your programs. Keep this information in a safe place and you should keep a copy of these details in an outside location.