The prices of laptops have fallen drastically, but for a decent machine with a good configuration you still need to shell out between Rs 40,000 and Rs 60,000.

Naturally, if you are going to spend that kind of money, you should know how to make your laptop last for several years. You don’t want to be buying laptops every two years. Or for that matter sending your laptop for servicing every now and then. Every visit to the service centre will set you back by at least Rs 1,000 after the warranty has expired.

The first thing you should do is get rid of the trial version of any anti-virus software that the machine has. I see a lot of people opt for Quick Heal or Kaspersky anti-virus. They cost anything up to $40 (Rs 1,800). Quick Heal is cheaper at Rs 1,000. Then there is the recurring cost of upgrading to a newer version every year.

So, what should you use? Microsoft Security Essentials is the answer. It is a complete security suite and the best part is that it is free. Just make sure you update it every week. If the icon for Security Essentials is any colour other than green it means you need to update it

Along with it keep a copy of Advanced System Care. You can get the free version from www.iobit.com. This software is designed to keep your computer racing, instead of just chugging along.

A common mistake people make is unplugging the laptop when using it and connecting it back to the plug-point only when the battery is running out. Always run your laptop on power when you are next to a power source. Every battery has a finite number of charge and discharge cycles. If you keep charging and unplugging it, the result is a shortened life span of the battery.

Computer makers are much more worried about overcharging batteries than users, given the comparatively volatile nature of modern lithium-ion batteries. In fact, lithium-ion batteries have “undercharge” protection too, and are designed to permanently refuse to charge if the power level falls too low. This is because they have a tendency to catch fire if charged under such circumstances. So keep your batteries fully charged when you are not using the laptop.

If you hear a loud buzzing or whining sound emanating from your laptop, send it to the service centre immediately. There are only two main moving components in your laptop capable of generating buzzing or whining noises — the built-in ventilation fan or the hard-disk drive. Any noise coming from them means an impending failure of those parts. You don’t want to lose all your data.

Get a Keyboard Protector: The keyboard gets used the most on the laptop. You need to maintain it properly. Do not let food, crumbs and other bits and pieces accumulate under the keys. A keyboard protector will help keep out all that stray matter.

Defragment: Owing to the way the computer file system works, the performance of hard-disk drives unavoidably will decrease over months or years of use. As such, it is often a good idea to perform a defragmentation from time to time. Having said that, do note that defragmenting solid-state disks (SSDs) is detrimental and can shorten their usable life span. Newer operating systems such as Microsoft 7 recognise this and take away the option to defragment an SSD accordingly.

Avoid walking around with the laptop: Most laptops still come with hard-disk drives, which spin between 4,200 revolutions per minute (rpm) and 7,200 rpm. Most users are not aware, but the hard-disk head hovers at microscopic distances — less than the width of a hair, to be precise — from the furiously spinning disk surface. So while technology has advanced significantly to eliminate the possibility of damage from casual handling, it is generally not a good habit to tuck your laptop under your arm while it is still switched on.

This advice does not apply to solid-state drives, which have no moving parts.

Sometimes when you shut down your laptop in a hurry, applications or the Windows operating system can hang. This will leave the laptop running for hours in an enclosed bag until the power drains out completely. So make sure your laptop has been shut down properly.

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