If you own a laptop, chances are it contains some really important data. So it’s important for every laptop owners to keep his/her machine in the best possible condition.

Aside from cleaning your screen and dusting the keyboard, however, you’ll need to take a few extra steps to maintain your laptop’s health:

1. Keep temperature low – Every laptop comes with a fan grill that’s used to disperse heat from the machine. This is because laptop will generate high volume of heats, especially when running high-powered software, which will possibly damage the internal circuit of the laptop if not handled properly. So when using your laptop, make sure that the fan grill is not blocked. Using a laptop cooler is also advisable to ensure your laptop don’t get overheated.

2. Handle the screen carefully – Avoid touching or playing with your LCD screen. Yes, it might be fun to watch the waves generated by your finger against the screen, but LCD displays are fragile devices that must be cared for. Take care when cleaning the screen too, and use only approved cleaning materials. You won’t want to pay the money for screen repairs or, even worse – a new machine entirely.

3. Avoid dropping your laptop – A laptop computer is designed for portability. But this also means that there will be higher chances of dropping it when carrying it around. One ill fated drop to the floor can immediately kill a laptop. So always be extra careful when carrying a laptop around. For extra protection, put it in a laptop case when it’s not in use.

4. Avoid eating / drinking while using laptop – This is to avoid spilling liquid onto your laptop, which can then flow into the internal circuitry of your laptop through keyboard, or touchpad. Your laptop will suffer the consequences from just a few drops of liquid poured in the right places.

5. Just say no to viruses – Security wise, make sure you obtain an anti-virus program. Secondly, keep it updated! Buying an anti-virus one month and not updating it for the next six really negates it purpose. Your laptop computer could be exposed to hundreds and thousands of new viruses every month if you don’t update your virus definitions. Most anti-virus programs have automatic update methods, eliminating the need for you to have to remember to do it manually.

So there you go. Combine all of the above tactics and help your laptop enjoy a happier and healthier lifestyle!