Top tips to extend the life of your laptop

Not everyone wants to purchase a new laptop or netbook every couple of years. Just because your portable computer no longer sits at the cutting edge of the technological spectrum doesn’t mean you need to pawn a few possessions in order to keep up with the Joneses.Your laptop is as useful now as it was when you first purchased it, and with a few tips and tricks you can keep it that way for a while yet, saving you money in the process. Here are three indespensible tips for extending the life of your laptop.Save your batteryWhile you can’t put off the day when your laptop’s battery starts losing its charge, you can extend its life by following these tips. Start by being careful about where you leave your laptop – avoid extreme cold and heat, which means storing the laptop in a dry and cool place whenever possible.If you usually run your laptop from the mains, train yourself to run on batteries for two to three hours every week – this also helps extend its life. Also try to be more conservative with your power requirements when its in use.Start by opening the Power Options, by typing it into the Start Search box, to reduce power consumption through the various settings on offer. Disable wireless when it’s not needed, avoid using the DVD drive when running on batteries and disconnect all non-essential USB devices to further eke out time between battery drains.Start your PC quickerIf your PC is sluggish when it first starts, even after the desktop has appeared, it’s because too many programs are competing for system resources as they attempt to load with Windows.There are two ways to fix this, both of which can be achieved using a free program called Soluto. The program automatically scans your start-up routine and gives you options for ‘pausing’ (disabling) or delaying start-up programs along with recommendations based on what other Soluto users have done.Pause those programs you need, so they don’t waste time and resources starting with Windows, then delay the loading of other start-up programs so they don’t all make a grab for system resources the moment you log on.Soluto will automatically optimise when each delayed program starts, and you could shave minutes off your boot time with the minimum of fuss.Reclaim spaceOver time your PC starts to struggle with the load placed on it when you install new programs, build up temporary files, etc. There are a number of ways you can reclaim hard drive space and system resources. Start by going through the Programs and Features Control Panel, uninstalling those programs you no longer need.Next, install CCleaner and use it to clear your hard drive of redundant files, and finally defragment your hard drive using Puran Defrag Free which will stop fragmentation occuring in the future.