How do you keep your notebook running in tip top performance?

Well i got my laptop last week and i was wondering what could i do to keep my notebook in tip top shape

 

I always clean my laptop after use just with a simple soft tissue/cloth to keep any dust off the keyboard/trackpad/screen. Every month or so I'll open it up and use a can of compressed air to clean out the laptop insides. Depending on my temps I will open it further to access vents/fans to unblock those if it has dust build up. I keep my laptop elevated when its under load as my vents are on the bottom to give it better air flow. Turn it off when I don't need to use it. And also, repaste if my temps are progressively getting higher on idle/load. I keep it in a notebook sleeve when I don't use it (never put it in a sleeve directly after turning it off, let it cool down first).

 

Damp cloth to clean as needed and occasional spurts of compressed air in the vents/at fan. Nothing fancy. I abuse my laptops so I guess I don't care how it looks as long as it functions properly.

 

Wait so you can keep your laptop running in good performance just by cleaning the internals with a compressed can of air? hahaha thats crazy!

And htwingnut you have an hp dv6, what laptop cooler do you recommend?

 

Unless you meant by software crap loadup and such?

I use the Notepal U2, but bought a large single fan with USB attachment. The DV6 has all of it's hot hardware on the left side (CPU, GPU) and needs cooling concentrated there.

 

Replacing the thermal paste occasionally will also ensure that your machine runs cool and well.

However, you need to perform a full system scan at least once a week as well as defragging.

If you do all of this on a routinely basis than your machine will retain its performance for years to come.

 

Defrag once a month?

And htwingnut, should i go for a notepal u2 or the u3?

 

This is how I do it:

After every use or right before I shut my system down, I use Auslogics utilities to sweep the hard drive of any junk. Its a very good program by the way. Then I first defrag the hard drive, then I clean the registry, then I defrag the registry.

Every once in a while, this being about every month or so, I will take my system apart, look at the dust buildup inside, and see if it needs cleaning. If it does, then I will take out the fans, blow the heck out of them with my air machine, reseat the video card, processor, memory, and put the fans back in.

On occasion, if I need to, or since I already have my system open in times, I think to myself that since I have my computer open, I might as well reapply the thermal paste on the video card and processor. So I do.

Then, about every year or so, I make a complete backup of my system, save it to a separate external hard drive, and do a clean install of Windows 7 Professional. I do this because I never know what could be on my system, ranging from a registry issue to a malicious virus, etc. With a virus, you never know if it is completely removed when using an antivirus application.

Yeah, this whole thing may seem intense to most people, but I think it is actually a way to maintain health in your system. Also, it could possibly prolong how long your system runs.


That's how I do it.

 

That sounds intense hahaha i will probably download auslogics first and do the defragging stuff but im too noob to take m system apart and build it again hahaah

 

first thing I do is go to start menu -> run and type

services.msc, stop/disable everything I don't need (go to Black Viper's Website for descriptions)

then I type in msconfig and disable all start up programs that I don't need.

after that:

CC Cleaner/Disk Clean up/delete all unnecessary files.
Then
Defragger and boot time defrag.

After all that your computer should be more responsive.

Disable all aero effects aswell, that helps.

If you want to go a step further you can use Ultimate Windows Tweaker (UWT) to further tweak your computer.

 

KAyC if you have an SSD drive Defrag is not needed, in fact it just adds wear to it sans benefit. IF you have a conventional Hard Drive see this article Do You Have to Defrag Windows 7? | eHow.com

 

If you haven't got one yet getting a nice laptop cooler can really move air through it bringing down internal temps

 

tesst test test test

 

good info/tips ty

 

Is Game Booster 3 necessary for gaming?

 

I have done everything Notebook Geek has done and it helps! Microsoft, and other manufacturers, like to have programs running in the background that start up with your system. These are needless services that tie up valuable resources on your system. If you are going to shut down/disable services, do so with caution. Do several at a time, mark down what you have done, reboot and test it. That way if you screw something up, it's easier to find the problem and fix it. If you have an SSD, don't defrag it and make sure your system scheduler does not have that as a scheduled task.

 

I put all cache files onto a RAMdisk for minimizing HDD activity, including my web browser cache, windows temp files, user temp files, and especially scratch space for programs like photoshop and video editing software. For gaming, loading the game image %100 into RAM makes for 10 second load times for BF3 games and others alike once the image is copied over . Although I really don't play games often enough to warrant doing the game images, I still have a secondary mechanical HDD that games get installed separately to and is used for emergency scratch space separate from the OS drive.


Even more important than that is don't install all kinds of random crap you encounter on the internet! Lots of installers will install toolbars and add on bloatware that if you carefully go through the installation, there are usually check boxes to decline installing 3rd party software.

 

good tips here, very helpful

 

I use a Macbook Pro 15 :smile: ! No defragging, no anti-virus, no registry clean-ups.... My laptop runs 24x7, and I have had this one for over 7 months now. It's always connected to the net, travels to class with me and I do everything on it... from blogging to playing Diablo III and assignments. So far I've had zero problems. Sometimes last month I noticed occasional freezes... may be once a week, for about three seconds. But updating to OS X 10.8.1 fixed everything!

But I do clean my mac everyday with a slightly vapour-damped microfiber cloth. Especially the lid, and the keyboard. I also use the Moshi palmgaurd. And so far, it's as good as new!

 

By making use of the disk defragment option as well as removing any old files not needed anymore, now and then.

 

Should i defrag my system if i got a hybrid system? Due to limited space on the ssd, 60 gb, ill only have things like the OS, browser and programs i use very often. Does your system still needs a defrag then?

 

Buy a new laptop every year, they usually are in good shape after only one year of use. While I have the laptop is use it normally and don't try to use fancy programs to boost performance. If you don't abuse your laptop it should be fine. For the guy using the MAC, lucky you, but my GF MAC starts slowing down after being on for a week, she restarts it and its god to go again. Also she is using anti-virus because our college does not let any computer onto their system without it.

And of course if my laptop looks dirty or if the screen is smudged I use a lint free cloth to clean it, but I wouldn't use that as "how I keep my laptop in tip top shape." that is just basic cleaning.

I don't do anything special to my laptops, and I do not notice any performance issues over the year that I have them. Then again it always seems like I reinstall Windows every 6 months.

 

clean it everytime you use it and check for temp files, defragment it, clean unnecessary files and folders.

 

Don't defragment an SSD, there's no point. Defragging pushes all your data to the "front" of a hard disk, and since an SSD doesn't have a traditional disk, defragging is useless. Plus Win7 and Win8 have a built in passive "defrag" for regular hard disks anyway.

Otherwise good ways of preserving your brand new laptop are the usual: Don't install a bunch of useless crap you'll never use, use a lightweight anti-virus like MSE or Avast, and clear out that downloads folder every so often to preserve space.

 

I second this. Defragging an SSD only shortens its life. Which is why W7 and 8 disables defrag on those by default. Any SSD worth its salt cleans up after itself during idle periods anyways. The passive "defrag" that beanwolf mentioned is called TRIM. It's set and forget, nothing you have to manually check. You can check to see if its enabled by opening a command prompt and typing:

fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify

If it returns 0, its on

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

1) Get a good cooling pad. Heat is the mortal enemy of laptops, and even a reduction of 1C will increase the rig's lifespan

2) Weekly air duster cleaning. If you can access the fans, make sure you put a straw or something to hold it stable while using the air, you don't want the fans to spin. use a soft qtip to get dust from the fan blades. If possible, have someone hold the laptop or work from the bottom so dust falls out, not in.

3) regular defrags, but ONLY FOR A HDD, NOT A SSD

4) Registry cleaning, startup program removal, bloatware removal.

5)Once a year fresh install (after backup) like another poster mentioned is also a good idea.

6) REGULAR BACKUPS. cant be stressed enough. Always, always, always back your files up, and always have a redundant system in place. I recommend at least 3 places for your data - on the actual computer, a cloud based service, and a good old fashioned backup hard drive. I know people say the cloud is all you need, but with 1TB harddrives available for less than 80, it is a no-brainer

 

Newbie question, but what happens to a solid state drive with a defrag?

 

I lack the technical acumen to explain in detail, but basically an SSD stores everything electronically, not magnetically. This gives it a great speed advantage, but also limits the number of times each individual cell can be turned on/off. Since SSD have no moving parts, and all the data is stored via an on/off type mechanism, there is no data to move (defrag) like on a traditional platter. Basically you are using up a number of reads/writes on your ssd which shortens its lifespan, but you arent gaining any benefit. I believe this is a correct enough analogy, but i am sure someone will correct me if i am wrong.

 

Open Control Panel, display Large Icons and click on Programs and Features. In the upper left, click "Turn Windows features on and off".

If you use a browser other than Internet Explorer, uncheck Internet Explorer. Then go through and uncheck any Windows feature you don't use. For example, I don't use Gadgets, so I uncheck Windows Gadget Platform. If you are not sure about a feature, ask back here.

Download CCleaner from the File Hippo website, linked below, and install. I run CCleaner every night. Note that you can set it to keep your passwords or remove them, as you wish. Once a week, click on Registry and run Cleaner. This procedure will help keep your computer files as clutter-free as possible.

 

It breaks? NO! Seriously, it just doesn't work as efficiently.

A defrag essentially puts things closer, and in the case of a disc, increases efficiency. However, that would have the opposite effect on an SSD since data is stored differently. Doing so would decrease its efficiency and it would just operate slower.

 

Defragging doesn't slow down SSD or make it any more or less efficient. Flash memory have a limited amount of rewrite cycles. Defraging would just use up those write cycles and potentially shorten the life of your SSD.

 

1. making sure my temps are always normal.
2. repasting/cleaning the vents every 3-4 months
3. reformatting the Host Os every 6 months or so... (I always like my host OS with as little crapware as possible).
4. propping the back to keep minimal heat.
5. have a good backup system when problems arise
6. no drinking near the laptop.... unless it's a toughbook

as for the guy asking about game booster, in most cases my answer is no, however and I'm not so sure if it was game booster that I used to move my Steam savegames to my SSD from the hdd.

 

I just make sure that I keep up with updates for software and drivers. I also clean out the air vents using canned air.

 

There's seriously no need to reinstall the operating system every 6 months or year or whatever. The only time I reinstall operating systems on my computers is if something goes catastrophically wrong (which hardly ever happens) or I'm switching between one OS and a different one (say Windows to Linux) or switching storage hardware (such as going from a hard drive to an SSD).

As for general computer maintenance, don't block the vents, brush away dust and debris, use an antivirus, get rid of any pre-loaded trialware and any other programs you don't need and won't use, regularly install operating system updates when they become available (or opt to have them automatically installed), and pay attention to downloads so you don't load useless junk on the system. That's about 90% of computer maintenance right there.

Cleaning out the inside or repasting may be advisable if your temperatures are rising, and more specific work with Windows components such as the registry or the services list may be needed in certain situations, but it's all situational. If you have a problem, then you fix it. In general, if you follow the basic advice above and just use your computer however you normally would, you'll be fine.

 

wow, these are some real good tips to keep the pc in good technical shape. nice

 

I usually clean my laptop about once a month, clean keyboard and screen. I only open my laptop to clean inside about once every 2 years. Doesn't seem to get much dust build up anyway as it is an ultrabook and having small fan does not really push much air.

 

Any tips on maintaining a laptops battery? I would like to keep mine in good shape and capable of holding a good charge for as long as possible.

 

Well, on the samsung there is a feature in the software that only allows the battery to charge up to 80% capacity to prolong the life of the battery. Apparently less damaging than charging all the way to 100% and also don't discharge the battery all the way to empty.

 

Wow that infrequent? Then I'd guess you call my daily cleaning obsessive compulsive? I can't stand finger prints--not even my own.

As for keeping it running in tip top performance, I choose to let the software take care of most of that. Thought I still need to run it at least once a month.

 

Monthly thorough cleaning, but fingerprints get removed right away.

As for the software part, I let windows do its thing, run the occasional Ccleaner and that's about it. I've never really had a computer slow down in recent years.

 

I would agree. I perform a monthly (Or there about) thorough cleaning of all heat sinks, fans, and vents on any system that I have. I normally utilize an air compressor (However, you need to be careful as some have moisture buildup inside the tank so watch for this) to clean out the dust. If I feel it is running hot I will remove old thermal paste and apply new Arctic silver 5. As for the OS, normally day to day operations with the use of CCleaner, Malwarebytes (Free version), disk cleanup/defrag and Norton 360 scans AT least weekly. This has worked for myself for years and PC slow downs aren't something I am plagued with.
Truckin

 

I don't do monthly cleaning but check the fan port intake and exhaust every 6 month to check for dust build up and vacum or blow out the dust. And as for total cleanup that I do once a year if need but otherwise I limit that to 2 years but alot depends on the environment you use the laptop the more dusty/dirty the air environment you should clean it out every 6 months but only dissemble for cleanup each year. Also redo the thermal paste as well this will improve heat transfer that in itself beside the dust cleaning will extend the life of the laptop til the unit ages from just age of the laptop to make it obsolete or just exhaust itself from overuse.