Making the Most of Computer Hardware

Find simple ways to extend the life of your computer hardware and accessories

The key to making the most of computer hardware isn't just knowing where to purchase the cheapest replacement parts--it's in knowing how to make the computer components you already have last as long as possible. The most common problems facing the standard business computer user are shortened laptop battery life, hard drive failure or slowdown, and mysterious computer issues and component failure due to overheating.

The following tips will help you save money by extending the life of your existing computer parts and accessories:

1. Find out how to extend the life of that most irritating of computer accessories--your notebook battery.
2. Keep your hard drive alive longer by regularly defragmenting.
3. Preserve your computer components by keeping them cool.
   

 

Extend the life of notebook batteries--vital computer accessories--with proper care

Believe it or not, leaving your laptop battery plugged in and fully charged is NOT the best way to keep it alive and happy. These particular computer accessories are touchier than most. For the best long-term life of your battery, you should unplug it and completely discharge it on a monthly basis. Partial discharges and recharges dramatically reduce battery life.
Try: There is a great guide to getting more life out of your rechargeable batteries at legalandrew.com. It gives instructions on how best to store your batteries for long-term preservation. If your battery no longer  holds a charge properly, follow the troubleshooting steps on RM. You can also download their free notebook battery calibration tool. In Windows Vista, make sure you right-click on the file and select "Run as Administrator".

Preserve the most important computer component--your hard drive--by defragmenting

Hard drive fragmentation is basically a scattering of files across your hard drive. It can cause hard drive to run slower and work harder, seeking out all the disparate pieces of different files that are being worked on. This actually causes your hard drive to run slower, and shortens the life of this extremely vital computer hardware part. Regular defragmentation has been proven to extend the life of hard drives.
Try: In Windows XP, you have to defragment the hard drive yourself manually. This task can be automated using software such as Diskeeper from the Diskeeper Corporation. They even offer volume discounts for small businesses. The defragment utility incorporated in Windows Vista does automatically run--usually on Wednesday morning at 1AM--but it actually defragments worse than the built-in XP defrag utility. A good alternative to the built-in Vista defragment is Diskeeper or its competitor DiskMagik, available for download at Ludington Media West.

Protect your internal computer parts by keeping them cool enough

Overheating is a major contributor to a large number of computer problems, including everything from spontaneous reboots to actual hardware damage. Desktop towers shoved inside of compartments and under desks are particularly vulnerable. Laptop computers, particularly HP laptops, have a tendency to run so hot that they'll sear your thighs. All of this puts extreme strain on the internal computer hardware parts, and will drastically decrease their lifespan.
Try: You can order a laptop cooling pad at Frozencpu.com. Most pads are powered by USB cable that plugs into the laptop. For desktop computers, minimize overheating by pulling out the case and blasting the insides with compressed air monthly. Dust is a major factor in overheating. If you have the tower stuffed under a desk, add additional internal fans to ensure that the insides are sufficiently cooled. You can pick up extra CPU case fans at computer hardware suppliers like TigerDirect or Newegg.

 

• No preventative measure will preserve a part forever. Once the part has failed, make sure that you buy wholesale computer hardware. There many different ways to find computer hardware wholesalers on the Internet, or at least suppliers that discount their prices vastly below retail. Google is your friend. Just do a search on "wholesale" and the computer component you're looking to replace.

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