Most laptops we replace early are not replaced because the technology moved on. They are replaced because the battery gave up, the machine cooked itself slowly, or it took a knock in a bag. None of that requires special care to avoid, just a few habits.
The battery
Laptop batteries wear out by use, and they do it faster when hot or when run to empty repeatedly. A few things genuinely help.
- Do not routinely run it flat. Occasional full discharges are fine, but a battery that regularly hits zero ages noticeably faster than one topped up during the day. Plug in when it is convenient rather than waiting for the warning.
- Leaving it plugged in all day is not the problem people think. Modern laptops stop charging at full. What does harm the battery is being plugged in while running hot, which is why a laptop that lives on a dock in a warm corner is worth thinking about.
- Use the battery care setting if your laptop has one. Most business brands include a setting that caps charging at around 80% for machines that mostly sit on a desk, which meaningfully extends battery life. It appears in the manufacturer's own app, often called something like Battery health, Battery care or Charge threshold. Ask us if you cannot find it.
- Use the charger that came with it. A cheap replacement that delivers less power will charge slowly, run warm, and in some cases fail to keep up while the machine is working. If you need a spare, ask us what to buy for that model.
- Expect a replacement eventually. A battery that used to last a full day and now needs charging by lunchtime is worn, not faulty. On most business laptops it is a straightforward replacement and much cheaper than a new machine.
Heat
Heat is the quiet killer. It shortens battery life, causes the machine to slow itself down deliberately to cool off, and over years it wears out components.
- Keep the vents clear. They are on the sides, the back, and usually a large grille underneath. A laptop on a bed, a couch, a folded jumper or a stack of paper is breathing through a blanket.
- Use something solid under it. A hard flat surface, a lap desk, or a simple stand is enough. A stand that lifts the back also improves typing angle.
- Notice when the fan is loud for long stretches. That is the machine telling you it is struggling. If it happens constantly, the vents are probably clogged with dust and lint, which is a cleaning job we can do.
- Do not leave a laptop in a car. A car in a Melbourne summer gets hot enough to damage a battery, and the machine will be visible to anyone walking past.
Travel and carrying
- Shut the lid on a clean keyboard. A pen, a USB stick or a set of earbuds left on the keyboard is one of the most common ways a screen gets cracked. Check before you close it.
- Use a padded compartment. A proper laptop sleeve or bag, not the main compartment of a backpack with a water bottle and a laptop charger rattling against it.
- Let it shut down or sleep before it goes in the bag. A machine still running in a zipped bag has nowhere to send its heat.
- Carry it closed and by the base. Picking a laptop up by the screen puts all the force through the hinges, which is where laptops crack first.
- Never leave it visible in a car or unattended in a cafe. If a work laptop is lost or stolen, tell us straight away. If it was set up properly it is encrypted and we can act quickly, but that only helps if we know.
If something happens
A spill. Switch the machine off immediately by holding the power button for ten seconds, unplug the charger, turn it upside down like a tent so liquid drains away from the components, and do not try to switch it on to see if it survived. Powering it up while wet is what turns a recoverable spill into a dead machine. Log it with us the same day.
A drop. Even if it seems fine, tell us. A knock can loosen a drive or crack a hinge mount, and it is much better dealt with before it becomes a failure with your files on it.
A swollen battery. If the laptop no longer sits flat, the trackpad feels raised, or the case is separating, stop using it and unplug it. A swelling battery is a genuine hazard and needs replacing, not monitoring.
Still stuck?
Log a ticket at portal.yougrowit.com.au or email support@yougrowit.com.au. If it is stopping you working right now, call 03 9028 4358.
Support hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm Melbourne time, excluding Victorian public holidays.
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