Sometimes cosmetic changes aren’t enough to lift your notebook computer’s performance out of the doldrums. When accessories and a cosmetic computer makeover aren’t enough, you’ll have to make real upgrades to enhance the performance of your laptop. Here are some maintenance steps and upgrades that will help your old laptop get its mojo back:
1. Clean fans and cooling vents
The fans in your laptop are vital for keeping it running cool. However, over the years they may get fouled by lint, dust, and pet hair. If your laptop runs hot, it may lock up more often and the life of your system may be shortened. There are lots of tutorials and videos on the internet that demonstrate how to clean your laptop’s fans and air intakes. If you are careful, cleaning any gunk out of your fans and air vents will make a noticeable difference in the way your computer runs.
2. Memory
Crucial has an application that will examine your laptop, see if you can add memory, and recommend the right memory for your machine. This can help your machine run much more smoothly.
3. New battery
The biggest selling point of a laptop was once portability. However, most personal laptops are used at fixed desks within a home. If your old laptop doesn’t have the battery power needed for surfing the web at your nearest coffee shop, it might be time to replace your battery with a fresh one. While this may require a small investment, the restoration of mobility may be well worth it. According to Google Shopping, a battery for my old Acer 5515 laptop would be $32.95 at Laptop Battery One.
4. New hard drive
If your hard drive is flaking out, don’t despair — a replacement hard drive is less expensive than you think. Companies like Microcenter have replacement hard drives for notebook computers for as low as $30.
5. Fresh OS installation
It’s no secret that the performance of Windows degrades over years of use. The Windows registry changes and often is corrupted as applications are installed and uninstalled. Many software applications run services that update at mysterious times and inconveniently slow internet speeds. To end the annoyance once and for all, back up your files, locate your security software media, and reinstall your system operating system. Then reinstall your security software. Let them update and get current. Once that is done, reinstall any software that you actually use. Leave off the software that you never use. Then restore your files. Your system should have a clean, fresh registry.
This might be the time for a new operating system like Windows 7, Windows 8, or Linux. If you want to split from the whole Windows system, make the switch to a Linux operating system like Ubuntu. If you are about to buy a new PC anyway, you don’t have much to lose by switching the old one to a Linux operating system. After you’ve made all of these changes, you may find your old laptop to be new and nifty. Once your computer gets its mojo back, you may even fall in love with it all over again.
