Extend the lifespan of your devices

It's one of those days. You're late for a meeting, so you shut the lid of your laptop, wrap the cords around it, and shove it into your bag. You grab your phone, and the battery is almost dead because you forgot to charge it. While quickly grabbing your coffee from the kitchen, your phone accidentally falls into the dishpan.

It's the perfect technological storm.

Our devices take a lot of abuse and undergo a lot of wear and tear. But is there anything we can do to help prolong their life or keep them running smoothly? What about that inevitable time when they get wet?

That's where Carey Langille steps in. He knows everything computer-related.

The Coldbrook resident has made Everything Computer his business for the past 15 years, helping the community with technical issues. Although his business is currently closed, he still helps clients out from time to time on a case-by-case basis.

Based on his extensive experience, he offers the following advice when it comes to caring for technological devices from laptops to computers and phones.

CABLES AND WIRES

First, phone cords and jacks are fragile and must be handled with care. Keep them dirt-free and dry when installing or removing them from the device, he says. Cables do become worn over time, so they will need to be replaced every so often.

“Always use the cable connector to unplug them, rather than pulling on the wire, as this will allow the cable to last longer,” says Langille.

Power jacks or direct current jacks are fragile and can break. Always unplug the power cable before you move the computer. Don't make it a tripping hazard.

By forcing the cable, it can break the charge jack and port, he says.

PHONE CHARGING

When using the cable to charge your phone, charge until it is full, then remove the cable. Then, use the device until it has a 10 to 15 per cent charge left before recharging it fully.

This will give your battery its best chance at an extended long life, he says.

WATER AND YOUR DEVICE

“When you get water on your phone, never use rice,” says Langille of the often-touted internet trick to dry out your device.

Especially with modern phones, the dust and debris from rice can actually harm the internals of phones and can plug up jacks, he explains.

Instead, use desiccant bags found in electronics when you open them. These are the small bags that say “do not eat” on them. They are the best way to remove moisture, he says.

Langille also recommends putting a wet phone in a dehumidified room as soon as possible after your water event occurs, before the water has a chance to corrode components.

LAPTOPS

When carrying a laptop around, Langille recommends using a well-padded bag.

Make sure you shut down your computer before you pack it away, he adds, ensuring all the lights have gone off before you close the lid.

Computers tend to do updates as you shut down. If you interrupt that by closing the lid, your update may fail or cause your hard drive to become corrupt, he explains.

Through his business, Langille sees a lot of broken screens. To prevent this, he says to never lift or carry the laptop by the screen, likening it to lifting a child by the hair.

He has also seen a lot of bad hard drives.

The small spinning drives inside of laptops can easily become corrupt if the computer is bumped or dropped while it's on. Shutting it down before you plan to move it could save that from happening.

Modern computers are now coming with solid-state hard drives, so this is not as much of an issue, but it's still good practice, says Langille.

Overheating is also an issue with laptops. Keep vents and ports free from dirt and dust. Canned air can help with this, he says.

Never block the ports or use the computer on a soft surface like a blanket, pillow, cloth, etc., as this can cover the vents. Instead, always use it on a hard, flat surface, he says.

TUNE UPS

If your computer is extremely slow, sometimes a tune-up will help, says Langille. There are some excellent free tools for computers, including

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MalwareBytes, Superantispyware, and ESET Online Scanner.

Keeping these updated and scanning weekly will help keep your computer free of some very dangerous software that could be lurking in the background.

“People always ask what is the best. Well, honestly, there is no best, but a combination of many will be your best defence,” says Langille.

"After many years of daily cleanups on computers, I have seen that even very expensive antivirus packages get infected. Malware or malicious software gets onto our machines and not any one package can remove it all."

Don't forget to update your system, says Langille. When there are Windows updates, Mac operating system updates, or software updates recommended (and you know you use the product) you should update them when offered, he says.

"Don't delay on these, as they usually fix important security and operational issues to keep your machine running properly," Langille adds.

"Let the updates finish. Do not turn off your computer during these updates. It can take time to do them, so be patient. It is a virtue after all."

Treat your devices with respect and care and they will last many years, says Langille.

BACK UP

Back up your system often. Use external hard drives, USB memory sticks or Cloud storage, such as Google Drive, to back up your system.

"Make sure you have your important documents and pictures in at least two places or it's not a backup. Devices do die," he says. "It's only a matter of time before it happens to your device. Protect your important, timeless data today."

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