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If you have a laptop computer, you probably appreciate the convenience of portability. But that same feature can mean disaster if an accident happens. Laptops are more vulnerable to damage than desktops because of their portability.
Moving a laptop requires care, but often people don’t think much about how to transport their computers safely. Imagine what would happen if your laptop crashed, literally crashed, as in falling to the ground. You could lose important data, files, photos, and music, plus have the expense of replacing it.
By taking precautions you can reduce the chances of your laptop being damaged. Get into the habit of transporting your laptop carefully and being mindful of avoiding accidents with your portable computer.
Learning from Personal Experience
A few years ago, one of my daughters got her first laptop, a MacBook Pro she wanted for school. We waited until the new version was released and bought it on the first day it was available.
Two days later, she was walking down the stairs with the laptop open, when she tripped and the laptop slipped out of her hands. It tumbled down the stairs and smashed onto the tile floor.
Not surprisingly, the laptop was dead. The body of the laptop was dented and the screen was black.
I was glad we had gotten an Apple Care warranty, until I arrived at the Apple Store and discovered that, unlike Apple Care for iPhone and iPad, Apple Care for computers does not cover accidental damage.
Oops.
An $800 price was quoted for the repair. We agreed to it (my daughter paid for most of the repair), but the model was so new that Apple didn’t have parts for it yet. So my daughter ended up getting a new computer from Apple.
I wish I had taken the time to talk to her about how to handle her laptop safely before she got it.
How to Keep Your Laptop Protected
1. Close the lid
Closing the lid helps protect your laptop in case you drop it. By closing the lid, you may also be putting your computer to sleep, reducing the chances of damage by movement.
Never lift or hold your laptop by the screen.
2. Power off your computer or put it in sleep mode
Make sure your hard drive has stopped spinning by turning off your computer completely or putting it in sleep mode. Wait until the computer has completely powered off or entered into sleep mode before moving it.
[tip]Tip => Some Mac computers have a light to show when a laptop is in sleep mode and safe to move. Look for this light to flash on and off before you move your Mac.
[/tip]
3. Protect your laptop from extreme temperatures
Do not leave your laptop in the car in severe heat or cold. Keep it away from sources of heat, such as a vent or radiator. Make sure that your laptop isn’t left in direct sunlight next to a window for long periods of time.
4. Keep food, drink and pets away from your laptop
Crumbs, liquid, and pet hair can get inside your laptop and cause damage. Be especially mindful if you use your laptop in places such as the kitchen, bathroom or outside where it can be exposed to water.
5. Let your laptop breathe
If your laptop has a fan, be sure that air can circulate around your laptop. Laptops can overheat and be damaged if the fan is blocked.
6. Use a padded case
If you travel with your laptop, consider getting a padded case. The cost of a case is much less than the cost of repairs should your laptop succumb to the forces of gravity.
Infographic
Check out this infographic for more tips on protecting your laptop from damage and what to do if things go wrong.
Your Thoughts
Have you ever damaged a laptop? Do you have any tips for how to protect a laptop? Do you try to be careful when transporting a laptop?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
* Infographic courtesy of Bracken Foam Fabricators, used with permission
** MacBook Sleeping photo (edited) courtesy of Rudd Zwolinski via Flickr and Creative Commons
Great article. Just one thing that might help someone. Some credit card companies have a 90 day accidental damage coverage on items that were purchased with their card. I haven’t checked my card lately to see if that is still available. Maybe I should or maybe that would jinx me. Hmmmmmm.
Thanks for the good tips on keeping laptops safe, Carolyn. I did a dumb thing (not knowing any better – now I do) with my laptop. I transported it (in a briefcase) without removing the power cord and dented the socket (also realigned components inside the connection so no more electric power charges). Managed to find someone who could render the repair, but it was very labor intensive. Probably like your daughter walking down the stairs with the laptop open, I won’t do that again.
Hi Carolyn,
It is important to protect our laptop from damaging. And you have appeared up with amazing tips. Secondly, I liked the infographics you have shared.
Thanks for the great share.
Hi Robin,
Yes too often we just treat our laptops as if they can’t be broken easily and don’t contain important files. But both are true so we should take the time to learn how to take good care of them. Because laptops are portable, they are much more vulnerable to damage than desktop computers.
I’m glad you like the infographic. When I saw it, I knew it would be excellent for Wonder of Tech readers.
Hi Carolyn
Great post and wish I had read this early.
I used to treat my laptop so bad and I probably didn’t know that extreme heat was bad. I remember damaging to the point of exposing the battery.
Now I know better. Thanks for sharing. Take care
Hi Ikechi, Yes, it’s easy to forget that the object we’re carrying costs a lot of money and contains delicate parts that store our digital treasures. By being mindful of how we treat our laptop, we can preserve it as long as possible!
If my laptop did crash, then i’ll probably fall ill because it’s one of my most treasured gadgets. Losing its stored Information which i have been saving for years would be so devastating. The closest i ever got to damaging mine is overheating due to blocked airways and dust particles. The fans had acquired so much dust and this made the PC hot to the extent it began to shut down by itself.
One thing i did out of habit and not because i have it at the back of my mind to protect the laptop is closing the lid. I tend to do this to make the computer sleep whenever i’m not using the PC or rushing somewhere. About powering off the system, it’s something i rarely do. Mostly, i shut the lid which automatically makes it sleep. With this post, i’ll be doing it consciously as a protective measure for my PC.
One thing i especially like about this post is that the points outlined are brief, meaningful, straight to the point. Thanks for sharing these tips, i’ll be sure to implement them.
Hi Grace, I’m glad you always shut the lid of your laptop, putting it to sleep. You may want to power it off fully every so often to help it to run better. See if that helps speed up your computer.
I’m glad you enjoyed this article, Grace. Thank you very much for taking the time to comment.
Great post ! But there are many other ways to protect our laptop. Thank You !
Hi Pritam, Yes, you’re right, there are many other ways to protect your laptop as well. I am glad you found the ones mentioned in the article to be helpful to you.
Ouch, your daughter’s story really hit home with me as I also walk down the stairs with the laptop open… I shall take better care of it in future, and put it in sleep mode…
PS great infographic 🙂
Hi Sarah, Yes, that was a painful lesson to learn, for her and me. I’m glad you found this infographic helpful. You’re right, we often take our laptops for granted and don’t really think about how we treat such a valuable object.
Replacing our laptops can be very expensive, not to mention all of the files that would be lost. Better to prevent disaster by treating our laptops with care.
Great tips. Spilling coffee or some liquid on laptop computers is quite a common thing and it terrifies me a lot. It never happened with me, but I must be more careful. And these tips you have mentioned are a real saviour. Thanks for the share.
Hi Ravi, I’m very glad you found these tips helpful. By taking a closer look at the way we treat our laptops, we may help them to last longer.