The standard (standard in this case meaning free) warranty on a new laptop typically runs anywhere from 90 days to a year. That probably doesn’t seem like much when you consider how long you expect to own your laptop. What happens when your laptop poops out on 91st day?

First of all, even if your laptop only includes a 90-day warranty (and assuming you’ve purchased a reputable brand- name system), chances of your laptop dying on 91st day are very, very slim.

Manufacturers don’t offer a 90-day warranty with expectation that their product will malfunction shortly thereafter. A shorter warranty is likely, at least in part, to be a marketing ploy to push you toward an extended warranty.

All major laptop manufacturers offer a long menu of extended warranty options, each menu item with its own price tag. The two biggest components that factor into cost of an extended warranty are duration and location.

Now you may ask what has any of that got to do with “Secrets To A Healthy Computer?”

Well, in a way we’re all just like a computer. If you neglect to take care of yourself you soon will cease to function properly and many tasks that once were easy to do now take twice as long to accomplish and often require you to rest or “reboot” after a malfunction.

I can’t tell you what foods to eat or what exercises to perform because I am not a nutritionist. Although, with my experiences in personal computer field I can share with you some tips of how to keep that rectangle box of circuitry that sits within sights range functioning at maximum performance as long as time will allow.

Some important steps to follow are….

*Make certain that your computer is located in a well ventilated area and that all air vents are unobstructed to prevent overheating and premature failure to any internal components.

*Clean out dust build-up at least every 6 months from inside of computer case including case vents, power supply vents, and all visible circuitry with a few cans of compressed air that can be purchased from any major computer store or electronics outlet. This will help reduce chances of overheating and circuitry damage.

Before cleaning just be certain to always unplug computer from wall outlet and never physically contact circuitry inside computer case to prevent damage.

*Be prepared for an unsuspected failure by always making backups of any important data that you do not and can not afford to lose.

I personally keep updated backups of my website and even store disks at a remote location away from my every day use computers just in case a disaster were to occur and my main computers were destroyed resulting in need for those lost files.

*Purchase and install a well known anti-virus program that can be regularly updated with latest virus definitions and ran during boot-up to help protect your computer from being victim of an unwanted infestation.