Email this page to a friend with a personal messageYour computer is a big investment. Not only that, but the things that are stored on computers, from financial and personal information to work or schoolwork to photographs of friends and family, are important to you and should be protected. Many people don"™t realize how devastating it is to lose everything on their computer if it is damaged.
There are many things that can happen to your computer and damage it physically, but if you are careful, you can protect your computer for years.
The following are some tips for keeping your computer from being damaged physically:
Keep the computer in a safe area.
You should keep your computer in an area of your home that is free from things that can damage it physically, such as pets or kids and their toys. Ideally, the room your computer is in will have a door on it that you can close to keep kids and pets out.
If you"™re in a smaller area and this is not feasible, keep a close eye on your kids to make sure they don"™t get too close and start pushing buttons or banging toys against the computer.
Don"™t eat or drink around your computer.
It is easy to eat or drink while using your computer, especially if your job or a lot of school work require you to spend long amounts of time at once at the computer. However, not eating or drinking while using your computer can prevent you from the damage that can be caused by spilling food or beverages on your keyboard or other components. This is especially true when using a laptop, as the components are connected.
Use a surge protector
You can plug your computer and monitor into a surge protector and keep it from being damaged physically by storms and other things that can cause surges and voltage spikes in the electrical components of your computer.
These surges can damage or destroy your computer"™s electrical parts in a matter of seconds, so a surge protector is important to have. You can purchase them inexpensively from hardware stores.
If you don"™t have a surge protector, unplugging your computer during storms or lightning will also help.
Be careful with laptops
Laptop computers are more sensitive and more easily damaged physically than desktop computers. With that in mind, take extra precautions with your laptop computer. Always travel or transport it in a special case that has padding to keep it safe from bumping around. In addition, be careful when balancing your laptop on your knees, so it doesn"™t go crashing to the floor. Use your laptop on a table or counter when possible.
Get the extended warranty.
While this won"™t necessarily protect your computer from being damaged, spending the extra money on the extended warranty is well worth it. In most cases, this will cover things that a traditional warranty won"™t cover, such as dropping your computer or spilling your coffee all over your keyboard. Check first to make sure that the warranty covers these things, as one accident will pay for the warranty itself.
Protecting your computer is important, not only to avoid having to pay high repair costs, but to keep your files and information safe as well. The above tips and precautions will help you to keep your computer from being damaged physically.
