What are the things that could go wrong with a laptop?
Thursday, March 26th, 2009 | Maintenance, laptops
Most hardware manufacturers produce robust computers, but do not be deluded into thinking that your laptop will never break down. Keep in mind that it contains delicate parts and that there are a number of things that could go wrong with it.
The laptop screen is rather delicate and may break down.
The keyboard keys are used all the time and may get loose, or they may not react when being pressed.
The battery may pack up. Over time the battery life will get shorter until you reach a stage where you can only work while plugged into an electricity outlet.
The battery charger may stop functioning.
The different cables may break; sometimes the inside of the cable gets broken, which can not be detected by visual inspection.
The motherboard may fail.
The hard disk may crash.
The CD-ROM or DVD drive may malfunction.
Do you get the feeling that a laptop is a disaster waiting to happen? Don’t despair.
The problems listed here do not happen every day.
It is possible that you may never encounter any of these problems.
Many of these problems could be avoided with reasonable care.
All of these problems can be fixed.
Don’t focus on the things that could go wrong with your laptop – rather focus on the good things you can do with it.
If there are other things that you know of that could go wrong with a laptop, please leave a comment.
Click here to find answers to more laptop related questions.
6 Comments to What are the things that could go wrong with a laptop?
And for all those reasons, to avoid disappointment, remember to regularly *back up* your important data.
You can use a flash drive, a CD or DVD, or an external hard drive to back up your data. Don’t keep all your important photos only on your laptop! Put them immediately onto another storage place.
Good advice @Sharon Peters. That is a must.
Also, @Kobus, beware when drinking tea near your computer. If you are anything like me, you will spill it on the keyboard at least twice!
In such a case you may want to unplug it and turn it upside down in your bath tub, after which the keys may stick and cause annoyance.
I agree with all of this advice. We need to treat our laptops with careful respect and regard. Accidents do happen, however. For that reason, I recommend establishing a very friendly and close relationship with your school and/or district’s computer maintenance staff. Be sure to follow their procedures for reporting problems, be pleasant when talking to them, and always thank them. And it always helps if you bring them chocolate and little gifts frequently, and learn their children’s names. 
I am always in front of my lap top and know I shouldn’t but I do eat in front of it too. I had a cookie crumb lodge under the space bar. But I was able to shake it upside down to move the crumb (it never fell out so it is somewhere inside forever I guess) but now the space bar works again. I have had the case crack on two of my laptops because we travel a lot and it has been in the car during extreme temperatures (traveling through the desert and blizzards). Of course the cracked case does not affect performance, just looks.
Love your posts as you’re practical in your advise. I think, in this latest, the list is too long. If focusing on laptops vs. workstations, the CDROM/DVD, motherboard, and hard drive are common failures between both and should not sway a person away from using a laptop.
This website has been a great resource recently for me – in giving me information about backing up and managing my digital life.
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Friday, 27 March, 2009