It is not a surprise or a secret that notebook computers are becoming ever more present in today’s small business and home environments. The advent of wireless networking and the increased speed and capability of notebook computers have revolutionised this space. It many instances notebook computers are replacing traditional desktop computers. Until recently notebook computers were relegated to secondary status to the owner’s desktop computer. There are some additional caveats to keep a notebook computer secure and running well versus the maintenance performed on desktop computers.
As computers have increased in speed and therefore heat generation, dust has been a constant enemy of the desktop computer. This problem is even more pronounced with notebook computers. I believe this is the case because of the smaller size of cooling passages and fans as well the various environments that a notebook computers sees on a day-to-day basis. I lately have received complaints from users that their notebook computer just shuts down without explanation. This is a self-defense mechanism used by notebook computers when they overheat. (I wish my late ’85 Mustang would have had this handy feature. RIP) A quick shot of canned duster and clean up with a powerful vacuum cleaner has gotten these notebooks back to a trouble-free existence.
TIP: Keep a can of duster handy and blow out the cooling ducts every three months. You can locate the cooling ducts by looking for fan(s) and small grills on your notebook. Be sure to only do this when the notebook is cool. The introduction of cold air on hot components can potentially cause problems. Another tip is to not shake the duster or hold it in any position but upright. The cold blast that results from tipping the can is very destructive to plastic, your skin, and other components. For your own protection is also recommended to wear eye protection.
The other frequent problem for notebook computers is hard drive damage. In addition to extreme heat which is bad for hard drive motors you have the other element of danger for hard drives – movement. The hard drive is made of a stack of platters much like old time records. The read/write heads hover just over these platters reading and writing data as they spin away at up to 10,000 RPM. That is faster than the engine in a NASCAR car at Daytona. If you jar the notebook computer while the hard drive is running the heads can be sent skidding into the surface of the platters. This leads to bad sectors. This leads us to two tips.
TIP: Avoid moving the notebook computer while it is running. The safest practice is to close the lid and allowing the notebook to enter sleep or hibernation mode. Wait a few moments for everything to save and then shutdown. You can then move your computer without consequence. I know that this can be time consuming, but not nearly as time consuming as reinstalling your operating system or recovering lost data.
TIP: Perform routine hard drive maintenance every three months. I long ago gave up on using Windows Check Disk for any kind of maintenance or recovery. Sadly this once useful program just throws away questionable sectors of data. I recommend using Gibson Research SpinRite. This is one of the most thorough pieces of software that I have ever found for recovering and maintaining computer hard drives. It is expensive, but well worth the $89 investment. You simply download the software, create a CD-ROM copy, and then run it on the computer overnight. Since I have begun using this program I have not lost one single hard drive.
This only deals with the mechanical care and maintenance of a notebook computer. All of the other tips for maintaining a desktop computer apply here as well. You should also be cautious of the increased security risk of using a notebook computer. We will release a post soon that addresses the specific security needs when you use a notebook computer.