It’s no secret that even in this day and age, desktop computers are still projected to last significantly longer than their smaller siblings, the laptops. Though a laptop is portable, convenient, and doesn’t demand too much space, you need to be careful how you use your computer and how you treat it. Sure, every computer can take a beating, but if you forget the importance of proper care, you will find yourself going through laptops like laundry.

Here are the top five tips online to finding the right laptop:

1. Keep Your Computer Clean, Inside And Out

Surprisingly enough, the number one system killer for laptops is dirt, dust, and debris that can cake onto the internal components. This is also the reason that many systems overheat and seemingly shut down on a regular basis. Wiping your computer down is a good idea, but you also need to clean it internally. You can do so using a compressed air can and getting inside!

2. Preserve Your Battery Life

Never keep your laptop plugged into a charger all of the time. Doing so will actually do more harm than good for the battery power. What you need to do is unplug it and use it as you normally would. Another tactic to employ is that every few months, let the battery go down to zero and then charge it to 100%.

3. Keep Your System Clean

You should aim to keep your hard drive 80% full or less. Unfortunately, when you hit 90% full capacity, you will start to notice the performance of your laptop go down. In fact, you’ll probably see that very few programs load and you’ll spend most of your time waiting.

4. Download Program Updates Regularly

In order to ensure that your laptop is functioning as it should, take the time to regularly install program and hardware updates. Many of these scheduled updates are a necessity to ensure that your computer will work properly. One thing to watch out for, however, is the dreaded system updates. Sometimes, the new system updates do more harm than good and fill your computer with bugs. This, in turn, will force you to revert to the previous operating system.

5. Install A Clean Version Of Your Operating System

One of the biggest issues is that when you update operating systems, your laptop accrues junk programs and startup files. These will inadvertently bog down your system and make it nearly impossible to accomplish anything. A better alternative is simply doing a clean install of your latest operating system after backing up your personal files to a safe place.

Your laptop’s lifespan often depends on certain characteristics such as hard drive, capacity, and the quality of the brand name. There are certain things that you can do in order to ensure that your laptop remains in good condition and will serve you for years to come! Bear in mind, bad habits can be hard to break, so try training yourself to naturally do the things above.