By The Star
BERLIN: Computers can fail even at temperatures of 30°C, especially when they are poorly maintained and have collected dust over the years.
Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) is warning all laptop owners to remember these four essentials for preventing a notebook meltdown and the risk of losing work from overheating.
1. Watch how many tasks you're giving the computer
If your laptop sounds and feels like the engines of a jumbo jet, then you should try to limit the computing processes as much as possible.
That effectively means closing unused browser tabs, and avoiding resource-intensive programs, likes games, multimedia editing or making large data backups. It's better to tackle these in cooler evening hours.
2. Don't rest it on a soft surface
Somewhat ironically, getting comfortable with a laptop often leads to overheating. Once they are rested on warm legs or the likes of soft sofa cushions, a mattress or a duvet, things start to get pretty hot pretty fast– even on cooler days. That's because softer surfaces allow little airflow for cooling. This is particularly critical for devices that draw air from underneath.
Instead, the vast majority of laptops will need to be placed on a smooth, flat surface, such as a desk, that allows ventilation. Special laptop stands with built-in fans (cooling pads) can also help, but even a large cutting board from the kitchen might suffice.
3. Stay in the shade
Air conditioning or a fan will of course also help cool off both laptops and their owners. When working outdoors, laptops should always be in the shade, whether they're being used or not. When indoors, it's best to keep them out of direct sunlight from any nearby windows.
4. Clean the fans
Over time, fans tend to accumulate dust, which hinders ventilation in desktop PCs and laptops, exposing the devices to higher temperatures. While some dust can be removed externally, most of it collects inside the laptop.
If you're hesitant to open your laptop, you can try using a vacuum cleaner to suck dust out through the ventilation slots. Even this method can remove a significant amount of dust. To avoid damaging the fan, it's best to avoid putting the nozzle directly on the slots or fan blades.
Germany's BSI regularly issues practical advice for IT security, including hardware maintenance and environmental considerations, to help prevent device failures and data loss. – dpa/Tribune News Service
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