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" Last week I told you how to make your cell phone and TV last as long as possible. Here&amp;#039;s how to extend the lifespan of your laptop and printer.  Laptops   Optimize your settings to save power. For instance, set your screen brightness at a lower level.   Use sleep, hibernation, or standby when you won&amp;#039;t be actively using your computer.   Keep the battery contacts clean so power is delivered as effectively as possible. You can clean them with a cotton swab and a bit of rubbing alcohol. (Be sure the device is powered down before you start swabbing!)   Charge your battery according to the instructions in the manual. Most lithium ion batteries can be partially discharged and recharged without a problem, but avoid fully discharging if you can. Old nickel-based batteries should be fully drained and recharged. (Not sure what type you have? The info will be on the battery itself.)  Keep the computer cool to maximize its efficiency and battery life.   If you won&amp;#039;t be using your computer for a while (say you&amp;#039;re going on a trip for a week), store it in a cool place, partially discharged (about 60%).   Turn off your wireless Internet connection when you don&amp;#039;t need it.   Set tasks, like updates and virus scans, to run when the computer is not running on battery power.   If you have a PC, about once a week, clean up your hard drive with Microsoft Disk CleanUp and Disk Defragmenter.   Keep your software up-to-date and make sure you&amp;#039;re running antivirus software and have spyware detection and removal tools.   Keep or toss? For starters, if your notebook is pushing four years, consider yourself lucky! But seriously, if you&amp;#039;ve tried the steps above and you&amp;#039;re not happy with the results, try upgrading the memory. If that doesn&amp;#039;t work, it&amp;#039;s probably time to invest in a new one. Printers   Keep your printer out of high humidity areas, which can cause paper jams. You may even want to have a dehumidifier running while you&amp;#039;re printing.   Keep it clean. Sounds intuitive but most people don&amp;#039;t take the time to do it. In addition to dusting your printer, use compressed air on hard-to-reach areas.   Align the printer heads properly. Most machines can do self-tests for alignment.   Turn the printer off if you won&amp;#039;t be using it for a while to prevent overheating and decreased efficiency.   Print regularly. If you only use your printer sporadically, run a test page every now and again to make sure everything is working smoothly.   Use new paper. Paper that&amp;#039;s bent, torn, or used before, can cause paper jams which in turn can lead to more complex problems.  Keep or toss? Printer parts are often very expensive. If you&amp;#039;ve tried to remedy problems without success, a new printer will be more cost-effective than bringing in the old one for repairs. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a18773/extend-your-laptop-battery/>