These Few Habits Are Probably Killing Your Computer

Over-Charging Your Laptop Can Wear Out the Battery

Believe it or not, you should avoid keeping a laptop plugged-in when the battery's fully charged. Instead, you should unplug it when the charge reaches 100%, and fully deplete the battery before plugging it back in. This will not only prolong the life of your battery, but the life of your charger as welland as we know, those things don't come cheap.

The Widgets on Your Dashboard Eat Up Processing Power

If you use the Dashboard tool on an Apple computer, you might be tempted to go hog-wild on widgets. After all, who doesn't want to simultaneously check stocks, sports, news, flights, movie times and the weather while crunching a few numbers. However, since those widgets are constantly running, even when Dashboard is in the background, they can eat up precious processing power unless their numbers are kept in check. As in all things, moderation is key.

Keeping Your Laptop on Your Bed Can Cause It to Overheat

Since the fan on most laptops is directly below the screen hinge, the area has to stay clear to ensure proper airflow: Hence the rubber pads on the bottom of your computer. Placing your laptop on a bed (or any other soft surface) will block the flow of air, causing your fan to work harder and your computer to overheat. This doesn't mean giving up your nightly Netflix bingesjust let that sucker breath.

Undercover Applications Will Secretly Drain Your Computer

Like widgets on your dashboard, unseen applications can wreak havoc on your processor. When you close an application window by clicking the red "x", make sure to quit out of the app in your desktop dock as well. This rule also applies to startup programsprograms that launch automatically when you boot up your computer. Just make sure that the only open apps are the one's you're actually using.

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