Caring for your Laptop in HOT Weather

Keeping your laptop cool can be a big challenge in any weather, but with record setting temperatures all over the county this summer, you need to take special precautions, especially if your work requires that you travel with your laptop or use it outdoors. Here’s a few common-sense ideas:

• Use your laptop in a place where it doesn’t have to work so hard to cool itself. If it’s sitting in bright sunlight or if it’s right near an appliance that generates a lot of heat, it’s already at a disadvantage.
• Purchase a cooling pad and/or laptop stand. When on a flat surface, in your lap or on a pillow, air can't circulate under your laptop which makes it overheat. Laptops come with a built-in fan, but they can't cool down a laptop over an extended period of time, especially in extremely hot summer conditions.
• Keep your laptop out of your automobile or minimize the amount of time you leave it in your car, making sure the air conditioning is running and it’s sitting near a vent. Car temperatures can reach 120 degrees or more. Never store it in your trunk where it’s likely to be even hotter. Extreme heat can not only damage your laptop's internal components but can melt the external casing. 
• Maintain a level temperature in your home or office. Using air conditioning also helps to eliminate moisture in the air from humidity, moisture that can damage your laptop.
• Watch the weather forecasts. Hot weather can bring thunderstorms and severe weather that can cause surges through electrical outlets to your laptop. Keep your laptop unplugged during these weather episodes.

Don't forget to make sure you have your data backed up on an external hard drive - or better yet, use an automatic backup service.  Don't risk losing all your critical data!  Talk to CMIT Wexford today about backup services.