Oh, my meager laptop computer. Without it, the contemporary world would not work nearly as well as it does now, thanks to the internet. A significant number of us depend on them, whether we’re professional travel bloggers or construction laborers on the job site.
However, the mobility of a laptop designed for travel also makes it more susceptible to being damaged, which is one of the downsides of having such a device.
Because we are all computer users, we are all so tuned into password-protected devices and online security that it is often easy to overlook the really simple stuff, such as how to protect your laptop from physical damage.
For example, if you have a password-protected device, make sure that you change your password frequently. It puts your computer at risk of a variety of problems, particularly when you are abroad.
But there’s no need to panic since I’m here to provide a hand. In this essay, I will discuss the seven most important things you should do to prevent harm to your laptop.
Also Read: Best Waterproof Laptop Backpacks 2022
7 Tips on how to Protect Your Laptop from Physical Damage
1. Invest in a good quality anti-theft backpack
Theft and pickpocketing are issues that are encountered often in all of the world’s major cities. It is essential that you constantly pay heightened attention to the safety of your laptop as well as the rest of your personal possessions, regardless of where you travel.
One of the most critical pieces of equipment that you can get for your laptop is a good bag to carry it in.
The design of a good anti-theft laptop bag is somewhat different from that of an ordinary backpack. It also has a number of specialized security measures to secure your device and the peripherals you use with it, but the following are the essential ones:
- Locks that prevent theft
- Pockets and zippers
- Materials that are slash-proof or cut-resistant
- When placed on the floor, it has locking cables
It is important to keep in mind that the cost of replacing a stolen laptop will always be far more than the cost of a good bag.
When shopping for a laptop bag, one issue that is sometimes ignored is whether or not the bag will be able to safeguard your device from being physically damaged.
Because the hard drive is often damaged by bumps and shocks, you should be sure to choose a bag that has to cushion, particularly on the bottom.
How to protect a laptop in a backpack
Even though you have your backpack, there are still a few things you should keep in mind.
- It is imperative that you power down your computer immediately in order to prevent it from overheating.
- Check to make sure there is nothing on the keyboard that might cause the display to get dirty or scratched before you shut the lid.
- Remove all of the plugs from your cords. When I’m in a hurry, I’m often guilty of doing this, but leaving the power cord plugged into the laptop runs the danger of destroying the charging port, which will result in your laptop is unable to receive power. USB devices are also susceptible to damage, so it is important to look for any dongles that may have been dislodged.
- Put your laptop in a sleeve or case specifically designed for laptops for additional padding protection.
- Be careful not to overstuff your luggage. Because of this, I ended up losing the first of several iPad displays. When I strapped it to my bike, the twisting strain caused by the straps caused the screen to fracture since it had been sitting in a bag that was already full.
- Be careful to fasten the zipper all the way. Pay close attention since it is simple for a laptop computer to slip out of an open backpack and land on the ground underneath it.
- When you place your backpack down on the floor, be sure to use caution. Again, coming from personal experience, I can tell you that the dull thud that you hear when you set your luggage down on the ground and the corner of your laptop is the first thing to make contact with the floor is not a nice sound.
2. Get a laptop sleeve for extra protection
When you buy a brand-new laptop, you should definitely invest in some additional security for such a pricey item. When you take your computer with you on the road, there is a greater chance that it may be subjected to knocks and jolts.
For this reason, an additional layer of protection, such as that provided by a laptop sleeve, is a good idea to have. Make sure that the case has sufficient padding to prevent the paint or the surface of the laptop from becoming damaged, as well as to provide you with an additional layer of protection for the screen of the laptop.
After inserting the laptop and its case into the backpack of your laptop, check to see that the laptop case is a perfect fit inside the laptop compartment of the backpack.
3. Clean your laptop regularly
It is extremely common to forget the physical cleaning of your computer, despite the fact that many of us are very good at maintaining the cleanliness of our laptops in the digital world.
When I say this, I mean that you should wipe the screen, the keyboard, and anything else that you use on a regular basis. A soiled and dust-covered laptop runs the risk of overheating and breaking.
Be sure to give your computer a thorough cleaning on a regular basis so that you can cut your risk and keep it free of dust and germs.
4. Guard your laptop exteriors with covers or skins
Sleeves can protect your laptop while you move, but skins or tight cases will protect it from physical damage. Some even protect against water.
5. Avoid consuming at the same time as working on a laptop
You would be prudent to try to restrict eating or drinking anything near a laptop as much as possible, even if I am all for working while traveling and like a good café office. In a matter of minutes, your laptop may be rendered useless and damaged if anything were to spill on it by mistake.
Additionally, chewy foods may cause dust to accumulate in the vents of laptops, which then has the potential to be pulled into the computer by the cooling system and cause the hard drive to get damaged.
6. Protect your laptop on rainy days
The weather is notoriously hard to forecast. During the rainy season, you should take precautions to protect your laptop from physical damage from the elements if you plan on traveling outside or by bicycle. Once it gets wet, your laptop is quite prone to be destroyed.
On a wet day, you can protect your laptop from physical damage in a number of different ways, including:
Utilize a bag that is resistant to water for your laptop (and zip it up properly). Invest in a rain cover for your backpack if it does not have a waterproof design. They may be rolled up into an extremely compact size and stashed away for use in the event that you are caught unprepared by the weather.
If you do not have a sleeve that protects your laptop from moisture, you should place it inside of a plastic bag before placing it in your backpack. The most straightforward solution is to make use of an umbrella. When you travel during the wetter months, you should make sure that your laptop is switched off.
7. Do not twist the cords
In most cases, we believe that extension cords and other types of cables may be twisted and bent, so we usually save them until the very end of the packing process. However, despite what you would believe, wires are often more fragile than they seem.
It is quite easy for the joins to get worn and striped where the cable interfaces with the charging port, which means that they may become hazardous to use very rapidly. A failing power cord is one of the most aggravating things that may happen when you are reliant on your computer for work when you are away from the office.
It is a good idea to wrap the wires around something and then bring them together. This also indicates that they won’t be folded quite as tightly as before. Be sure that whatever you are using to accomplish this does not have any points or edges that are very pointed, since this might also harm the wire.
My simple cable organizer is one of the items that I am most pleased with having purchased. It is affordable yet produces excellent results.
Final thoughts on how to protect your laptop from physical damage
I really hope that my little piece of advice on how to prevent your laptop from being damaged by physical force was of some use to you.
When I hear the thud of my luggage hitting the ground too hard, it gives me a shiver, as I indicated in the introduction, since it is something that I am often guilty of neglecting and it gives me that cold.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you should always give some thought to where you will store the laptop when you are not using it.
It is best not to leave it on chairs where others may sit on it, particularly not in a vehicle where the sun might potentially fry it. Also, make an effort not to leave it on the ground where it may be stepped on by another person.
Even though it is something that should be obvious to everyone, as was said way back at the beginning of this piece, it never hurts to be reminded of it every once in a while.
What about you, do you have any suggestions to add to this list? If you have a tale about how you once broke your laptop, please share it with us and let us know about it in the comments section so that we may get some insight from it or just have a little bit of fun with it.
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