A laptop doesn’t become useless just because it has a few birthdays behind it. That familiar machine with the scratched lid, slightly sticky spacebar, and fan that occasionally sounds like a tiny helicopter might still have plenty of useful life left.
Replacing a computer can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Yet many laptops slow down because of problems that owners can fix without buying anything. Others suffer unnecessary wear from habits that seem perfectly harmless, such as leaving them on a hot blanket or keeping the battery at full charge around the clock.
