10 Computer pro tips for better laptop care

Want to improve your computing experience? Or simply looking for better ways to take care of your laptop? Here are 10 computer pro tips from the experts:

1. Turn off your laptop properly

Most people just close their laptop’s lid once they’re done for the day. It’s super quick, the laptop goes to sleep, always ready for you once you open it up again. But you might want to turn it off properly rather than keeping it on sleep mode all the time. And when we say properly, we mean shutting it off from the system interface. Not holding down the power button until the screen goes black.

When you put your laptop in sleep mode, RAM data from your previous session stays cached and does not completely reset until you turn the laptop off. It all just stays there even after the laptop wakes up, and the RAM then has less memory capacity to work on.

Turning off or restarting your laptop can reset this cached data and give you a clean slate to work on again. You might also be able to resolve a number of software bugs or issues when you restart it again. That’s why you might want to think twice before you roll your eyes to the IT guy when he asks “have you tried turning it on and off again?”

2. Back up your data

You never know what could happen to your laptop, unavoidable accidents and hardware failures can happen and possibly ruin your day. Safe and secure data storage is key to preventing lost data tragedies. Any type of data backup is a great place to store your files.

You can choose from online cloud based storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox, or even subscription-based ones if you have a lot of data you need regularly backed-up. If you’d rather have everything offline on an external hard drive, that’s good too! You can either drag-and-drop your files onto the drive, or set up a backup from Windows backup or Apple Time Machine.

The hard drive on your laptop can fail after 3-5 years. That doesn’t mean the whole laptop is dead, it just means you need to get the hard drive replaced. To avoid paying more for data recovery services, better make sure all your important data is backed up.

While you’re here, you can also see 7 best tools to test your broken computer (The best one is FREE), if you’re curious about how to diagnose your computer.

3. Disk cleanup

There’s a handy tool on every Windows computer that can help you find and free up space on your hard drive and it’s called Disk Cleanup. Unfortunately for Apple MacBook laptops there aren’t any built-in tools for disk cleanup, but there are a number of external apps that you can install and use to clear up space.

You can find Disk Cleanup by right-clicking on your local C Drive and click on ‘Properties’. From the ‘General’ tab you’ll find the capacity of your drive, and you can use Disk Cleanup there.

Disk Cleanup can find old Windows updates installations or temporary files that you don’t need anymore. If you’re looking to free up some space on your laptop, try using this tool first. Then you can move on to finding large files that photos or videos that you can move to an external hard drive or simply delete them.

4. Disable apps on startup

If you want your laptop to boot up quicker with no interruptions, you may want to disable some of the startup apps. These apps are set to automatically open once you turn on your computer. When your laptop has additional things to work on while it is starting up, it could slow down the whole process.

You can always start the apps you need after the computer boots up, it’s just a matter of convenience. Startup program apps on Windows laptops can be disabled from Task Manager, and System Preferences on Apple MacBooks.

From the Startup tab of Task Manager, you can assess the startup impact of each program and choose to disable them from starting up automatically. You should also consider how important these programs are beforehand.

Startup programs in Apple macOS are known as login items. You can find them from System Preferences > Users and Groups > Login Items.

5. Improve your accessibility with keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can make things easier for you with just a few key combinations. With some of these shortcuts, you won’t have to bring your mouse to where you need, or even go through different windows. Here are some useful keyboard shortcuts to make your life easier:

Locks your computer: Win + L (Windows) / Cmd + Ctrl + Q (Apple)

Minimises a window: Win + D (Windows) / Mission Control (Apple)

Closes a window: Ctrl + W

Undoes a closed browser tab: Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) / Cmd + Shift + T (Apple)

6. Use your laptop on flat and solid surfaces

Cozying up to your favourite TV show in bed is one of life’s great pleasures. But it can come with consequences. Using your laptop on fabric surfaces like your bed or sofa is not recommended, as this can block the vents of the laptop.

This kind of blockage can put a strain on the cooling system of your laptop. Blocked vents make it harder for the hot air to disperse out of the laptop. This increases the risk of overheating.

7. Clean the insides of the laptop

Compressed air is a quick and easy-to-use solution for laptop cleaning. You don’t need that many tools for the whole process either.

You can get a can of compressed air from any major hardware or electronics store. They usually come with a small nozzle that can reach the small gaps between components on a laptop. All you need to do is unscrew the bottom cover of the laptop and blow out any crumbs or dust trapped inside.

Cleaning your laptop is an important computer care habit to keep. Not only are you keeping the laptop clean, you’re also reducing the risk of laptop overheating. When you have a lot of dust accumulated inside the laptop, the dust can trap heat, putting a lot of stress on the fans.

8. Use a keyboard cover

Using a keyboard cover is more of a preventive method of keeping the laptop clean. You might not notice it, but dust and crumbs can get inside the laptop easily through the gaps in the keyboard. So these keyboard covers can stop that from happening.

9. Gentle taps, not clicks

The moving parts of a laptop are more prone to breaking due to our continuous use. That includes the touchpad of a laptop as well. Try tapping on the touchpad, instead of clicking down on the pad. By not using its moving parts so much, you can certainly lengthen the touchpad’s lifespan.

10. Turn down your screen’s brightness

Every laptop’s screen is lit by its backlight. It’s usually an LED light that will possibly burn out somewhere along the laptop’s lifespan. To conserve the backlight’s energy consumption and lifespan, you might want to turn down the screen’s brightness whenever you can.

Expert repairs at Safemode Computer Service

We’re here to help! At Safemode Computer Service, our experienced technicians are always happy to help with any computer issues all around Sydney. From Apple MacBooks to Windows desktops, we can assess and repair computer issues that you have.

Thinking about upgrading your laptop or desktop computer? We can also offer advice on how you might want to go about that. Book an appointment at our Inner West store or give us a call today.

Laptop cleaning guide: How to safely clean your laptop

Cleaning your laptop and devices is something a lot of computer users forget to do all the time. We’re sometimes not aware of the dust or lint that can clump up inside our computers. This can create problems down the line and should be dealt with quickly. Here’s our guide to safely cleaning your laptop inside and out.

Things that need to be cleaned off

Dust

Dust can get on and inside the laptop and cause some pretty big problems, if you’re not careful enough. A little dust inside is fine, but you should probably prevent it from accumulating.

When dust bunnies clump up inside the laptop, it can trap heat that is harmful to the system. While you use your laptop, the processor and video card can generate a significant amount of heat that needs to be dispersed quickly and efficiently. That’s where the fan comes in. The heat sink transfers the heat generated by the processors to the laptop fans, which passes out from the vents.

If dust is trapped inside the laptop and blocks the vents, this will make it harder for the fans to get rid of the heat. This may elevate the risk of overheating, something you definitely want to avoid. That’s because an overheating laptop can cause fan and motherboard failures.

Food crumbs

We all do it at some point. Eating over our laptop keyboards has become a bit of a habit today. We’ve become so reliant on our devices that daily activities revolve around them. But, the food crumbs that land onto your keyboard can find its way inside the laptop and cause trouble for the keyboard.

Unless you have a keyboard protector, food crumbs can get inside the laptop through the tiny gaps between the keys and the inside of the laptop. Crumbs that are particularly hard can jam up the keys and further damage the keyboard.

Meanwhile, sugary foods can make the connective parts of the keyboard sticky, which makes typing very inconvenient. Not to mention that it can attract bugs as well. We’ve certainly opened quite a few computers up to find creepy crawlies inside. Not something you’d want to deal with.

Skin oils

You’ll find these especially on the surfaces of your laptop, especially visible on glass-paneled screens. Fingerprints and skin oils transferred from your hands can stay on your laptop for quite a while, and are quite noticeable.

It’s not that this is something that can directly harm your computer, but this might be something you still want to clean off. You can really tell a lot about a person depending on how their laptops look.

Germs

Because of how much we use our devices, our smartphones, laptops, and desktop computers are high contact surfaces. This means that they are magnets for germs. Germs and possibly viruses can live in these surfaces for many hours, so you might want to give them a clean for good measure.

What you need

Cleaning your laptop isn’t like cleaning any other appliance, you’ll need a few specific tools and some careful hands to do so. Here’s what you need to clean your laptop thoroughly:

Compressed air can — For blowing out debris. Usually comes with a small nozzle that can reach dust stuck between small gaps.

Lint-free cloth — Microfibre cloth that doesn’t leave behind lint or cloth fibres. Most commonly used for wiping glasses and electronics, or car detailing.

Rubbing alcohol — Also known as isopropyl alcohol, a cleaning solution that can clear greasy surfaces and moisture. Can be used as disinfectant as well.

Precision screwdrivers — To open up your laptop’s back cover. Make sure you’ve got the right screwdrivers, as some laptop models make use of branded proprietary screws.

Small brush (optional ) — If you already can manage to blow out dust with the canned air, this won’t be necessary. Still a useful tool for cleaning if needed.

Thermal paste (optional) — This allows efficient transfer of heat through the heat sink and processors. You’ll need to partially disassemble these parts to reapply thermal paste.

Alternatively, you could also look online for ‘laptop cleaning kits’ that often contain a few of the items mentioned above. These could come in handy if you don’t have any of these things lying around at home.

How to clean your laptop

With the tools needed, you can finally start cleaning your laptop. Make sure you’re in a clean environment before you do so too. Clear out your desk and prepare a small bowl or tin to store the screws so you don’t lose them while you’re cleaning out the laptop.

Remember to turn off your laptop and disconnect its charger as well. This protects you from any static electricity accidents.

Cleaning the exterior surfaces of your laptop

Once you’ve done all your preparations, use the compressed air to blow on the surface of the keyboard. Try to blow out all the bits inside out of the keyboard.

After this, dampen the cloth with rubbing alcohol and wipe down the surfaces of the laptop. The keyboard, screen, top cover, all of it. If you use any computer peripherals like a wireless mouse or keyboard, do that too. This should dry off quickly and we can move on to the inside of the laptop.

Cleaning the interior of your laptop

Now this is where we have to be extra careful. Unscrew the back cover of your laptop and store the screws in the container that you’ve prepared. Then use the compressed air and give the laptop a good blow out.

The two main areas to take care of are the air vents and the fan. The vents should be at the sides or back of the laptop. Make sure you clear out any dust bunnies that block the vents and the fan. This is where heat is dispersed so it’ll need clear access.

If you’ve got the tools already, you could also partially disassemble the parts that connect the heat sink and processors to reapply thermal paste. Wipe off the leftover paste with rubbing alcohol, then squeeze a good amount of thermal paste, just enough to cover the connective parts.

When you’re done, simply screw everything back together. Don’t forget to clean your surroundings as well. If the laptop turns on normally, you’ve done your job well.

Software “cleaning” and restoring your computer

Often users may refer “cleaning” to software cleaning and restoration of their computer to factory settings, with or without keeping personal data.

This is often beneficial if you suspect that your computer has viruses or spyware. Or, sometimes you’ve just built up too many unused software and apps over the years and want to get rid of them.

In this case, a hard drive cleanup and software restoration will be your best option. This will also give your computer a small boost in performance and bring it to a “clean” state.

How often should I clean my laptop?

Laptop cleaning should be done from time to time as regular maintenance for the device. But how often should we be doing it?

For the surfaces of the laptop, it doesn’t matter that much. You can wipe it down every once in a while, and even more often as you’d like. But for the inside of the laptop, you’ll only need to clean it every 6 or 12 months. We don’t recommend opening up the laptop too much, unless you absolutely need it for repairs. Opening up the laptop exposes the laptop to the open air, and the higher the frequency that you open it up, the more accidents may happen to it.

Professional laptop cleaning and repairs at Safemode Computer Service

Prefer some much more experienced hands to deal with your dusty laptop? Or need an electric blower to clean out your desktop computer? We’re here to help. At Safemode Computer Service, we can help you clean out your laptop and reapply thermal paste on it as well. We can also help you if you need a new laptop fan, or solve your overheating problems.

Located in Inner West Sydney, our expert technicians are always happy to lend a hand and give advice on your computer problems. Come on down to our Enmore store or give us a call today!

5 ways to make your laptop last longer

Properly caring for your laptop is always a great habit to keep. Not only does it keep your laptop in shape, it could also make your laptop last longer. In this guide, we’ll be covering some tips and trick to help prolong the lifespan of your laptop.

1. Do software fixes

Your laptop could run into some software issues from time to time, which could lead to certain problems with drivers or boot up. That’s why it’s important to update its software and drivers so it can keep running smoothly. This is something you might want to try if your laptop is running a little slow, or when you’re getting errors like the “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD).

Other than software and driver updates, you can also try reinstalling the OS or resetting your laptop back to factory settings. This is the easiest way to refresh your laptop, as everything is removed and goes back to its default state. You may also have some software and applications that you don’t use anymore still installed on the laptop. Use this opportunity to get rid of these long forgotten apps. They take up space, and your OS could use the refresher as well.

How to reset your laptop

Windows

There are a few options for Windows laptops when it comes to resets. You can choose from resetting to factory settings, reinstalling Windows, or simply do it from the recovery screen at boot.

To reset your Windows laptop to factory settings, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery. There you’ll find the “Reset your PC” option. You can choose to keep your files, or get rid of everything, then reinstall Windows. This option can sometimes help with PCs that aren’t running well.

Other than from Settings, you can also try reinstalling a clean version of Windows from a bootable USB. Just make sure you have everything you need before doing so. Now would also be a good time to back up all your personal files to an external hard drive or to cloud storage.

Apple Macbooks

Macbook laptops have a much more straightforward process to software resets. Simply restart your Mac and press Command + R. The macOS Utilities window should show up, then you can pick “Reinstall macOS”. This may bring you to a language selection page, and then your Mac will download and install the right version of macOS for you.

2. Clean your laptop

Cleaning your laptop from time to time can help prevent overheating and the complications that come after that. Getting rid of dust and moisture is a great way to take care of your laptop.

Clumps of dust and crumbs accumulated inside the laptop can trap heat and make things harder for the fan. This can lead to fan overexertion and overheating issues. Moisture trapped inside the laptop can not only cause liquid damage, but also rust up certain parts of the motherboard and the keyboard.

To clean your laptop, use cleaning tools like compressed air, rubbing alcohol, and fine brushes. This helps you reach the small gaps between components and remove any moisture with the alcohol solution. Simply open up your laptop and dust that dust. You only need to do this every six to twelve months, so it shouldn’t be that big of a chore anyway.

3. Run general diagnostics

One way to be prepared for possible errors is by running general diagnostics on your laptop’s hardware. You might be able to catch problems early, before they get serious and cause bigger problems like a data loss or a complete crash. That way you can deal with them and keep your system in tip top shape.

To run general diagnostics, you can choose to use the pre-boot diagnostics tool that is built-in on almost all laptops. All you need to do is restart your laptop and press a specific button (Esc for HP, F12 for Dell, D for Apple). That will trigger boot diagnostics and start tests on your laptop’s hardware. It will test hardware such as the battery, hard drive, and RAM. You can then deal with any possible problems that the system reports.

Other than pre-boot diagnostics, branded tech support apps like Dell’s SupportAssist or HP’s Support Assistant could also be a great way to maintain your laptop’s health. These apps should come pre-installed on your laptop, so they’re pretty handy if you just want a quick checkup. You can also contact tech support directly from there too!

4. Replace your hard drive

Your laptop’s hard drive is the main storage device of the computer. This is where all your files are stored, and where the OS and all other software is installed. In other words, almost everything runs from the hard drive.

Unfortunately, hard drives do start to fail after 3-4 years, and its performance drops significantly. They accumulate these pesky little things called bad sectors, which permanently damage the drive bit by bit. Once it gets to a point where the bad sectors are intolerable, the hard drive will fall. You might notice errors like BSODs, or experience issues with start up. This doesn’t necessarily mean your whole laptop is dying, as you can fix this just by replacing the drive.

A hard drive replacement is quite a popular computer upgrade option. They don’t cost that much, and are easy to do. You don’t need to be a professional computer technician to replace your own hard drive.

You can replace the drive with the exact same model to be safe, or you could also upgrade to a better and compatible hard drive. Upgrading from an HDD to an SSD could be a great option too, if you’re looking for a bigger boost in performance and durability. SSDs offer much better performance, as they are up to 16 times faster than a traditional spinning drive. Replacing your hard drive can refresh your device and continue the overall lifespan of your laptop.

5. Look after your battery health

Replacing the battery of your laptop early could prevent the risk of it leaking or expanding when it does start to fail. These two symptoms of a dead battery are quite dangerous to deal with, and could damage the rest of the laptop as well. It’s important to pay attention to your laptop’s battery health so this doesn’t happen to you.

The lithium-ion batteries inside our laptops are made to be recharged over and over again without losing charge or overcharging. You could go through hundreds of charging cycles and they’d still work great.

Of course, things aren’t perfect, and these batteries will start to fail once it reaches a high cycle count. Then the battery could lose charge or not charge at all. Or it could get more risky, as we’ve learnt.

A high cycle count could be somewhere above 700 recharge cycles. That would be an appropriate stage to replace the battery with a new one. Still, there’s no guarantee as we do find that batteries with low cycle counts can also stop working suddenly.

Apple MacBook users should pay attention to certain error messages like “service battery” or “replace battery now”. You might also be able to check the recharge cycle count on your Mac as well. The message “plugged in, not charging” would also be something to look into for Windows users.

Need a laptop repair? We can help

Computer issues can put you in such a pickle sometimes, and that’s something we certainly understand. That’s why we’re always here to help! Our helpful computer repair technicians at Safemode Computer Service can offer you advice and solutions to any computer issue. We are a highly-rated repair service in the Sydney area, with our trusted and dependable services. Bring your laptop or desktop computers in our Enmore store, and we can do an initial check and free quote. You may also book an appointment at our store, which is a quick stop from surrounding suburbs of Newtown and Marrickville.

How to prevent laptop overheating: 3 steps to protect your laptop

When you feel the bottom of your laptop getting quite warm for long periods of time, it might be a sign that your laptop is overheating. Laptops do warm up from the heat generated by the processors, but that heat is usually dispersed quickly by its internal cooling system. This system is made up of the heat sink and fans.

When the cooling system starts to get overwhelmed and can’t work properly, it could create a range of problems for your laptop’s hardware. In this guide, we’ll show you how to keep your laptop from overheating and cause damage to its hardware.

Why should I prevent my laptop from overheating?

Laptop overheating is definitely something to avoid, as it can leave you with a lot of troubles. Your laptop is made up of many delicate parts that are designed to work smoothly under normal circumstances. These normal circumstances usually mean a cool and controlled environment where everything can work together properly and efficiently. That way you can get the best out of your laptop.

So when your laptop does overheat, you’ll feel that it’s running a little too warm at first, and notice that the fan is running more frequently and louder than usual. The heat produced by the processors puts more stress on the fans when it can’t be dispersed quickly. It will have to “work overtime” just to keep the temperature cool.

This can happen to anyone, but there are still a few things you can try to . The main thing is not to let your laptop overheat continuously, to the point where it may affect performance or even damage your hardware.

How overheating happens

Like we’ve mentioned, laptop overheating can happen to many computer users, especially those with older laptops. After using your laptop for maybe a few years, it can start acting up and cause a range of problems. Overheating is a very common one. A combination of three things can lead to this. They include poor ventilation, dust accumulation, and processor overexertion.

Poor ventilation

To let the heat out efficiently, there has to be some place to disperse that out of the device. The vents of your laptop is where that happens. Heat produced by the processors is passed through the heat sink, and then is driven out by the fans through the vents. These vents are usually found on the sides of your laptop, or on the bottom, or where the screen hinges are. It is very important to keep these vents clear of any obstructions, so you can get rid of excess heat easily.

When these vents are blocked, this traps the heat. No matter how hard the fans work, the heat remains in the device. Most of the time this comes from using the laptop on fabric surfaces like blankets, sofas, or beds. Fabric surfaces are definitely not the right place to use your laptop on.

Dusty laptop

Along with fabrics, dust is also a huge heat trapper. Dust can certainly get inside laptops and shouldn’t be an issue if you’ve only got a little bit of it. Your laptop’s fan won’t fall that easily to just a small amount of dust.

But when it accumulates into clumps of dust that are big enough to trap internal heat and block vents, then you’ve got a problem. A large amount of dust can lead to more poor ventilation issues and potentially block your fan from running smoothly.

Overexertion

Like most things, you should know your limits. That goes for laptop processing power as well. Modern laptops can handle a lot these days, but over time, performance could slow down. This can cause the processor chips like the CPU and GPU to generate a lot of heat that the fans need to get rid of.

Other than the processors, fans can also lose performance over time. This makes it harder for the laptop to maintain an optimal internal temperature. Fans are moving parts, and having to overwork them can shorten their lifespans.

What could go wrong when your laptop overheats

So we know overheating is bad for your laptop, but what exactly could happen to the laptop? When your laptop overheats for a prolonged period of time, it could seriously damage its hardware. There are three parts that commonly fall due to overheating. They include: the fan, motherboard, and the processors (CPU and GPU).

As a moving part, an overworked fan can break down from the stress. When the internal temperature can’t be controlled, the fan will have to work harder and faster. This puts a lot of stress on the machinery and can kill it slowly. If you notice an abnormal rattling or clunking noise from the fan, it might be time to replace it.

Another thing that could go wrong when your laptop overheats is motherboard burn damage. The motherboard is a circuit board that acts as the main communication channel between all parts of the laptop. It is made up of delicate and complicated circuitry and connecting points that are prone to heat damage. It can undoubtedly take damage from high temperatures. Sometimes with motherboard failures, we can see small burn marks on the board. This comes from the abnormally high temperatures inside the laptop. On laptops, the CPU and GPU are usually embedded on the motherboard, so these chips can also create and take damage from the heat.

How to protect your laptop from overheating

When trying to maintain the right temperature for your laptop, the main thing to pay attention to is how efficiently the cooling system is working. To do so, you can try doing some things that can help it work easier. This includes cleaning any accumulated dust, applying thermal paste, providing proper ventilation and breathing space for the processors.

1. Do some dustbusting

Cleaning your laptop isn’t a complicated job to do, and you only need to do it once or twice a year. Dust doesn’t accumulate that quickly, so you don’t need to clean the laptop that often. We also don’t recommend opening up the laptop too many times over the year. This sometimes can create other problems just from some tiny mistake.

To clean your laptop, you’ll need a soft brush, compressed air, some kind of alcohol-based cleaning solution, and a lint-free cloth. Using a lint-free cloth over a regular cloth can help you avoid the fabric from building up an electrical charge. Because of this, you should also always turn off your laptop and disconnect it from its power cable.

Compressed air usually comes in canisters with a small nozzle that can reach the tiny gaps that you can’t reach with a cloth. Bust the dust with the bursts of air, and then wipe that all down with the cleaning solution, you’re all done!

2. Reapply thermal paste

Now that you’ve got your laptop opened up anyway, this could be a great opportunity to reapply the thermal paste on the gaps between the processors and the heat sink. Anytime you open up your laptop for repair or cleaning purposes is a good time to reapply thermal paste.

You can get thermal paste from most hardware stores, and is a pretty straightforward DIY project. Simply partially disassemble the heat sink from its contact points, and wipe off the old thermal paste with some rubbing alcohol. Then apply new thermal paste in five small points on the processor chips: the four corners, and in the middle. This is so the paste will cover the whole chip and efficiently pass the heat to the heat sink.

3. Use on clear surfaces

Providing proper ventilation is also a key step in preventing laptop overheating. It helps your laptop “breathe in and out” without ease. Blocking the vents by using the laptop on fabric surfaces is a big “no-no”.

Use the laptop on clean and solid surfaces like desks and stands. Cooling stands with fans on them can be an excellent investment as well. If you do a lot of graphic-heavy work or play video games, you could also say cooling stands are a must-have.

The final word

Laptop overheating is a very common issue for a lot of computer users, on both Windows or Apple Macbook laptops. With a little care and time put into protecting your laptop from burning up, you can avoid a lot of even more complicated computer issues that can leave you with a huge repair bill.

Need an experienced computer technician to do this for you? Check out our computer services.

Why motherboard failures are so hard to test and repair

If we think of a computer as a living being, the motherboard would be the nerve centre that connects everything else together. These components include the processor, storage, video card, and so on. The brain of the computer, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) then decides what to do with all the information and signals passed along through the motherboard.

So a motherboard failure would mean problems with other components connected, thus harming the entire performance of the computer. With the nerve centre down, the brain cannot work properly to send signals to the rest of the system.

Such failure will usually cause the computer to stop working suddenly and can be very frustrating to test and repair as well. Motherboard repairs or replacements are known as the hardest repairs to perform. For most laptops, the entire board including the CPU will need to be replaced if any faults are found on the motherboard. These faults may range from overheating damage or blown capacitors.

With that said, any suspicions about motherboard failure should be tested thoroughly to make a diagnosis. By testing, you may conclude that the motherboard is indeed faulty. Or, you may find that it is completely fine and that you have other hardware issues that is the actual cause of your problems.

Before we start with how you can test for motherboard issues, let’s find out what usually causes these failures and what you can do to protect it. Understanding why these things happen can be helpful to find the right solution to the issue.

What is a motherboard?

A motherboard (known as logic board for Apple devices) is a crucial part of a computer. It is the circuit board where all components of the system is plugged into. As an input / output system, the motherboard is where interactions within the computer happens. Each motherboard model may differ from each other, from its form factor to where each component is fitted.

The three main components that makes your computer work is the processor (CPU), storage (hard drive and RAM), and the motherboard. All three parts must work together to create a smooth computing experience for the user.

The processor and storage, along with other components such as the keyboard and video card are connected via the motherboard. Then the CPU works out how things interact, and the motherboard passes along this information to each component. So without the motherboard, things can’t work together, and nothing will end up operating.

What happens when a motherboard stops working

With a motherboard failure, components can’t interact with each other. This generally leads to unexpected system crashes, or complete computer failure. There usually aren’t many early warnings to prevent such faults, as your system will just stop working without a functioning motherboard. The main thing you can do is to find out what’s really causing your issues, and then get a repair.

Causes of motherboard failure

Overheating

All components, including the motherboard, need to be cooled consistently to work properly. Components like the CPU and video card generate a lot of heat. If this heat is not dispersed, it will create significant damage to the motherboard. The cooling system of your computer keeps the temperature at the right limit. This prevents further damage from overheating.

So if the cooling system is unable to work properly, the motherboard will be at risk of overheating. Overheating can occur from faulty cooling fans, or from dust buildup that traps heat. This can cause connecting points or parts of the board to warp.

Liquid spill

Knocking over a drink on a laptop is surely one of the greatest human fears of the modern age. While other components can suffer damage from a liquid spill, the motherboard will be the first thing to go. Liquids can cause significant damage to the intricate connection points of the motherboard and cause eventual failure.

If you find yourself in this situation, the first thing you should do is to remove the laptop from its power source. Unprofessional treatment and cleaning like using a hair dryer to dry the laptop can cause further unwanted damage.

Natural wear and tear

Laptops can generally last pretty long, until any one component starts to fail. Long term use can affect the condition of the motherboard, but the actual failure of it is quite impossible to predict. Still, considering the lifespan of other components, long-term use can cause a motherboard to fail.

How to protect motherboard from damage

Keep ventilation outlets clear

Fans can only work properly with clear ventilation outlet for proper air flow. Using your laptop on top of cloth surfaces or with any blocked ventilation can escalate the heat buildup. Keeping the outlets clear and clean of any dust that can block airflow can promise proper laptop cooling.

Bust the dust

It’s safe to say that dust in any situation is not ideal. Dust that is collected inside your computer can trap heat. This trapped heat means extra work for the computer fan that it may not be able to handle.

Not to worry that much though, you don’t need to clean your computer too often. Cleaning your laptop or desktop computer once a year should be sufficient to prevent excessive dust buildup.

Make sure your cooling system is in shape

Having an efficient cooling system means that your computer can work properly at the right temperature. Having a laptop or desktop computer that is always running too hot might mean that your fan can’t keep up with the heat.

You can run diagnostics to check on the status of your cooling system. You can do this with built-in system diagnostics or pre-boot diagnostics. This can help you keep everything in tiptop shape.

How to test for motherboard failure

Unfortunately, the motherboard is one of the hardest components to test and repair. There’s no specific test to directly find motherboard failures. The only way is by eliminating other possible hardware issues. By doing a little sleuthing, you’ll be able to find out whether the motherboard is the culprit behind your hardware issues.

Before we begin

Depending on the status of your computer, there are a few steps you may be able to skip, or will still need to do. This includes whether or not your computer passes POST, and whether certain components are built into the motherboard or not.

Computer POST

POST (power-on self test) is a test that a computer performs to make sure everything is working fine before booting up. If the computer passes POST, then boot up will continue, where the logo splash screen will appear. The computer will not start up at all if it doesn’t pass POST.

After your computer passes POST, you’ll need to test your hard drive, RAM, and GPU. If not, you’ll only need to test your RAM and GPU.

Built-in components

Most laptops these days have built-in GPU, some also have built-in RAM chips. These are built-in onto the motherboard. If you are able to diagnose issues on the built-in components, it’s almost certain that the motherboard is also faulty.

Now we can begin testing for motherboard failure by eliminating other hardware issues.

Testing for hard drive issues

Considering that your computer passes POST, you’ll need to run tests on the hard drive. When you reach the splash screen during boot you can run diagnostics by pressing a specific key to your computer’s brand. That’s “Esc” for HP, “F12” for Dell, “Enter” for Lenovo, and “D” for Apple. Be sure to use the right key to your system.

Boot diagnostics will run tests on hardware components to find any problems. You’ll be able to find potential problems with your hard drive, along with other components too.

If your computer boots successfully to Windows, you may use chkdsk or dedicated hard drive analysis software. Apple Mac users may use Disk Utility First Aid or specific hard drive analysis software for Mac.

Chkdsk / First Aid

Both chkdsk and First Aid can attempt repairs or mark bad sectors to be skipped. Even if your hard drive isn’t the root of your current problem, these disk checking tools can be useful in preventing premature disk failures. So it may be a good idea to keep regular disk checking practices.

Dedicated hard drive analysis software

Software like SeaTools for Windows and WD Drive Utilities for Mac is used to perform quick or extended tests on hard drives. These free tools can diagnose and attempt repairs on issues found on the hard drive.

To use this test method, you’ll need to connect your hard drive to another desktop computer via a SATA to USB enclosure box. Then, the enclosure powers the hard drive from a separate power source to keep the drive isolated for thorough testing.

If you find that your hard drive is working fine, you may check it off the suspect list and move on to the next component. However, if you do find issues on your hard drive, we can also help you find the right repair solution. Read our guides on how to test and repair a hard drive for Dell, HP, or Apple laptops or desktops.

Testing for RAM issues

RAM comes in two forms on a computer. It can come in stick form that is connected to the motherboard, or as built-in chips on the motherboard. Depending on the model of your laptop or desktop computer, the RAM test method can vary.

For desktop computers both Windows and Apple (iMac and Mac Mini), RAM can be removed and tested for issues. Most Windows laptops have removable RAM as well. Most Apple laptops from 2012 and onward have their RAM chips built-in onto the motherboard. You can check whether your RAM is separate or built-in on the motherboard by looking up the specs of your device, or simply open your computer to take a look.

Testing RAM when your computer passes POST

Both separate and built-in RAM can be tested with boot diagnostics if your computer does pass POST. You may also run RAM test software like MemTest86 if your computer boots up successfully. Both methods can find possible issues with your computer memory.

You may move on to the next component test if you do not find any issues with your RAM. If you do find issues with your built-in RAM, then you can conclude that you have a motherboard failure. This is because the built-in RAM is part of the motherboard.

Testing RAM when your computer does not pass POST

If your computer does not POST at all, you’ll need to test for RAM issues with a spare stick of RAM. This involves checking to see whether the problem remains even with a different RAM stick put in. If your computer passes POST with this other RAM, then you’ve got a RAM failure. Otherwise, you might have a motherboard issue if the computer still doesn’t pass POST. Note that you can’t use this method for built-in RAM.

Testing for GPU issues

Most laptops and Apple desktop Macs have their video cards built into the motherboard these days. Windows desktop computers do have separate video cards.

If your video card is built-into the motherboard and your computer does not POST, there’s no way to test it. If it does POST and you do find issues with the built-in GPU, then there is a problem with the motherboard.

How to test for GPU issues

To test your video card, you can use boot diagnostics and analysis software like FurMark (Geeks 3D). This is for situations where your laptop or desktop does successfully boot.

The only way to test the video card if your computer does not post is when it is separate from the motherboard. You can do this by testing removing the GPU and testing it on a different desktop computer.

Two outcomes will conclude that you have a motherboard failure: All other components other than the motherboard have passed their diagnostic tests; or you diagnose issues with a component built into the motherboard. Now you can start thinking about a repair solution.

Replacing a faulty motherboard

Now that you’ve confirmed that your motherboard is faulty, you’ll need a replacement.

Buying a motherboard replacement

Motherboards are complex pieces of hardware, and different models of motherboards only fit specific computer models. Because of its form factor and configurations, you can’t necessarily “upgrade to a better motherboard”. Each motherboard essentially works the same as a circuit board for your system. So you may want to buy the exact same motherboard model as a replacement for the faulty one.

You can find the motherboard model number in the specs of your device, and look for that exact same model in-store or online. Branded ones like Apple, HP, Dell, and Lenovo have universal model part numbers that you can look for online. For brands that do not have specific part numbers like Acer and Asus, you’ll need to do a little close searching to find the right motherboard replacement.

Replacing your motherboard by yourself?

For the technologically-adept, replacing a motherboard by yourself can be the repair solution for you. However, a motherboard replacement is one of the most complicated computer repair jobs to do, and a DIY solution can be very tricky. This is true even for us, as experienced technicians.

Due to the intricate parts and connecting points of a motherboard, everything on the computer will have to be taken out and put back in for this repair. Such a challenging repair usually has a 70-80% success rate. So even if you are keen on DIY projects, you might still want to put this in the safe hands of professionals.

Still, for the ones confident in a DIY repair, you can find motherboard replacement guides online. Popular tech site ifixit offers repair guides for specific computer models, you’ll surely find the right guide for you there 👍

Professional repairs

Don’t want to do all this work? Leave it to the professionals. You might not have all the tools needed, or even the time to go through all the steps. That’s where a professional repair technician can help you. It’s still a good idea to have an understanding of the entire test and repair process though.

You can get specialised professional support and repair at an an authorised service centre for possibly no fee, if you are still under warranty or accident care cover. For this reason, you may want to check your warranty before you take your computer there. You might still be able to get support with an expired warranty for a fee. If not, a third-party repair service is your only option. Apple users with computers from 2012 and before will also need to seek advice third-party repair services, as Apple may not provide support solutions for them.

As an established computer repair service in Inner West Sydney, we at Safemode Computer Service can help you with your motherboard problems :) With 20,000 repairs under our belts, our experienced technicians understand how difficult motherboard repairs can be, and treat them with precision and care. Situated in the vibrant Inner West suburb of Enmore, surrounded by Marrickville and Newtown, we could be a closer option for you if live in Inner West Sydney. We can help you thoroughly test your laptop or desktop computer and offer the right repair advice and solution.

Got any questions for us? Call us to make an appointment or come by our Enmore store today.

 

This HP Pavilion DV6 laptop has been over-heating and recently has broken its bottom casing at the left hand side. Due to the damage, the laptop lid can no longer close.

How To Repair Your Laptop

Since the bottom casing is broken, we will need to replace it. This bottom casing is underneath the laptop’s motherboard, fan, heatsink, screen and everything else so this job won’t be as easy as it sounds like. Get ready to disassemble the whole laptop to replace the bottom cover.

Let’s first remove the laptop keyboard.

Disconnect all ribbon cables that you see here then remove the laptop keyboard cover.

The laptop display panel is attached onto the bottom casing, we will need to take the display unit apart from the bottom casing too.

 

Now we would have the laptop motherboard in its bottom casing left. Let’s remove the motherboard.

 

Now the motherboard is removed, take a look at the fan and heatsink units and you’ll see why the bottom casing went broken. We’ll need to remove the fan and heatsink from the board itself, then detach the fan from its heatsink.

The heatsink is completely covered in dust, there is no gap for the heat to go out, this caused over-heating problems with this HP DV6 laptop.

Using a computer brush, air duster and cleaning oil to clean out the heatsink and the laptop fan. This will stop the laptop from over-heating.

To make it even better, we will use electrical tape to wrap around the gap between the heatsink and the fan to stop dust getting into the heatsink.

Now the cleaning is done, we’ll move on to replacing the bottom casing. Let’s take a look at the damaged bottom case.

The left side of the bottom cover is damaged, thus it couldn’t give support to the display panel, which led to the facts that the laptop could not close.

Now make sure to remove the remaining parts from the bottom case too, this includes USB ports, ribbon cables, DC power jack, etc. We will need to fit all of these small parts onto the new bottom cover.

Once that’s done, we are now ready to take out a new bottom cover and reassemble the laptop in reversed order of this guide.

This process should be easier than taking the laptop apart since you’re already familiar with the build of this laptop.

With the new bottom casing, the laptop will now be able to close normally.

Over-heating problem is also fixed for good after we have cleaned out the dust.