Laptops are quickly becoming the most popular type of personal computer on the market, and there is little doubt as to why. Aside from the convenience they offer in allowing users to take their computer wherever they go, they also use less electricity and can make enjoying media on your computer more comfortable. Like any PC, however, making sure that your laptop is running at its most efficient and quickly will make both work and leisure time on your laptop the best it can be. Here are some easy tips for keeping your laptop running at its best.

Eliminate Unnecessary Programs from the Start-up

When you turn on your laptop there are a number of programs that are setup to automatically start, and in most cases these programs are just slowing down the start-up speed of your laptop’s operating system. To determine which programs are set to run at start-up

1. Click Start and type MSCONFIG in the search field at the bottom. Click on this program in the program results.

2. Select the Startup Tab from the popup window

3. Uncheck the programs that you do not need to automatically startup with your PC and click OK.

Most of the programs that appear in this list are unnecessary, however, when in doubt either look it up or leave it in the start-up list. You can safely remove programs such as media players and office software.

Learn Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are a great and convenience way to increase the efficiency of the use of your computer and are especially useful for laptops. For many new laptop users find that getting use to the touchpad can have a bit of a learning curve, and these shortcuts can really make this process a little easier. Here are some of the most useful keyboard shortcuts.

1. Launch the Run Command: Click WINkey + r to launch the run command window and from here you can type in any URL to navigate to a website without having to open Internet Explorer or any other browser you may use.




2. Close Current Program: Click Alt+F4


3. Know some handy Internet Explorer shortcuts: Type Ctrl+F for quick find, Ctrl+L to put the cursor in the address bar, or Ctrl+B to create a bookmark for a website.

Conserving your Laptop’s Battery Life

If you use your laptop on the go then making sure your power settings will conserve battery life is important. On most laptops this involves setting your computer into PowerSaver mode. Here are some other ways you can prolong battery life.

1. Optimize Power Settings: you can access these through the control panel.


2. Use Low Power States: Setting you computer to Sleep after just a few minutes of inactivity can prolong the battery life.


3. Reduce your Screen Brightness: The brighter the screen the more power required. Adjusting it so that you can still comfortably see the screen, but it is less bright than normal can make your laptop battery last longer.


4. Turn off your Wireless: If you are not using the Internet then turning off your wireless connection can save power.

In additional to these tips for making your laptop experience its best, it is also a good idea to make sure that you have an up-to-date antivirus software downloaded, especially if you will use your laptop on a public wireless network, and to perform regular PC maintenance just as you would on any computer.