How To Make a Student Laptop Last Longer

Discover expert-backed hacks for extending a laptop’s lifespan and avoiding shelling out for a costly replacement.

According to the most recent National Parent Survey, 27% of parents feel that the rising cost of technology is a major concern.

That’s over a quarter. It’s a sobering statistic that highlights the pressure families face to keep up with the rapid (and that’s putting it mildly) pace of technological change.

It’s hardly surprising. The skyrocketing cost of everything from laptops to smartphones, exacerbated by a myriad of external pressures, is squeezing household budgets tighter than ever. And with no end in sight, families are having to make ever-tougher choices.

Which brings us to the topic of laptops.

Just a couple of decades ago, laptops were, mostly, a ‘nice to have’ for students. Unless required for a specific undergraduate degree, they were convenient, but not essential. Handwritten essays were the norm.

But that’s far from the case now. These days, students at both the secondary and university levels need access to a high-quality laptop that can handle the rigours of study. It’s a non-negotiable—you can’t simply opt out.

The snag? Laptop prices have spiked in recent months. Whether due to the rising price of RAM or the fierce competition for components driven by the rapid expansion of AI, even so-called ‘budget’ laptops can carry an eye-watering price tag.

But it isn’t all doom and gloom.

There’s plenty students can do to make their laptops last longer. From better battery optimisation to understanding and identifying malware, it’s more than possible to make a laptop—even a refurbished model—last for years of study.

And you don’t need to be a tech-whizz. These are everyday hacks that can expand a laptop’s lifespan and help to tame tech costs.

Better Battery Optimisation

Left to their own devices (pun intended), laptops eat battery for breakfast.

Which, in fairness, is understandable. They’re immensely powerful machines, constantly running a mind-boggling array of tasks, even when seemingly idle.

But it’s possible to prevent the power drain and getting to grips with what taxes a laptop battery the most is key to extending its lifespan.

So, what’s the most power-hungry part of a laptop? A sneaky background app? An email client? A go-to streaming service?

Screen brightness.

Yep. Having a laptop’s screen brightness dialled up too high will guzzle the battery, requiring more frequent charging, which, in turn, harms overall battery health.

That’s not to suggest keeping screens at squinting-levels of dimness, but by keeping the brightness at a reasonable level (i.e. 30 % – 60%), a laptop will require fewer charges.

But screen brightness isn’t the only battery-hungry idle process on a laptop, and we’d be remiss not to mention everyone’s background bad habit: multiple open apps.

Whether it’s an always-open social media or messaging app, an ‘idle’ background game, or just a forgotten browser tab, keeping multiple apps open when they’re not in use makes a laptop’s processor work harder, which, of course, taxes the battery.

Unless they have to be open, close them. It’s also worth double-checking which apps are programmed to auto-open on boot-up and toggle them off.

So, that’s screen brightness set to something sensible and background apps banished unless they’re required; what else can be done to optimise a laptop’s battery life?

Charge it less.

Or, perhaps more accurately, charge it from empty less. Most laptops run on lithium-ion batteries, which age more quickly the more often they’re charged.

To oversimplify: it’s a stress thing. Each charging cycle ‘stresses’ a laptop battery, and that stress is higher at extreme ends of the charging scale.

An often-shared battery hack is to adopt the so-called ‘80/20 rule’. As in, keeping the battery in the sweet spot of between 20% and 80%.

Laptop batteries aren’t infinite, but by identifying what taxes them the most, it’s possible to prolong a machine’s overall lifespan.

Manage Malware

As technology evolves, so do the black hat practices that prey on device owners.

From ever-more-sophisticated Trojans to potentially device-devastating viruses and worms, malware comes in all shapes and sizes; none of them good.

And while they don’t directly destroy laptops (they’re just software, after all), left unchecked, they’ll wear down the device, taxing the processor, overworking the hard drive, and even degrading the battery by keeping it in constant use.

Fortunately, there’s an arsenal of weapons on hand to send malware packing, chief amongst them: powerful anti-virus software.

While most laptops have anti-virus software built in, there’s a misconception that the built-in programmes are, well… enough.

That’s not to say they won’t offer some protection. Pretty good protection, in fact. But it’s wise to offer devices a layer of protection against newer, more powerful threats.

Anti-virus software aside, it’s also worth being clued up on (and sticking to) the fundamentals of malware prevention, including:

• Only clicking on email attachments from trusted senders
• Being vigilant for strange messages from friends and family
• Keeping system software up to date (as this updates security features)

But virus-protection isn’t the only reason to keep a laptop’s system settings up to date, and doing so can keep a machine running for longer.

Keep System Software Up to Date

As annoying as the constant system updates (and notifications about system updates) are, they’re a vital part of extending a laptop’s lifespan.

Developers are constantly fine-tuning operating systems, refining security features, optimising performance, and generally keeping everything as smooth as possible.

Operating systems aren’t fixed things. They have to constantly adapt and evolve to address bugs, many of which are reported by users themselves.

In practice, it looks a bit like this: developers (or users) spot outdated code or security holes, they work to resolve the issue, then roll out an update.

But if software isn’t updated, the machine will be affected by outdated code, which will tax the processor and cause it to steadily degrade.

Software updates often also feature battery optimisation patches, and, as we know, keeping a laptop’s battery in good health is key to extending its lifespan.

Keep It Physically Safe

Laptops are sturdy, but they’re not indestructible. And those everyday dings and bumps add up over time, eventually spelling untimely doom.

But here’s the thing: most of that daily damage is entirely preventable.

We’re all guilty of some bad habit or other with our laptops – who hasn’t picked their device up by the screen at some point? – but paying attention to a laptop’s physical safety is just as important as keeping its software in peak condition.

Start with a slipcase. A good-quality one. Something that’ll protect the laptop from dents and scratches as it bounces around in a bag. For added protection, opt for a waterproof case. (Not all bags are waterproof, and leakage can happen.)

Regular cleaning is a must. And not just a quick wipe over with a microfibre cloth. Think more… removing debris from the keyboard, cleaning between keys with a cotton swab, and even digging grime out of ports with a toothpick.

It sounds involved, and it is, but built-up dust and grime in a laptop’s vents can cause it to overheat, which, in turn, taxes the battery and processor.

And on the topic of overheating, let’s touch on the all-time great misnomer, shall we?

Laptop.

Despite the name, it’s typically best not to use them on laps, as doing so can a) block vents and cause overheating, and b) allow dirt and dust to clog up the vents.

Laptops are like any other device: treat them well, and they’ll last much longer than you’d think. They’re not indestructible, but by adopting good practices, they’ll easily last the duration of studies and beyond.