Solution: Overheating can rob your notebook of performance and often cause a host of hiccups, such as system crashes and freezing. Every computer generates lots of heat, but notebooks are especially susceptible to overheating due to their small size and lack of ventilation. Excessive dust can clog air vents and deprive your system of cold air to cool off the processor. You can often solve overheating issues simply by cleaning out these air vents with a cloth or keyboard cleaner.
To prevent further dust buildup, place a piece of filtered cloth, say from a Swiffer, over the inhalation vent. Don't place one over the exhaust vent, as that's where hot air is supposed to flow out of the system quickly. If the cloth doesn't work, you may want to update your system's BIOS, which controls the notebook's hardware.
Symptom: Slow Hard Drive
Solution: Disorganized information on your hard drive can sap performance because the computer requires more time to sift through data fragments and bad sectors on the drive. This problem can be cleared up easily using the built-in Windows tool called Disk Defragmenter or relevant Linux/MacOS tools.
Symptom: Battery Won't Hold a Charge
Solution: Over their lifespans, lithium-ion batteries can lose the ability to hold a charge. After a few years, some batteries will last only a fraction of the rated runtime. Replacing a battery is relatively simple; most pop out from the bottom or back of the notebook.
Many retailers, however, charge hundreds of dollars for a new battery. Sites specialized in discount notebook batteries can save you money on a brand new battery for your notebook. For example, a Dell Latitude D620 Li-ion battery costs $139 on Dell's Web site and $83.99 on site specialized in discount notebook batteries, as of press time.
Symptom: Notebook Needs More Memory
Solution: If your notebook takes a long time to boot up, you may want to conduct an audit of your startup programs. To do this, place your cursor over the icons in the taskbar at the bottom right of the screen. If you rarely use any of these programs, right-click and disable them. To take more control over what programs load when you boot up, download and run a startup manager and optimizer like Autoruns.
Should you need to purchase a new memory chip, Kingston and Crucial offer tools on their web sites for determining which products are compatible with your notebook. Windows Vista users can use the new Memory Diagnostics tool in Windows Vista, just type "memory" into the search bar, and the OS will scan your physical memory for problems and advise replacement, if necessary.
Vista users might also want to pick up a ReadyBoost-enabled USB drive from the likes of Corsair, Kingston, Lexar, or SanDisk. These devices can improve some programs' startup times by using free space on the USB drive as a temporary memory cache.
Symptom: Hard Drive Failure
Solution: A hard drive failure will bring your notebook to its knees. Fortunately, a number of tools can test your drive for problems. Hitachi offers some in the support section of its Web site. If hard drive replacement becomes necessary, be sure to back up as much data as possible and then switch out the hard drive. You can find step-by-step directions for the replacement procedure on most manufacturers' support sites.
Symptom: Bad Keyboard
Solution: Keyboards get the brunt of abuse on any notebook, either from typing or spilled coffee. As a result, keys can often become dislodged or worn out. Thankfully, notebook makers provide quick online guides for replacing keyboards on their support pages; simply type "keyboard replacement" into the search bar or check the manufacturer's knowledge base.
For instance, Toshiba's "Ask Iris" document database provides hardware-replacement guides. To remove the old keyboard, you'll typically just have to remove some screws from the bottom of the notebook and unlock the keyboard with a button or snap mechanism, which secures it to the frame. Replacement keyboards are usually covered under warranty or can be purchased relatively cheaply. Dell, for example, sells them for $15 to $25. The company also offers plastic keyboard protectors for $10 to $15 on its Web site.
Symptom: Stuck Pixels
Solution: Nonconforming or stuck pixels can be a nuisance on an otherwise functional notebook LCD. The pixels usually remain green or red without lighting up properly with the other pixels on the display. Unfortunately, manufacturers will not replace an LCD for just one or two stuck pixels; in fact, some require as many as 10 to 18 dead pixels before they'll take action.
There is a solution, though. Take a soft material, like a felt cloth, and gently rub in a circular motion around the stuck pixel. Performing this trick will usually get the pixel to light up properly. Once you find the right location and pressure to illuminate the pixel, hold your finger there for up to two minutes, and voila, no more stuck pixel.
Symptom: Virus or Spyware Infestation
Solution: Nothing can cripple your system like malware. If you don't want to spend any money, you can bolster your defenses with free tools like Ad-Aware and Spybot: Search and Destroy. While both are excellent tools, each has its own strengths and weaknesses - Spybot is better at tracking down malicious code like pop-ups, while Ad-Aware does a better job removing cookies (text files that advertisers copy to a user's computer to track surfing habits). We recommend scheduling periodic scans with both of these tools, just to be safe.
Symptom: Outdated Video Drivers
Solution: Video issues are a common complaint among notebook users. The trouble often stems from newer games and software that require the latest video card drivers to work. Even though most notebooks ship with the latest driver files, some systems will be outdated by the time the machine is sold. That's why it's critical to update your video card's drivers frequently - sometimes the audio and network drivers may need to be updated as well.
Many notebook manufacturers offer installation packs that will give you the latest drivers and offer automated tools to update the rest of your notebook. However, if you fail to find drivers at your notebook manufacturer's site, you can try the video card's manufacturer, usually ATI or Nvidia. If your system comes with an integrated graphics chip from Intel, your best bet is the notebook manufacturer's Web site, although you can also try Intel's support and downloads page.
