Let's face it, regardless of how important a computer or laptop has become to us, it is expensive. We all want to make them last as long as possible. Do you have any tips on keeping the hardware and software working for as long as possible? Tips for both computers and/or laptops?

Keeping laptops running fast can sometimes be kind of tricky. Chances are if your laptop is older than 6 years it's pretty much dead. Although you can delete junk files, get rid of malware, spyware, etc. Also keeping the number of programs running at a time helps it run faster, especially if you have an older laptop. Kill any unneeded processes(to do this press CTRL+ALT+DEL, open task manager, and click on processes tab, although be cautious of which ones you kill).

It's pretty much the same for desktops, although there is one more option,if your computer isn't too old you can purchase faster and better parts and have it running like new. Some older motherboards just will not work with some of the newer parts, so take precautions.

That's pretty much all I can think for now. Hope this helps.

Only download things that you need to download.
Open and close your laptop carefully.
Don't just put your laptop anywhere, somewhere where it's safe.

I learned all these the hard way

I've done all the above for the past 5 years i've had this laptop, and not once has there been a hiccup (apart from times when malware and schtuff got onto here, eheh ^^).

For those looking to keep your desktop and laptop up to speed every time you use it, I strongly recommend doing a disk defragment and disk cleanup at least once a week.

bigfatcat is correct there.
You can also check for and repair disk errors.
Keeping the room the computer is in,cool is a great method of preservation,and keep the room clean or it will suck in,and acumulate,a lot of dust which is bad news.
Dont keep lots of icons on your desktop,put them in files like games,applications etc,it makes them easier to find and less work for the computer when loading your desktop.
You can overclock your pc,put i recomend you DONT do that,it puts the pc at more risk and invalidates your warranty.

pi0x : thats an inefficient method.to get rid of unwanted tasks,open administration tools.from there you can remove programs from the start up list.when you install printers,scanners,software etc they tend to add themselves to the startup list,meaning your running it even if youre not using it,that slows it dramatically.

Can I close this?

Is your question resolved?

Yeah like Galacta said I had to learn the hard way.

I used to have a Windows Vista laptop 2 years ago, back then I didn't know much about laptops so I just downloaded a lot of junk files then it eventually slowed down and then showed the blue screen of death.

So my suggestions are:

Use your laptop at certain times
Download about 6 files per use
Make sure those files are below 500 MB.

My tip is to never leave your laptop plugged in to your charger when it is already charged. You will not only drastically shorten the life of your battery, but you can ruin your motherboards ability to even utilize power from a fresh battery, making it to where you can only turn it on if plugged into an outlet. That happened to my fiancee's computer, and it sucks for her.

pi0x : This thread was for anyone to share what tips they have. I didn't have a specific question to ask. If this thread is too generic that it lumps everything into one, then do what you think is necessary.

Now, however, there is one question I have forgotten to ask to seek second opinions. Is it a good idea to run a laptop without it's battery? Can I use my laptop without its battery as much as I find possible?

Well you can as long as the charger is plugged in.

I dont get the question,do you mean should you plug it into the mains whenever possible?that,as rcarter said,is a no no. Batterys are full of energised chemicals,repeatedly charging them is like bending a piece of metal back and forward,that fatigues it.similarly with charging batterys,it eventualy breaks,dont charge unless its not at full.

thenumberone : What I mean is, if I am near an outlet, is it okay to take the battery out at every given oppoturity? Do I need to keep the battery in place at all times?

AuraBlaze : like if your laptop can run on battery or mains supply?theres no problem removing the battery,some laptops have them screwed in place though.

I thought you meant that your computer was just about to flat out die, and you needed some help with it :3

Carry on then

AuraBlaze : Some notebooks won't run without the battery inserted, but it's just the manufacturer's choice to make it that way. If your system WILL let you run on AC power, without the battery, then you should, because as everyone has already stated, it will increase your battery's longevity.

However, a lot of people are saying you shouldn't have your laptop connected whilst the battery is full, and I must disagree. While they ARE correct in saying that it uses the charge/recharge cycles, the effect is negligible. And in most cases, notebook manufacturers are smart enough to have a switch that bypasses the battery when it is fully charged, so you are running solely on AC power.

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As for general tips... First and foremost: BUY A CAN OF COMPRESSED AIR. This is probably the absolute best thing you can do for your computer. Buy a can of air and spray out all of the dust. If you have a desktop, pop off the side and spray out the processor fans, any open connectors, spray in the PSU, anywhere that has a fan. This will reduce the heat buildup in your system, and decrease wear on the moving parts. Also pay attention to any unusual sounds. If you hear a clicking, or your hard drive is grinding away all the time, it's time to get a new hard drive. Back up all of your important files, and get a new hard drive. 

Another thing that is kind of a hassle, but will keep your computer running like new is to reformat once a year if you're using Windows. If you have your own Windows install discs, then you can put a very clean, stock installation on your system that will run blazingly fast. If you have a prefab system that came with Windows, it should have a factory reset disc or a partition you can get to. Of course you need to remember to back up all of your files (But you should be doing this anyway), and depending on the number of programs you install, you could be doing this all day, but I promise you once you do, your computer will run like new. 

Also, don't use programs that are too new for your system. As computer age, they don't get slower, we just ask them to do more things. A computer made in 2000 can't run Photoshop CS5, but it can run Photoshop 6 just fine, and for the majority of people, that will work for them. Don't try to put Windows 7 on your 2004 Dell. It just won't work. Use Windows XP or, even better, Windows 2000. You'll be amazed at how fast your computer can be if you stop using "Modern" software on an older PC.

And a final note, to get the most out of an old PC, put an alternate operating system on it. FreeBSD can run on a 486 (Yes, before even Pentium!) processor with only 24MB of RAM. Old computers are great if you're running minimalist software. GNU/Linux needs a bit more, but it is still very easy on system requirements.

Anyway I hope at least something I've said helps. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm happy to help!

(Oh yeah, and, most of these tricks also apply to Macs)