5 Simple (and FREE!) Ways Make Your Computer More Eco-Friendly

April 2, 2021

Want to make your laptop or desktop computer more environmentally friendly? These tips will get you on track to helping create a more sustainable future - and the best part is, they’re free!

1. Turn off your monitor to conserve energy.
   This seems like an obvious one, but most of us are guilty of leaving unused devices running at some point or another. Depending on how often this occurs, turning off your laptop or desktop monitor when not in use could reduce the amount of energy used by more than 50%.

2. Unplug your laptop from the charger once it’s charged.
   Laptop chargers are notorious energy vampires. It’s easy to get in the habit of leaving your laptop plugged in, but did you know that even when fully charged, a laptop can continue to pull as much as 66% of the energy used while actively charging? To conserve energy (and protect the life of your battery!), unplug your laptop once it has reached a full charge and then unplug the charger from the wall. For desktop computers, while not necessarily free, an inexpensive power bar like this one reduces wasteful standby power by automatically cutting off the energy supply to devices that are turned off.
   
   [LINKS USED: https://www.duke-energy.com/Energy-Education/Energy-Savings-And-Efficiency/Energy-Vampires#:~:text=An%20energy%20vampire%20is%20a,of%20your%20monthly%20electricity%20bill.
   

3. Enable power-saving options.
   In recent years, most computers have come equipped with a specific energy saving tab in the settings area, making it easy to do things like adjust screen brightness and enable Standby and Hibernate modes. In Standby Mode, the computer’s monitor will turn off after a set amount of time, while other processes run in the background so the user can come back and immediately re-engage their workspace. In Hibernate Mode, the computer saves all open windows and turns itself off after the set amount of time.
           To Turn on Standby/Hibernate 
           For Windows 7, 8.1, and 10:
   https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/shut-down-sleep-or-hibernate-your-pc-2941d165-7d0a-a5e8-c5ad-8c972e8e6eff
           For MAC:
   https://mackeeper.com/blog/mac-sleep-modes-explained/ 
   


4. Donate or recycle your old laptop.
   Simply throwing your old laptop or desktop computer in the trash is a bad idea. The materials used to manufacture these devices are particularly resistant to decomposition, and experts believe that certain components could take 1-2 MILLION years to decompose in a landfill. What’s worse, there is a good chance that the protective materials in landfills will fail before the items fully degrade, meaning they could eventually begin leaking toxic chemicals into our environment.
   
   Luckily, it’s easy to properly recycle or even donate your computer. If it’s still in usable condition, contact a local non-profit (like Orlando-based Project Street Light) to see if they are in need. If it’s no longer operational, visit Earth911 to easily search for local recycling sites near you. DON’T FORGET: Whether donating or recycling, always perform a factory reset first to remove all of your personal information.
   


5. Maintain the health of your devices.
   Buying a new computer can be costly - for you, and for the environment. Ensuring the long life of your devices helps minimize how often you will need to replace your current laptop or desktop computer, saving you money and reducing global waste. Here are few things you can do to protect the life of your computer:

• Clean and dust regularly

• Make sure to get the keyboard, ports, fans and other hardware that is susceptible to dust accumulation.

• Don’t leave laptops plugged in when they’re fully charged

• This helps save power, and helps prolong the life of your battery.

• Install system updates

• Windows users will want to make sure they are installing Windows updates regularly, as they contain various patches, security fixes, and software and driver updates your computer will need to stay safe and healthy.

• Perform regular maintenance and keep your security software up to date

• Regularly performing routine maintenance can help keep minor annoyances from becoming costly problems. Run a defrag and disk cleanup once weekly to keep your computer running smoothly.

• Be careful what you click

• To follow-up on the point of keeping your computer safe, never click links from untrusted sources. Harmful viruses, malware, and skimming software hiding behind seemingly innocuous links could actually put your device and your personal information at risk.

• Check your security software settings

• Ensure that your security software is set to check daily for potential security threats, your firewall is active, and that automatic updates are turned on.

We Can Help. Here at Maxam Tech in Clermont, our job is protecting the health and safety of your computer. Come in for a FREE diagnostic test and let us pinpoint the cause of slow startups, freezing, force-closing, reboot loops, or any other problems you might be dealing with - before it’s too late.