Take your hard drive for a spin less often

What’s that whirring sound coming from your laptop? It’s the hard drive spinning, and if it happens frequently when you work on big files or when you move from one program to another, it may be a sign you need more RAM (memory). When your system is low on RAM, it "borrows" your hard drive. This slows you down and drains the battery.

If that’s the only complaint you have with your laptop, don’t take out a classified ad just yet. Upgrading your RAM is relatively painless. While there’s no absolute guide to how much RAM your laptop should have, CNET recommends at least 64MB for Windows 95 and 128MB for Windows 98.

While adding RAM is within reach for do-it-yourselfers, don’t get out that screwdriver just yet. You may void your warranty the moment you open the laptop’s case.

Illustration © Artville.

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