HP longevity

[Gregory737]

HP Envy Windows 10. 64 bit

I have windows defender for my software protection. I have been told this is adequate for keeping my device safe?

I have purchased extended warranty from HP but I want to do as much up keep as I can so my device will live for a long life. Any suggestions? appreciate ya!

[WAWood]

@Gregory737 

I have a ten year old HP laptop that I have used nearly every day and today, it is working as well, if not better, as it did when I first bought it.  So, I will tell you what I did to prolong its life.

Replaced the HDD with an SSD.  Not only is the latter a lot faster, it also has no moving parts -- so nothing to crash when the laptop gets bumped.

Used external keyboard and mouse nearly all the time.  Built-in keyboards are designed to be lightweight, not rugged.  Using them every day will wear them out sooner and with newer laptops, these are a major task to replace as you have to disassemble the whole laptop to get them out.

Replaced the built-in keyboard (once).  Original lasted 5 years and with an old model like this, it is a 15-minute process to swap out keyboards.  Individual keys are not sold and even then, can not be replaced.  So, if you plan on keeping the laptop more than a few years, expect to pay to have the keyboard replaced.

Never spilled anything on it.  I see a post every few days from someone who spilled something on their laptop.  Most laptops will not survive this.

Never dropped it or hit it.  You might be surprised by how many posts we get from folks who dropped or hit their laptops.  These will trash it without question.

Never set in on a bed or blanket.  Most laptops have vents on the back or sides to exhaust hot air -- but the intakes are on the bottom.  If you cover these up, the laptop will overheat and burn out.

Always removed the battery before storing (for more than a day) or when putting into a carrying bag.  Why? Because in Windows 10, the laptop remains powered on even after you shut it down.  In the first case, this will drain the battery and when it is dead, the laptop will no longer start -- even with the charger.  In the second case, the laptop will overheat seriously in a bag.  Removing the battery ensures it is totally powered OFF.

Never, repeat NEVER, loaned it to a friend or relative!  You might be surprised by how many posts we get from folks loaning out their laptop, then finding they no longer work.  Of course, the friend/relatives claim (1) they did not do anything to it, and  (2) it worked fine when they finished using it.

That's all I can think off right now.

[Gregory737]

Is Defender sufficient for virus protection? Thank you for Your response!

[WAWood]

@Gregory737 

Depends on who you ask.  Third-party AV sellers are always pushing their products, so they would all say NO.

I have Disabled Windows Defender because it kept hitting me with False Positives day after day and got annoying. 

I purchased MalwareBytes AntiMalware to replace it.

You can do only searches of AV product reviews to see what they recommend -- as the product rankings change all the time.