10
votes
Can't see my laptop keyboard at night
There are a number of products that plug into the USB port to cast light on the keyboard. But that is not a life hack solution, it is product recomendation.
The life hack solution is to tip the ...
- 2,718
5
votes
Accepted
How can I clean my laptop keyboard?
Try a canister of compressed air. Shoot quick blasts of air directly at the "crud" between the keys. Don't spray continuously for more than 1-2 seconds, or the air will get too cold and may damage ...
- 11.6k
5
votes
Laptop screen brightness irritates me at night
In Windows 10 Settings, for controlling the brightness of your device. Go to "Settings" and then select "System". Now under "Display", you will find a "Change Brightness" slider at the top. Move that ...
- 623
5
votes
How can I pad a laptop-sized bag to improve safety for a laptop?
A layer of high-density, low-rebound foam (material like Sorbothane is very good) on each side of the laptop, backed with a glued-on layer of something rigid and strong, like fiberglass reinforced ...
- 9,790
5
votes
Accepted
Solution for balancing laptop on pointy surface
Thanks for all the answers.
Weather Vale and Elmy. Thanks for your ideas, but unfortunately my laptop doesn't open wide enough for that to work in this circumstance.
Glorfindel, I don't actually have ...
- 171
4
votes
Laptop screen brightness irritates me at night
There is an application called F.lux, which reduces blue light and irritation to eyes during the evening. It is available on most platforms, including phones and tablets.
EDIT: This program can ...
4
votes
Question on Increasing Longevity of Laptop Batteries
What you're asking for (how to prevent the battery from being recharged before it's empty) is not the best way to achieve what you want (avoid wearing out the battery).
Discharging to 5% is not good ...
- 6,284
3
votes
Solution for balancing laptop on pointy surface
If you are seated at the piano stool, it looks as though you can't use the keyboard at that angle anyway.
If yours is a laptop that will open flat to 180° do that and stand it on the plinth behind the ...
- 4,495
3
votes
Can't see my laptop keyboard at night
Go to another room / area where you can turn on the light: kitchen, bathroom(?), balcony, porch...
This has a double advantage:
it helps you use your laptop;
the light from the laptop's screen will ...
- 2,640
3
votes
How to minimize the sound of my laptop fans
Alternatively, you can clock down your CPU through a standard windows setting to change the maximum speed, lowering the heat generated. Obviously, this will lower performance, but if noise is your ...
- 181
2
votes
How to prevent laptop's touchscreen from being smudged by finger prints/oil and getting scratched by finger nails?
It sounds like you have a touch screen laptop that you try to avoid touching but sometimes have to?
Have you considered, for the times where you need to do a single tap/drag rather than a multi ...
- 2,749
2
votes
Spilled coffee on laptop and matress
First, unplug the laptop and remove the battery (or, it it's not removable, open the case and disconnect one wire from the battery). Also remove the clock battery. This prevents damage due to short-...
- 5,993
2
votes
Solution for balancing laptop on pointy surface
The lid of the piano could prop the laptiop up vertically, like this:
Black is the piano, blue is the laptop.
Red is some kind of stopper that keeps the lower edge of the laptop from sliding forwards....
- 2,976
2
votes
Can't see my laptop keyboard at night
I'm not sure if you're already able to, but an alternative solution is to learn touch typing. This has the advantage of being faster as well.
(This answer has been typed without directly looking at ...
- 1,040
2
votes
How can I pad a laptop-sized bag to improve safety for a laptop?
Keeping your needs into consideration, you can wrap your laptop with 2 layers of bubble wrap before placing inside your laptop slot so that it does not take much space nor make it heavier and provides ...
- 17
2
votes
How to make a laptop touchpad respond better?
Capacitance changes with humidity.
Trackpads and touch sensitive screens need enough humidity to work optimally. If you moisten your finger very slightly by breathing on it or the track pad itself, ...
- 14.1k
2
votes
How to block regions of a touchpad from responding?
I found that polyethylene foam blocks touches, even when in a very thin layer (< 1 mm). This is a firm but soft (closed cell) translucent foam sometimes used to protect packages. I planned to ...
- 1,232
2
votes
Question on Increasing Longevity of Laptop Batteries
You can impose your will on your laptop battery drain and charge limits using the power management utility found in your system preferences. Usually, this is set to optimize the balance between system ...
- 14.1k
2
votes
Accepted
Is there any way to fix these keys?
Maybe you can find an old laptop for cheap and salvage the keyboard.
I don't know which resources are available to you, but you might
Go to a scrap yard (preferably one specialized in electronics) ...
- 2,976
2
votes
How to minimize the sound of my laptop fans
Laptops have been designed to work within a safe temperature range, normally 50 - 95°F (10 - 35°C). This range refers both to optimal usage temperature of the outside environment and the minimum ...
- 14.1k
2
votes
Reduce Laptop Mouse Clicking Sound
The clicking sound is made by the actual switch inside the mouse. Is is done mechanically, so no software configuration in the world can adjust it.
The way I see it, there are 2 solutions involving ...
- 2,640
1
vote
Can't see my laptop keyboard at night
There are a multitude of devices intended for illuminating a book or kindle, that are a battery and switch with a built in clamp, a flexible neck and a white LED. One of these should fit your laptop ...
- 2,749
1
vote
Can't see my laptop keyboard at night
Not exactly a hack. Search online for "luminous keyboard stickers". Make sure however they use Light Charged Paints as described in this article that warns against old-fashioned radioactive ...
- 1,744
1
vote
Accepted
How to correctly replace a key in my laptop keyboard?
Some pictures, and the exact brand and model of the laptop would have helped greatly.
Missing that information, I can only brainstorm.
It is possible that the dirt you removed was actually a layer ...
- 2,640
1
vote
How to remove scatches from a metal laptop
There are plenty of metal polishing/buffing compounds around, as well as buffing wheels for bench top grinders, angle grinders, and roto-tools which all can be Googled.
If you have an colored ...
- 780
1
vote
Accepted
How to effectively clean Laptop keyboard safely
Disconnect keyboard from PC/Mac (if not a laptop): you don’t want to be pressing random keys. If a laptop, turn off.
Tip it upside down and give it a few shakes and a few good whacks.
Tip it back over ...
- 276
1
vote
How to effectively clean Laptop keyboard safely
In fear of stating the obvious, the safest way is to use a vacuum cleaner to remove as much of the dust as possible. Then use an air duster to loosen any stubborn dust and vacuum AGAIN to remove the ...
- 3,137
1
vote
How can I clean my laptop keyboard?
Use a toothbrush to remove dirt in between the narrow spaces.
- 149
1
vote
How can I clean my laptop keyboard?
One more eeasy method that you can use a soft brush to clean your laptop keyboard ,it's also not harmful for your laptop,and don't waste your time or energy.
- 177
1
vote
How can I clean my laptop keyboard?
A useful hack that I have seen passed around is to use Post-It notes and scoop up dirt with their glue-covered edge when moving that below a row of keys.
Later I modified that technique and now use ...
- 358
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible