So , you just bought a shinynew laptopand pulled it out of its box . You ’re break down to provoke it up and commence playing around with it – I still have that feeling even after unbox over 200 different machine . Each one is new and different , and that appeals to the part of our brainpower that craves novelty .
But there ’s no worse feeling than realizing there ’s a job with it after your proceeds full point terminate . There ’s no skillful grounds to hold in on to a machine with a meaning flaw when a unproblematic recurrence is usable , so here are a few thing to reckon for that can help you avoid generate stuck with a Citrus limon or spending hours administer with guarantee support .
Check it physically
The first matter to do is to verify that all the physical components are working and built as they should be . By those , I mean the ones you could easy chink without break unresolved the laptop . That , by the path , is a step that I wo n’t be recommend in this how - to – you do n’t need to crack open up the soma and take a fortune on interpose with your trafficker ’s return insurance policy .
Step 1 : audit the laptop chassis from top to bottom and around each side . Look for misaligned element , col that should n’t be there , and dings and nick . A young laptop computer should n’t have any of the latter , and gap and misalignment can not only be unsightly , but they can also let junk and junk come in the chassis and make for havoc .
ensure that all the parts that should be there , like pencil eraser feet and flesh screws , are present and well - adhered . All screw should be installed correctly and flush with the chassis .
give and shut the hinge . ensure it ’s a smooth movement without any hitches or adhere points , but keep in intellect that some hinges are simply well plan than others . You should n’t expect the hinge on a $ 300 Chromebook to give as swimmingly as the one on a $ 2,500MacBook Pro M3 Max . If there ’s an literal trouble , it should be obvious . Also , control the flexible joint is straight and that the showing lip lay as it ’s designed on the build .
gradation 2 : Next , hold back the display . Use upstanding white , black , and different gloss to ensure there are no dead pixels or hot pixels ( those stuck on one color regardless of the image ) . Different manufacturers have unlike standards for warrant coverage for pixel problems , but a all in or hot pel is a good reason for a quick regaining . If it ’s after your recurrence period and the warranty does n’t deal it , check out ourguide on fixing a deadened pixel . Also , await for other image timbre issues , like banding , unusual color temperature across various show parts , or a general lack of uniformity .
If your laptop uses an IPS , VA , or TN show , you ’ll want to watch for weak bleed from the sides of the panel when the laptop is call on on but nothing is displayed on the screen – the better clip to check is when the laptop computer is reboot . you may also switch to a altogether fateful image and twist down the ambient lighting . OLED display wo n’t digest from this problem . Note that all non - OLED notebooks can havesomelight bleed . The interrogation is , is the igniter leech bad enough to bear on the picture in your eyes ? If it is , then refund it .
Your exhibit should be utter , or as near to it as you look it to be . Like the keyboard , it ’s a component you ’ll utilize every sentence you open up your laptop computer .
pace 3 : Then , check the keyboard . Ensure every central role properly and there are no light or stuck key . verify you check the Key in stock and shifted modes , including using function fundamental toggles . If the keyboard is backlit , ensure the backlighting is even across all the keys , and if it ’s per - key RGB kindling , check that that search large and responds to the correct commands .
keyboard vary in how reproducible they find across all the key , and some keys ( like the space stripe ) are garish than others and require more force to depress . Those are n’t always flaws , technically speaking , but they could be attribute that make you infelicitous with the laptop . So generally , make certain the keyboard ’s feel works for you , because it ’s one of the components you ’ll be using the most .
Step 4 : Also , check the touchpad . check that it ’s secure and does n’t tilt , and the clitoris clicks oeuvre as they should . The integral surface should respond consistently and precisely to swipes and taps , so check that as well . When you push the touchpad , ensure you do n’t see any large gap between the touchpad surface and the chassis . As mentioned above , that can be a way for dust and junk to enter the chassis .
Step 5 : You’ll also want to check your sound caliber . Fire up your favorite euphony participant or YouTube and diddle various content . hear for any crackling or static in the sound and turn up the volume to check that there ’s no aberration . Again , this is one of those things where dissimilar laptops will have different audio quality , but there should be no obvious flaws in playback .
Update your laptop
The first thing to do is to revise your laptop . Once the operating system is full installed , whether it ’s Windows 11 , MacOS , or Chrome OS , feed the update utility in organisation preferences until all update have been apply . If the laptop comes with a freestanding update public utility , go that next to verify that all vender - provided drivers and firmware are up to engagement . Finally , if there ’s an Nvidia or AMD utility program installed , condition it to make certain you ’re running the most up - to - date drivers .
You ’d be surprise how many initial trouble will be resolve simply by ensuring that the laptop computer is amply updated .
Run some benchmarks
If your laptop has any constitutional CPU issues , then you ’ll want to give it a quick stress test to find out . One cock to use isCinebench , which execute the CPU through the cognitive operation of rendering a complex range of a function . Run both the multi - core and individual - inwardness test , and if the laptop exhibit any collapse , that ’s a sign that something might be untimely .
You ’ll likely point out the fans spin up as the benchmark is operate , and if you do n’t , then there might be a problem . Once the fans do spin up , check the sound for any oddity . Whether flash or subdued , low- or high - cant , the fan randomness should be consistent and not grating . If you hear anything that sounds like an odd buzzing or whirring audio – or anything similar to when you put a playing lineup in the spokes of your bike – then that could be signs of a job .
To test the GPU as well , you could useUnigene Heaven . It will accent both components and permit you know if there are any obvious problem .
There are other applications you may run that will punctuate test your laptop , but those are beyond the scope of this how - to .
Use your laptop as much as you can
Prior to your yield time period ending , use your laptop as much as potential . Use all your favorite applications , browse the web , and scat speed mental test to make certain your Wi - Fi is up to snuff . Play some game if you ’re into that , and generally ensure that everything is run as you expect . If anything seems slower than it should or you run into crash , then make a note .
Not every problem will reveal itself now . Some wo n’t occur until well after the return period ( even if you buy from somewhere like Costco , with its 90 - sidereal day restoration full stop ) . Some wo n’t take place until after the warranty is over . That ’s unavoidable , and that ’s part why follow-up do n’t often identify underlying issues that appear in horde on forums . We reviewers rarely get the probability to use a laptop long enough to identify issues that do n’t reveal themselves straightaway .
That ’s also why it ’s so important to employ your fresh laptop as much as possible within the return period to check that you need to keep it .
Do your research
Before you take the last footmark of returning a flawed laptop , do some enquiry to verify the military issue you run into are n’t well - known . Perhaps someone ’s already discovered fixes , or the vendor has promised to address an issue . But at least then you ’ll know if your machine is unusual or the norm , and you ’ll be able to make the most informed decision .
During your research , you may discover common problems that are n’t likely to show up during your initial trial and require warranty piece of work to serving . That might be enough to convince you to choose a dissimilar laptop that does n’t have the same sort of issues .
Before take up the laptop and retrovert it , remember to absent your information . This is best accomplished by reset the machine to manufactory preferences . It ’s a wide-eyed enough process toreset Windowson a laptop , and you’re able to also easilyreset a Chromebookto its factory default . If you buy an Apple laptop computer , here’show to restore a MacBook to manufacturing plant mount .
All these steps are meant to be withdraw before your laptop ’s restitution menses has ended . It ’s up to you if any consequence you incur is worth a restitution – after all , a minor decorative blemish on an otherwise thoroughgoing laptop computer may not be important to you . And every comeback and repurchase means another chance to get a problematic laptop computer .
But this is a lot of money to spend , and so taking some clock time to make trusted your laptop looks and performs as it should is well deserving it . Once your return full point is over , of course , you ’ll need to recur to warranty support , and that ’s fine as well . But nipping things in the bud is always the best option .
