Will extreme cold affect my laptop?

[cheri1122]

Last winter, I always brought it inside, & plugged it in while home, but now I just leave it in the van - one less thing to shlep in & out. If the temp drops very low, will that have a negative effect on the electronics?

[Bugsy Siegel]

> Last winter, I always brought it inside, & plugged it in
>while home, but now I just leave it in the van - one less
>thing to shlep in & out. If the temp drops very low, will
>that have a negative effect on the electronics?

No. As long as the computer is kept dry it will be fine. In fact, computers run better at lower temperatures. Now, of course I mean within reason. If it looks like the temp will get down below 0, I would err on the safe side and bring it in. Also, once you get the van going again, give the laptop sufficient time to warm up inside before operating it, as the warmer air in the van and the cooler air still inside the laptop could cause condensation. And moisture and electronics rarely make for good bedfellows!

Have a groovy X Mas!!!

[Turtle]

Most laptops have an operating temperature range between 50 and 95 degrees F (meaning that's the temperature you should let the laptop warm to or cool to before using it)

And they (most) have a storage range of between -13 to 113 degrees F.

But, prolonged exposure to cold at 20 degrees or less can cause problems with some LCD screens, and can shorten battery life. A day or two in that temperature shouldn't be a problem at all, though.

[greg334]

Yes!
If you run the hard drive (which uses liquid bearings for the platter) at very low temps like 20 degrees the chances of a crash is remarkably increased by 1000. I would keep it a decient temp, maybe 50 degrees if possible before starting it up. I let my former boss use the laptop I use for network repairs and he left it in his car overnight at 0 degrees and then brought it in and turned it on. needless to say I had to buy a new hard drive to replace the brand new one I just put into the laptop a week ago.

[Bugsy Siegel]

Like I said, let it warm up before you fire it up.

BTW, I've left mine in my car over weekends at <20 and as long as I let it get to room temp before firing it up, it was fine.

[cheri1122]

Thanks, guys, I will be kind to my laptop, and not expect it to do anything till it gets warm. ;)

[vipra]

Check the specifications in the last few pages of your owner's manual, and you should find a temperature range, or maybe two ranges- one for the temps at which you can operate the unit, and one for temps at which you can store the unit. If you don't have the owner's manual, go to the manufacturer's website- most manufacturers put some or all of the specifications for their computers on their site, so people can check the specs before buying.
What someone said above about condensation is probably correct, since I've read it in lots of places. However, I've never worried about it and never had a problem with it. If it's 20 degrees inside my van when I wake up in the morning, I'll fire up my Espar heater and warm the inside up to 70 degrees in 1 hour, with my laptop opened so it'll warm up also. I'll then power it on and it always runs fine, and I've been doing that for the 3 years I've had the laptop. If you're worried about it, I've read that you should warm up electronic items 15 degrees per hour to avoid problems with condensation. So according to that rule, when I warm my van from 20 to 70 degrees I should wait 4.5 hours before using my laptop, but I don't.

[RichM]

Now Mon Cheri,, can you do much when you are cold or does it take some warm up time????