Laptop battery runs out of juice, frequently!

• Laptop Battery discharging quickly...
• Laptop Battery not healthy...
• Laptop Battery not charging fast enough...
• I don't know if I am using  original battery...

Since you have reached here, chances are that you have faced some issues regarding laptop battery. Or need more information on the topic. My attempt here is to bring some clarity to help you. I will start with some basics.

• This article is generic and  most of it applies to all laptop brands & models
• This article is meant for beginners to intermediate level (we will have a detailed technical article on laptop batteries later)

This is the first in a series of blogs to create awareness on laptop batteries, their health, good practices, battery replacement, technical info & one-stop for queries on the topic.

Let us start!
Laptop battery is one of the most critical component from health aspects of a laptop. It is most ignored and taken for granted component as well – sorry to say that but that is true.

Have you been doing it correctly since the beginning?   I mean the first time you open up a new laptop, you should let the laptop battery drain to about 10% remaining, before plugging in laptop power adapter for re-charging it. Also, the first time you re-charge, make it 100%. It is a thumb rule actually, in general for any rechargeable battery. A healthy practice.

Rechargeable batteries come with a life expectancy – meaning they can be recharged and used and recharged and used… but not forever! Typically life expectancy of a laptop battery could be anywhere from 18 to 30 months. You shall check with manufacturer for the same. The more aged the battery, more chances for it to prone to issues like overheating, frequent discharging, taking longer to recharge, and damaging other components (due to power malfunctioning). We suggest changing the laptop battery proactively every 18-20 months, even though it may seem normal.

Some of the settings and tips discussed might not be applicable to you, as it depends on the hardware features, Windows 10 version, Windows 10 edition (Home, Pro or Ent), etc etc. I have tried to use screenshots from my own machine that runs Windows 10 Pro, on Lenovo Yoga X1.

That being said, below we have a list of quick tips to keep battery healthy:

• Use "Improve Power Usage" feature in Windows 10
  
• Policy: Prevent indexing when running on battery to conserve energy
  
• From elevated command prompt, run this command and then reboot: bcdedit /set DisableDynamicTick yes
  
  (Dynamic Ticks are a feature that lets windows stop the system timer when nothing is happening in order to conserve power)
• Keep brightness settings to auto (or better Low!)
  
• Turn of background apps
  
• Turn off location services when not in use (right from notification center)
  
• Turn off Bluetooth when not in use (right from notification center)
  
• Turn Battery Saver on (right from notification center)
  
• Set Power Plan to “Balanced”
  

Have an extra battery to cover you in long trips? Use these tips for a charged but disconnected battery:

• You must maintain temperature of an extra laptop battery, fully charged, between 0 and 35 degrees celsius
• Disconnected battery would loose about 20% of its charge in 3-4 months

Or get yourself an extra laptop battery delivered to your address within 2 days.

Laptop Battery discharging quickly?
If above points are not helping, you need a new battery. Or if your laptop battery is under warranty, get its replacement.

Laptop Battery not healthy?
Have you noticed some symptoms and not sure if battery is healthy, please write us support@theperipheralstore.in with the symptoms and we will guide you.

Laptop Battery not charging fast enough?
If above points are not helping, you need a new battery. Or if your laptop battery is under warranty, get its replacement.

Do you have Compatible battery or Original battery?
A compatible battery is one whose manufacturer is not the same as your laptop brand. For example, there are companies like Lapcare & Lapguard, who offer replacement and compatible laptop batteries for various brands and laptop models. The logo and info sticker on battery says it all. Like below is comparison of two laptop batteries, made for same model of DELL laptops.


Got more questions? We will be happy to help.

Meet you in next blog!