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Laptop Battery

shutter
Community Veteran
Posts: 22,206
Thanks: 3,769
Fixes: 65
Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Laptop Battery

I think this may have been discussed a couple of years ago, but I can`t remember the outcome, so I hope it bears a review!!
Old laptop, used as a desktop and power on for at least 8 hours per day.  Battery in situ. remove power  and laptop goes to "standby" mode after about 10 minutes..
Is this because the battery never really got discharged during its 2.5 years, but remained in a fully charged state due to the way I use the laptop?
I have a new laptop now, but it will be used in the same way, hardly ever being run on battery supply alone.....
So..... should I remove the battery whilst being used as described?
should I use the laptop at least once a week, on battery power, until it will not run any more? and then replace the battery to bring back to full charge?
4 REPLIES 4
scootie
Grafter
Posts: 4,799
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎03-11-2007

Re: Laptop Battery

yeah you should be able to remove the battery and just use the power cord. but rember not to pull the cable out.
i have got a advent laptop that dischargges its battery in seconds. i to use to run on power cable all time but didnt know to remove the battery.
mine died within a few months of it being new and rang currys tech guys line and they wouldnt replace the battery unless i sent the whole laptop to them. which i was not going to do as i have heard horror storys of what the tech guys do with your pc's and also it has accountants software on it with 100's of peoples bussiness accounts on it.
Quote
should I use the laptop at least once a week, on battery power, until it will not run any more? and then replace the battery to bring back to full charge?
yep i would do that just to keep the battery ticking over
Be3G
Grafter
Posts: 6,111
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Laptop Battery

Having followed Apple's battery advice for the last couple of years, which seems to work quite well, I'd advise the following:

  • Remove battery from laptop when not in use.

  • Store battery with a 50% charge if being stored for a month or more.

  • Once a month, calibrate the battery by fully charging it, leaving it fully charged in the laptop for at least two hours with the power cord still attached, then remove the power cord, completely drain the battery, leave fully drained for five hours, then start charging again until the battery is full.


Those instructions assume the battery is a lithium one, which I think all laptop batteries are these days.
(P.S. are nested bullets possible somehow in SMF?)
shutter
Community Veteran
Posts: 22,206
Thanks: 3,769
Fixes: 65
Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Laptop Battery

Thanks to both for replies... I think Be3G covers it pretty well, and sort of backs up what I had in mind...
As usual.... much appreciated....  Smiley
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: Laptop Battery

I would first determine which technology the battery is. as:
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Voltage Depression occurs primarily in NiCad batteries. NiMH batteries are almost never affected and Li-Ion batteries are NEVER affected.

More about the memory effect can be found here
I know in the days when Laptops were using NiCads the advice from Toshiba was to remove the battery if running the laptop on the mains for extended times as this shorten the life of the battery. Not to be confessed with capacity of the battery between chargers. Not sure on NiMH or Li-ion batteries