Notebook Battery
Notebook Battery questions and answers
Check out the Notebook Battery resrouce section at GeekBlue Portable Computers
Q: Notebook Battery?
I just recieved my first notebook computer, and was just wondering if there was anything you have to do before you charge the battery for the first time to ensure maximum battery performance and life. Do you have to drain it fully first and then charge it, or just charge it fully as is. It is a 6 cell li-ion battery. Thanks alot!
A: read the document that came with the laptop, it says everything....
congratulations on your new laptop, dude.
Q: How to take care of my notebook battery?
I have had my notebook for almost eight months now and I use it a lot. Most of the time I work on it I have it plugged in & I unplug it after I'm done. Is it fine this way or should I charge it full, then use it until its drained and then charge it again & repeat the process. I am planning to travel a lot soon so I am trying to get the maximum out of my battery life.
A: you can always buy a new battery, but to save energy change the energy saver on your laptop and don't use giant progams that require a lot of energy
Q: How can you tell if a notebook battery has died?
My Compaq R3120US notebook was working fine on battery power a few days ago, but when I tried to use it today it wouldn't start. It works fine on AC power but the battery is totally dead and won't even charge. It is almost 3 years old.
A: yeah it looks like its dead, the only way to test it to make sure is to try with a different battery pack, or to try your battery pack in another laptop. or you would need to use eg a multimeter this is a electronic tester.
Q: Can I take an extra notebook battery on a plane?
I am going on a trip and I have an extra battery for my notebook PC.
Is the T.S.A. going to take it away from me?
(It's an HP, not a DELL)
A: I don't think they'll take it away but I can't be sure these days. The link below has a list of prohibited and permitted items. If you are unsure, you can always call the airline or airport before your trip to make sure.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm
Q: My notebook battery only lasts a short time, how can i fix it?
I've had my notebook for a couple years but from about six months after purchase the battery only lasts 10 seconds (litteraly!). Its a L-ion battery, 4000mAh. It says that the battery is fully charged, but as soon as i disconnect the ac adapter i've got 10 seconds and the battery is dead. Any suggestions are appreciated, coz its really annoying!!!! Thanks
A: Hmm, that's weird that it died out in 6 months. I guess the best thing to do it just replace it.
With your new battery, when it's full charged, be sure to take it out when you are using the ac and that should make it last longer.
Q: Does leaving a notebook battery charging in the computer for almost a year lower the capacity of it?
My notebook battery has low capacity according to my computer it says it has about 29% of its original capicity.
Is this because I had my computer charged almost all the time for a year but i was using it almost everyday, or is it something else?
A: yes, all batteries over time and use loose their ability to hold a charge. sulfates build up internally and can´t release electrons.
Batteries need to be discharged completely once in a while and then recharged, it´s called cycling, it holds true for car batteries and cell phones. try discharging and charging a couple of time maybe it will bring some life back. zapping will do the trick but need a special electronics circuit.
your best bet is to purchase a new battery and make sure to discharge it completely once in a while before charging.
Q: Why does my notebook battery say it is charged but is not?
I just got a used notebook. The battery seems to be charging according to what the computer says, but it doesn't charge at all. Is it totally dead, or what? when I run the battery test with the computer is says the battery is fine.
A: its old and may need replacement. usually when the batteries don't charge at all, it's time for a replacement.
Q: How come I cannot lower my Windows XP notebook Battery Alarms?
In my Windows XP Power Options, for the Alarms, I cannot lower by Low Battery and Critical Battery Alarms lower 14%. Before I was able to lower to like 3-5%, and I notice that as after weeks pass, the lowest possible percentage for both goes UP. Something is preventing me from lowering either alarm percentage. I think my Windows Power Options is corrupted. I also just got a new battery last year, and my notebook is 3 years old.
A: Try going to control panel, sounds and audio devices and click the sounds tab. You can turn it off or pick a quieter less noticable sound.
Q: Drain notebook battery once in a while?
They say you have to drain your notebook battery once in a while to prolong battery life. Does it mean I have to use until it turns off from lack of power or do I just have use until below a certain percentage?
A: Wait until it asks you to recharge. Don't let it drain completely as it will eventually do quite the opposite of what you want.
Q: How do I extend life of a notebook battery?
I have a Compaq Presario 1800 that is about 5 years old. The battery does not hold much of a charge anymore. Is it possible to extend the life of the battery as I can’t afford a new one? Can the contacts be cleaned, and if so will this help?
A: At about 5 years, laptop batteries just don't hold their charge any more. Sorry.
Q: Why my notebook battery dying so fast?
I bought my notebook a year ago. Now the battery is dying. Just imagine just 30 minutes of battery life now.
Are there any specific reason? I never taken off the battery from my notebook even when I am using an electrical outlet.
A: "I never taken off the battery from my notebook even when I am using an electrical outlet."
thats the fore most reason.....
any way don't worry,if u have warranty u can easily replace it...
or if u can try this procedure patiently u can recover ur battery life..
1>completely drain ur battery uptil when it says 10% remaining
2>then charge it for 12 hrs continuously ..
repeat steps 1-2 until u notice a increase in battery discharge time...this can be in a period of several days...
this procedure works 90% of the time..
i have saved 5 of my friends from replacing their battery by this method...
Q: Can I use a docking station/port replicator to power my notebook's battery?
I have an HP Pavillion notebook and the port the AC adapter plugs into to power the notebook's battery is bad. I can either buy a new motherboard (the port is attached to the motherboard) or, is it possible to charge the battery using a docking station or a port replicator? It is an HP Pavillion Ze 2000. Targus makes a universal docking station that I was going to give a try.
A: If your notebook has "Expansion port" then you can use "Expansion base" to power on the notebook and recharge the battery.
But, if you dont have an "Expansion Base" (which is nothing but a jumbo docking station), then you will have to shell out around $200 to purchase it from HP.
Normally, you should find the Expansion port on the left hand side of the notebook. But, there positions change from model to model.
The Targus docking station which you are talking about, perhaps connects to the USB port of the notebook. These docking stations will not help you in recharging the battery or powering on the notebook. The Targus docking station is only a port replicator which increases the number of the ports on the notebook.
Q: How to properly take care of the battery of my notebook?
Do i need to remove the battery when am not using my notebook? Is it ok to use use my notebook while the battery's charging? Do i need to remove the battery when the notebook is plugged on AC power?
A: dont leave it charging 24/7. it is just like a cordless phone. dont over charge and when u charge, try to do a full charge. this will help, although, over time ur battery will become more and more useless. then its time to go to the maker of ur pc
Q: My notebook battery isnt charging while in windows, but charging when the computer is off, any ideas??
My notebook battery wont charge while in windows, only when the computer is off. This is very annoying because can only use my computer for about 2 hour before it hibernates and I have to wait for it to charge. Any ideas on how to fix it. I have an Acer TravelMate 4650.
A: go to control panel/ power options/ low battery action...might need to reconfigure something to initiate charging
Q: How do you dispose electronic waste such as burn out notebook battery adapters?
This could apply to replacable parts such as keyboards, memory chips etc. Whose responsibility is to recycle/dispose the parts?
A: You. Contact your city for local recycling centers.