Laptop battery help.
Discussion
The battery on my laptop seems to be holding it's charge for much shorter periods of time than when it was new (approx 18months)
A fully charged battery now gives less than 15 minutes use.
Is there a way to recondition it to keep it's charge longer or can I change some of the setting to make the computer use less power?
All advice greatfully recv'd.
Cheers.
A fully charged battery now gives less than 15 minutes use.
Is there a way to recondition it to keep it's charge longer or can I change some of the setting to make the computer use less power?
All advice greatfully recv'd.
Cheers.
You can try this but usually you need a new battery if it's not holding charge and it's always been plugged into the mains
1) Completely discharge the battery by powering on but not loading the OS (important as OS has power saving features and will suspend the computer before the it's fully discharged)
2) Leave it to completly flatten.
3) Charge fully with laptop off.
4) Discharge again as per 1) & 2)
5) Charge fully with laptop off
Try again. If still no joy you can pick up laptop batteries pretty cheap off ebay or ebatts
1) Completely discharge the battery by powering on but not loading the OS (important as OS has power saving features and will suspend the computer before the it's fully discharged)
2) Leave it to completly flatten.
3) Charge fully with laptop off.
4) Discharge again as per 1) & 2)
5) Charge fully with laptop off
Try again. If still no joy you can pick up laptop batteries pretty cheap off ebay or ebatts
WOW - 1st post with the new "I agree to the sale of my children unto da law" fing.
Anyway - laptop batteries.
Is it best to leave them fully charged all the time or let them run flat and then plug into the mains to charge up whilst still using the laptop?
If you let them go flat then presumably you should leave then like that until you want to use the laptop again rather than charging up and then switching off the machine?
Anyway - laptop batteries.
Is it best to leave them fully charged all the time or let them run flat and then plug into the mains to charge up whilst still using the laptop?
If you let them go flat then presumably you should leave then like that until you want to use the laptop again rather than charging up and then switching off the machine?
www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
Whilst it's from Apple it probably applies to all modern laptop batteries (and iPods etc too)
Whilst it's from Apple it probably applies to all modern laptop batteries (and iPods etc too)
I'll second the freezer idea for a Ni-Cad. I have no idea why it works but got the tip from a computer help line and this is what I do, again, with a Ni-Cad and most laptop batteries are not Ni-Cad anymore:
Discharge (although not to completely dead, just run it down till the voltage falls off good)
Freeze
Take from freezer and charge while it's still cold.
I don't know what parts of the above ritual are really necessary, but it will revive a tired Ni-Cad for a bit.
Depending on your laptop, some will overcharge the battery if left plugged in to the mains continuously, better to charge it up then unplug it.
I always wear eye protection while putting the battery into the charger, just being paranoid I guess, but I do it.
Discharge (although not to completely dead, just run it down till the voltage falls off good)
Freeze
Take from freezer and charge while it's still cold.
I don't know what parts of the above ritual are really necessary, but it will revive a tired Ni-Cad for a bit.
Depending on your laptop, some will overcharge the battery if left plugged in to the mains continuously, better to charge it up then unplug it.
I always wear eye protection while putting the battery into the charger, just being paranoid I guess, but I do it.
I heard somewhere that you can actually blast old rechargable batteries. I imagine that it only applies to some types, so experiment with greta care.
I think what happens is that the elecrolyte decays, and the plates become shorted together. Overall the internal resistance of the battery changes, and not for the better.
The "blaster" involves shocking the battery with a HT type voltage, and it burns out the shorts between the plates.
Well I can't find out anything about that, but I have found an interesting application note that might give you and idea. I certainly did for me.
www.national.com/appinfo/power/files/f19.pdf
>> Edited by dilbert on Saturday 20th August 02:29
I think what happens is that the elecrolyte decays, and the plates become shorted together. Overall the internal resistance of the battery changes, and not for the better.
The "blaster" involves shocking the battery with a HT type voltage, and it burns out the shorts between the plates.
Well I can't find out anything about that, but I have found an interesting application note that might give you and idea. I certainly did for me.
www.national.com/appinfo/power/files/f19.pdf
>> Edited by dilbert on Saturday 20th August 02:29
Thanks for the replies PH'ers. The average cost for a new battery is about £60.00 +VAT!!!!
It's a Lithium Ion battery, but I'm going to try the freezer trick, and if that doesn't work, I'll try the "hook the terminals to an arc welder" approach.
As a last resort, I could always hook up the battery from my motorbike, a bit of gaffer tape and the job's a good'un
It's a Lithium Ion battery, but I'm going to try the freezer trick, and if that doesn't work, I'll try the "hook the terminals to an arc welder" approach.
As a last resort, I could always hook up the battery from my motorbike, a bit of gaffer tape and the job's a good'un
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