Whether on a business trip or vacation, having a laptop that lasts all day is essential. Apart from getting work done on time, a long-lasting battery also helps you avoid the hassle of charging your laptop multiple times a day. Many factors determine the overall battery lifespan of a laptop. These include the type of laptop, how often you use it, and how well you take care of your battery.
Laptop batteries usually last between two and four years before a need for replacement. However, you can outstretch the lifespan of a battery for a laptop computer by following these maintenance tips.
1. Get Battery Diagnosis Reports
A battery diagnosis allows you to identify a problem before it escalates. It also tells you how frequently you should replace your current battery. When the battery health falls below 80%, replace it. The battery health is a percentage that represents your battery’s overall condition. This is a threshold typically used by Apple to replace iPhone batteries.
You can use an app like Battery Life to check the health of your battery. Windows 10 also gives a conclusive report on your battery performance. If the diagnosis yields unfavorable results, it is usually an indication of a failing internal resistance, which makes charging to full capacity nearly impossible. Your laptop may eventually give in or fail to meet the demands of daily use if you fail to act early.
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2. Improve the Lifespan of a Battery for a Laptop Computer by Covering it from Heat
Heat is one of your laptop battery’s worst enemies. Exposure to your device for long durations can cause them to fail much sooner than expected. To avoid this issue, keep your machine at room temperature. Also, refrain from keeping your laptop near other devices likely to cause overheating.
When working outside, consider purchasing a cooling pad to keep batteries at a safe temperature. Never leave your laptop on top of the dashboard when driving. You see, batteries can explode when kept in hot places or a tightly sealed environment, such as the glove compartment of your car. As a result, store your laptop in well-ventilated areas such as the trunk or under the seat.
3. Keep it Plugged in, but not Always
Leaving your laptop plugged when not in use can cause overheating or damage to its internal components. Your laptop’s battery has a limited number of charge cycles. The number of cycles decreases every time you charge your battery. Once the number reaches zero, your battery can no longer hold a charge effectively.
Remember that a laptop plugged in all the time still discharges some power over time due to leakage currents that occur even when there is no load on the system. This can cause the battery to degrade and lose capacity over time.
Unfortunately, most laptop owners rarely acknowledge the importance of replacing their batteries. Save the situation by looking at the icon in the bottom right corner of your screen (it looks like a lightning bolt). If it displays a low-battery warning sign, then it’s time for a recharge or an upgrade.
4. Update Operating System
You may notice that a laptop battery takes longer to open programs or perform other tasks when running an outdated operating system. Individuals who fail to update their operating system regularly may miss out on critical security fixes for vulnerabilities in software such as Java or Flash Player.
In the long run, this can expose your computer to hackers. Microsoft saves the day by releasing several security updates every month. The best part is that updating your operating system is pretty simple. If unsure of the version of Windows on your laptop, open the Control Panel by clicking on the Start button. Click on System and Security under Security and Maintenance. Check the “Update History” box on this page and click “View Details.” On the display list, you can find pending and recently installed updates.
5. Don’t Allow your Battery to Reach Zero
The biggest mistake you can make with your laptop is letting the battery run out of power. Instead, you should always leave the charger plugged in and keep it on when using your device.
Using an external battery pack when traveling is also a good idea. That way, you don’t have to worry about losing power while on the run..
Bottom Line
There are numerous ways to extend the lifespan of a battery for a laptop computer. The best way is to keep your software up to date and virus-free. When traveling, it’s prudent to bring an external battery pack in case your device loses power.
Keeping an eye on your CPU usage also aids in the early detection of problems. In a nutshell, there is no magic wand that helps broaden the life of your laptop battery. Simply follow these pointers to keep your device running smoothly for years.
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