this video provides helpful tips for
extending the life of your hp notebook
battery
not all notebook batteries are created
equally
some are made to hold more power and
hold it for longer than others
however there are steps you can take to
extend the life of hp notebook batteries
the biggest factors that influence how
long notebook battery power will last
are the software and hardware you use
the power settings on your pc
and how you take care of the battery
when running a notebook on battery power
less is more the fewer applications
processes and hardware you use the less
power your computer needs to operate the
types of software and hardware running
on your notebook also impact how much
battery power is used
every application uses memory and power
even when the application window is
minimized
close any open programs you are not
using
audio and video typically use more power
so they will use up your battery faster
than many other applications
virus scans also use a lot of your
computer's resources and power stop or
postpone virus scans to drain less power
from the battery
reduce the brightness of the screen to
minimum readable level
the backlight of your screen can take a
lot of power and significantly reduce
how long your battery will last
to change your screen brightness press
appropriate function key
anything you plug into your computer
such as external drives media players
phones and other peripheral devices draw
power from the battery even when they
are not being used
disconnect any devices you are not using
if you do not need to connect to a
wireless network or bluetooth device
turn off those features even if you
aren't using them they continue to scan
for networks and devices which uses
processing power and consumes battery
life if the wireless on off button on
your notebook is turned on press the
button to turn it off
in windows 7 you can change the power
usage settings to manage how your
computer performs whether it is plugged
in or running on battery power to change
the windows power options click start
and then click control panel
select hardware and sound
power options
in the select a power plan window click
the power option you wish to use
there are preset options
hp recommends the balanced option
it offers full performance when you need
it and saves power when you aren't using
it power saver uses the least of the
three options and will make the battery
last the longest it saves power by
reducing system performance and screen
brightness some computers also have a
high performance setting which consumes
the most battery power it maximizes
computer performance and screen
brightness you can also customize the
plan you select managing the power usage
of more specific features on your
computer click change plan settings
you can select how long before the
display turns off and how long it takes
for the computer to automatically go to
sleep when not in use if you wish to
change other settings click change
advanced power settings from the drop
down menu select the power plan you are
modifying and click the setting you wish
to change for example
you can change the desktop background
settings
click ok when you are done
if you take proper care of your notebook
battery it will last longer and perform
better one way to take care of your
battery is to run a battery check once a
month to perform a battery check make
sure the notebook is plugged in
click start
type hp support into the search box
select hp support assistant from the
results
click troubleshoot
select power thermal and mechanical
click battery check
hp support assistant checks your battery
and then tells you the results of what
it found
follow any on-screen instructions
if you frequently switch between battery
power and being plugged in
the battery may lose its ability to
accurately gauge its true charge
capacity calibrating the battery is a
way to reset the battery power gauge and
ensure the battery recharges completely
hp recommends that you calibrate your
notebook battery every one to three
months during a calibration cycle the
battery must be completely charged and
then completely discharged with the
power adapter connected to the notebook
allow the battery to charge until the
battery charge light turns off after the
battery has fully charged you need to
drain the battery completely to make the
battery lose charge quickly disconnect
the power adapter and then change the
power options to make the notebook
consume a lot of power
click start
then control panel
select hardware and sound
click power options
then select create a power plan
to change the plan name type calibrate
into the plan name box
in the on battery column select never
for all items
click create to submit your changes and
force the battery to consistently
discharge
use the notebook as you normally would
allowing the battery to discharge
completely until the notebook shuts down
from lack of battery power the battery
is now calibrated
reconnect the power plug
and restart the computer
since you change the power settings to
drain the battery don't forget to change
your power plan back to your desired
settings
if your notebook will be plugged into ac
power continuously for more than two
weeks or if you don't plan to use the
notebook for more than two weeks remove
the battery from the notebook and store
it in a safe place with a moderate
temperature
before storing the battery
make sure it is charged at least 40 to
60 percent of full capacity
batteries should be stored in
temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees
celsius or 68 and 77 degrees fahrenheit
do not leave batteries in high
temperatures for example inside a hot
car for extended periods of time
thank you for viewing this video for
more help go to hp.com forward slash
support