If the computer having battery problems is new, always check to see if its battery has been recalled. Computer makers like Lenovo typically have websites setup for battery information, including installations and recalls.
Many have downloadable software that can check whether your battery has been recalled, removing the need to take the battery out of the laptop to check. If your battery is on the recall list, contact the laptop maker for a typically free replacement as soon as possible. Avoid using a recalled battery unless it's absolutely necessary.
Geoff Whiting is a writer and copy editor who has specialized in business technology, consumer electronics and research reports since As a helpful part of the circuitry, each Li-ion battery provides a charge indicator. Pressing a button will cause a row of lights to be lit, indicating the charge, as shown in Figure A. Figure A Each lithium ion battery pack contains protective electronics and a row of status lights.
Editor's Picks. Linux kernel 5. Windows Do these 11 things immediately. Top 5 things to do about your tech before you die. If you're not using a kanban board, you're not as productive as you could be. Show Comments. Hide Comments. My Profile Log out. Join Discussion. This versatile device does it all: it's a regular AC adapter, as well as a car converter, and it will work on many airplanes.
With the right plug, it can even charge your phone or handheld. Also called the CMOS battery; this secondary battery, which powers the clock when the system is not in use, can sap the main battery power if it's dead.
The good news is that this battery is inexpensive. The bad news is that you'll likely have to dig around inside the system to find it. Some vendors put the backup battery under the memory chip slots, while others stash the CMOS battery under or next to the main battery.
Check your manual or the vendor's technical support Web site for details. Shut down unnecessary programs When you're running your notebook on battery power, turn off devices and programs you don't need. When not connected to a wireless hot spot, turn off the Wi-Fi hardware. If you access wireless networks with a PC Card, remove it when not connected.
Start with complete battery drains To ensure long-term battery vitality, do the following: when first using your notebook on battery power, let the battery completely drain before you recharge it.
Don't recharge when the battery is only half drained. Do that for at least the first two sessions. Also, avoid temperature extremes. Don't leave a notebook in a hot car or use it outdoors in extremely cold weather; hot batteries discharge very quickly, and cold ones can't create as much power. Terminal care Make sure the battery contacts that connect your cells to the notebook are straight and clean and free of grime, because the last thing you need is a bad connection.
Most contacts are flat, copper-coloured metal strips, but they might be hidden between pieces of protective plastic. Every six months or so, give the contacts a cleaning with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol to remove electron-sapping dirt and grime. A bad connection can keep you from getting the most out of a battery. Battery cell Cells are individual cylindrical compartments in a battery that produce power.
As many as 12 cells are used in a notebook battery. Capacity This refers to the amount of energy a battery contains. The typical notebook battery has between 2, and 6, milliamp hours mAh of capacity. See milliamp hours. Charge cycle This describes the complete charge and discharge cycle of the battery. Fully draining the battery then recharging it is one charge cycle.
Degradation The process by which the chemicals in a battery lose their ability to hold a full charge. See memory effect. Discharge This describes using the power stored in a battery by chemically depleting the charge. Energy density This term describes how much energy a battery contains, based on its watt-hour capacity divided by its weight; many external batteries have between and watt-hours of energy. Fuel cell This refers to any of various devices that convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy.
They are different from batteries because they use liquid fuel to produce electrical energy, whereas batteries use reversible chemical reactions.
Lithium-ion battery These batteries use lithium for the negative electrode and offer high energy density and the ability to undergo repeated charge cycles.
Lithium-ion-polymer battery Similar to a lithium-ion battery, a lithium-ion-polymer battery uses a conductive plastic and is more malleable than traditional lithium-ion batteries. If your battery is not labeled or you're unable to read the information on the battery, consider using a third-party utility that's capable of giving you detailed battery information.
For example, BatteryCare is a free software utility capable of doing this. Additional information How long should a laptop battery last?
0コメント