How to fix a laptop that’s run out of juice

I tried to Answer the question that has bothered a lot of Laptop users, how to squeeze, more Battery time, out of your laptop

Every laptop owner I know of has asked me this question: why does a laptop begin to lose steam after six to nine months of use? With reducing battery time and no back-up, some prefer to swap the old battery for a new one. While in some cases the battery may actually be dead, there are ways to maximise the usage time, especially if the laptop is not more than a couple of years old. The following tips are designed for a Windows XP user, but even if you are using Linux, Windows Vista or a Mac laptop, you can implement them. Here’s how:

Use the Power Management software. Every Windows copy has one installed in it, but some OEMs also bundle it in their utilities. Though these work, I don’t find them very useful. A good utility is the Speed SwitchXP, which you can download from http://tinyurl.com/28ngz. It works only on Windows XP and will let you choose multiple profiles, from Dynamic Switching to Maximum Performance, and will help you drive up your battery time.

Dim the screen. If you are watching a movie in a lounge, it might be a little difficult, but if you are working on a machine, a 10 per cent or a 100 per cent brightness is not going to alter how a spreadsheet or a Word document looks like. This is one of the best battery time savers, and all laptops have a smart function key to increase or reduce the screen’s brightness. On my IBM laptop, I squeeze in an extra 20-30 minutes with a dimly lit screen.

Unplug all extra attachments. Remember that the data card or USB dongle to connect your cell phone through Bluetooth eats up battery power. If you are offline and don’t need the Internet, then eject the data card. This will increase your battery time by 5-10 per cent. Also, if you disable the optical drive (CDROM / DVD ROM) in the PC (go to My Computer, right click, move to Properties, Device Manager, expand the CD-DVD ROM section, right click and click Disable), it will save you another 5-10 per cent of power.

Every few months, take the battery out of the socket and clean the contacts using a plain tissue paper. Make sure you don’t use wet tissues or one sprinkled with perfume when you clean the connectors.

Charge and discharge your battery frequently. Most users keep their laptops plugged in all the time, which causes the battery to remember its minimum discharge position, also called Memory Affect. If you are a casual or a heavy user, try to use the laptop without the adaptor till the battery runs down to about 10 per cent of its capacity. Then plug it in again and it will help maximise the battery life.

These steps will not increase the battery time from one hour to a 20-hour backup, but it will ensure at least two extra hours of usage time.
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This article appeared in the Indian Express on Sunday, 2nd March 2008