Using the battery meter

The battery meter is located in the notification area, at the far right of the taskbar. The battery meter allows you to quickly access power settings, view remaining battery charge, and select a different power plan:

●To display the percentage of remaining battery charge and the current power plan, move the pointer over the battery meter icon.

●To access Power Options, or to change the power plan, click the battery meter icon and select an item from the list.

Different battery meter icons indicate whether the computer is running on battery or external power. The icon also displays a message if the battery has reached a critical battery level.

To hide or display the battery meter icon:

1.Right-click the taskbar, and then click Properties.

2.Click the Notification Area tab.

3.Under System icons, clear the Power check box to hide the battery meter icon, or select the Power check box to display the battery meter icon.

4.Click OK.

NOTE: You must commit these changes in order for them to be saved. See your network administrator for additional information.

Using battery power

When a charged battery is in the computer and the computer is not plugged into external power, the computer runs on battery power. When the computer is plugged into external AC power, the computer runs on AC power.

If the computer contains a charged battery and is running on external AC power supplied through the AC adapter, the computer switches to battery power if the AC adapter is disconnected from the computer.

NOTE: The display brightness is decreased to save battery life when you disconnect AC power. To increase display brightness, use the fn+f10 hotkey or reconnect the AC adapter.

You can keep a battery in the computer or in storage, depending on how you work. Keeping the battery in the computer whenever the computer is plugged into AC power charges the battery and also protects your work in case of a power outage. However, a battery in the computer slowly discharges when the computer is off and unplugged from external power.

WARNING! To reduce potential safety issues, use only the battery provided with the computer, a replacement battery provided by HP, or a compatible battery purchased from HP.

Computer battery life varies, depending on power management settings, programs running on the computer, display brightness, external devices connected to the computer, and other factors.

18 Chapter 4 Power