Battery Packs
Obtaining Accurate Charge Information
Charging the battery pack prolongs battery life and increases the accuracy of the battery gauge. When charging the battery:
■Allow the battery pack to fully discharge before charging it.
■Charge the battery pack fully. Even a new battery pack can display charge information inaccurately if it has not been charged fully.
■Fully charging and discharging the battery pack will reduce the need for battery calibration.
■A battery pack in a notebook that has been idle for over
one month might need calibrating. See “Calibrating a Battery Pack” in this chapter for details.
Accessing the Battery Charge Display
To see the amount of charge remaining in the battery pack:
»Select Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options > Power Meter.
✎If the Power Meter icon is placed on the taskbar, it will change shape according to whether a battery pack or AC power is the primary power source.
Interpreting Battery Charge Displays
Most battery charge displays report battery status in terms of percent of charge remaining and run time remaining.
The run time remaining indicates the approximate running time left if the battery pack continues to provide power at the current level. For example, battery run time will decrease if you start playing a DVD and will increase if you stop playing a DVD.
Hardware Guide |