Battery Packs

Placing the Power Meter Icon on the Taskbar

To place the Power Meter icon on the taskbar, access the Power Options window.

»Select the Advanced tab, and then select the Always show icon on the taskbar check box.

✎If the Power Meter icon is on the taskbar, it will change shape depending on whether a battery pack or AC power is the primary power source.

Managing Low-Battery Conditions

It is important to respond to a low-battery or critical low-battery condition. This section describes default battery settings and ways to protect your work in a low-battery condition.

Identifying a Low-Battery Condition

When the battery pack is the only power source for the notebook and drops to 5 percent of a full charge, the notebook has reached a low-battery condition. When this condition occurs, the battery light blinks and a text warning message is displayed.

The Power Options utility allows you to redefine a low-battery condition, set audio warnings, and change other power defaults. For details, see the “Power” chapter in the Software Guide on the Documentation Library CD.

Identifying a Critical Low-Battery Condition

If you do not resolve a low-battery condition, the notebook enters a critical low-battery condition. By default, the notebook defines a critical low-battery condition as 3 percent of a full battery charge remaining.

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Hardware Guide