There are plenty of myths and urban legends about certain things that can be done to extend the life of a battery, as well as a handful of misconceptions about what shortens or lengthens the life of a new laptop battery.
With some help from our friends at PCworld, here are a few tips on extending the life of a laptop battery.
1. Don’t run it all the way to empty
While it’s often suggested that a full cycle of power or two is good for a new battery when it is first in use, doing this often throughout the battery’s life can be detrimental to its longevity.
2. Keep the temperature down
Excessive heat wears on a battery and will shorten its lifespan. Keeping the vents and cooling systems clear on a laptop can help manage the temperature of a battery and, in turn, extend the life.
3. Disconnect it when using AC power
If your laptop is going to be staying put for a while, disconnecting the battery and relying solely on AC power can give the battery a much-needed rest. BUT… be sure that your computer is completely shut down before removing the battery. Removing the battery while the system is running can have damaging effects.
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These are just a few items that can help extend the overall life of a battery. When it comes to the preservation of a single charge, things such as screen brightness and running applications can affect the time before recharging is needed. That’s a different topic for a different day however.
To read more details on each of these battery preserving tactics, take a look at this article from PCworld, here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/191574/long_live_your_laptop_battery.html
