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Laptop battery life
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in General Chat
I have had my laptop for about a year and a half now and it used to last for about 4 hours between charges. It gradually went down to lasting for about an hour but now suddenly it only lasts 4 minutes each time and then only takes about 6 mins to charge up completely. I have tried to look after my battery by unplugging it when it is fuly charged and allowing it to discharge most of the way before plugging it in again.
Any ideas how this has happened and if there is any solution to it, except buying a new battery which will surely cost quite a bit?
Any ideas how this has happened and if there is any solution to it, except buying a new battery which will surely cost quite a bit?
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Never heard such a thing before. For a start if you run off battery then you'd be in low performance mode all the time.
Thats about two/three years if you're lucky.
It sounds like your battery is dead since it slowly charged less and less. Best bet is to get a new one should only cost you 40-60 pounds-ish
You're basically right about not leaving it plugged in all the time. Its best to charge it atleast once a month, otherwise the electrons get bored and die.
Just to confirm that this is generally what happens with laptop batteries. It seems like you got a good four years out of your laptop though.
The longest I've ever had PC has been 18 months.
I've only had it just less than 18 months, which is why I'm annoyed that it has done this already. I have heard of laptp batteries doing this but only after quite a few years.
I guess that this could have been my problem - because I use my laptop a lot but I was told that it's best to run it from the battery and not leave it plugged in then it has been charged a lot (sometimes three or four times a day) so I must have worn it out.
At least now I know now not to listen to all advice given, and to check it out first.
Thank you
Oops. I read 4 hours as 4 years!!!
Believe it or not, it is true.
But not for modern batteries. Modern batteries are Li-ion based rather than nickel cadmium. Ni-cad batteries would develop a 'memory' - where it would lose it's ability to charge past a certain point. Lithium ion batteries shouldn't really suffer from this.
There are 2 options, really. One is to either replace the battery, or crack it open and replace the cells inside(far cheaper but very DIY). The other is to remove the battery from the machine, run it down completely(not by using the laptop, but by using something non-clever - like a lightbulb), then charge it up over a day or two using a power supply _other_ than the laptop. Modern electronics senses voltage, current and temperature. They work within specifications - if the battery falls out of the spec, then it'll kick up a fuss. Likewise, if the battery reports the correct voltage, then the laptop will stop charging it - sometimes the battery needs forcing in order to re-juvinate it.
Easiest option is to replace the battery.
Replacing the battery certainly sounds easier for a non technical bonde like me! My dad had to buy a new battery for a laptop which was about 4 years old but it cost him over £80. I can;t afford that at the moment so will just have to leave it plugged in. Oh well!
charging it up and down 4 times a day.. no wonder it's finished
Every single laptop I've ever used can be plugged into the mains WITHOUT the battery in.
Every single laptop I've ever used also always uses something of the batteries power even when plugged into the mains which is why you can disconnect a laptop whilst it's still on formthe mains and it keeps on working.
to maintain full battery life I'd say for most laptops if it's onthe mains then remove the battery altogether if it's external (my cousin's laptop is internal and cannot be removed without removing screws, etc)
However you didnt say what make model your laptop is and what model and type of battery you have.
If it's a NiCad battery you can restore their ability to hold a charge by wrapping them in a water tight bag and sticking them in the freezer (before they burst) and then charging them whilst they're still cold.
Did this with the batteries in our cordeless phoen and they lasted an extra 3 months and has wrked in the past with some older laptop batteries. It's not a huge difference but if your battery is almost dead then might be wortha go, but you should look up other recommendations & advice on the web first
Sony batteries are stupidly pricey, I remember once their camcorder was like £900 and just the battery was £300 on it's own for a 2nd one!! It would be nice if manufacturers standised their batteries but you can also find 3rd party companies making their own version of popular batteries for cameras, PDA's and laptops.
its not worth it. Li-Ion battery can explode if treated badly.
You might damage the laptop and yourself.
:eek: Oh, Ok!
Anyone know where best place to buy one from would be and how much it might cost?
http://www.studentcomputers.co.uk/laptop-battery/acer-battery-page-1.htm
http://www.global-batteries.co.uk/index.php?cPath=1_11&gclid=CIjPxOO9zoQCFRlXEAodOAFbaA
http://www.b2c-battery.co.uk/models.php/batterymodels/2.html
http://froogle.google.co.uk/froogle?hl=en&show=dd&q=acer+290+battery&scoring=p
Cheers that's really useful. Well suppose £70 isn't too bad but will have to wait a few months until I start my placement and start getting paid.
Thank you muchly! :thumb:
oooo, yeah - ebay! Why didn't I think of that?! I am a little wary of buying electrical stuff from ebay in case it is rubbish or been tampered with etc