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Questions tagged [battery]

Batteries are the embedded power-source of a component such as a notebook. It is composed of cells of chemical elements that store energy.

161 votes
7 answers
88k views

Is it better to use a laptop on battery or on AC power?

When I'm at home, is it better to use the laptop plugged into AC power, or with just the battery, for the overall battery life?
Moayad Mardini's user avatar
99 votes
5 answers
101k views

Why are my games slower on battery power, even with the power plan set to High Performance?

My laptop is capable of running most games on high settings at decent frame rates. However, if the power cable gets unplugged while I'm playing, the game immediately starts slowing down, even if I'm ...
Egghead99's user avatar
  • 1,755
69 votes
5 answers
475k views

Can I use a charger with more output amperage than the device needs?

I've just bought a portable battery, but the portable battery don't comes with an adapter for the house current; it only comes with a USB cable so I can charge it with my laptop. My mobile phone came ...
Jorge Fuentes González's user avatar
64 votes
6 answers
64k views

How to safely store a defective (bulging) lithium-ion battery

I have a defective lithium-ion battery, one that is bulging quite severely, it's about 50% thicker in the middle than at the edge. While the battery actually still works, I've replaced it as the old ...
A.Grandt's user avatar
  • 751
60 votes
4 answers
10k views

Unplug laptop while it is running

Am I "hurting" my HP laptop by leaving it running, unplugging from outlet - walking a few feet and plugging it back in? My brother-in-law says I am.
Donna's user avatar
  • 531
59 votes
11 answers
65k views

Is it wrong to use a laptop with the lid closed?

Recently I decided to use my laptop with an external monitor and I always use it closed-lid and enjoy. :) The question is: Is it wrong to use a laptop closed-lid? I mean problems like overheating ...
Howsen's user avatar
  • 735
48 votes
3 answers
103k views

How can I get the battery level of my Bluetooth headphone over a Windows PC?

I am talking about headphones that can send GATT Battery Service data over the Bluetooth connection. I get the battery levels natively on Android and iOS devices without any additional software, as ...
Afzal's user avatar
  • 1,385
46 votes
4 answers
32k views

Why is Windows reporting a battery charge with my desktop?

I have a desktop computer. Get-wmiobject win32_computersystem | select manufacturer,model Manufacturer : Hewlett-Packard Model : HP ProDesk 600 G1 SFF For a while it would ...
Matt's user avatar
  • 1,236
44 votes
13 answers
117k views

Easy way to switch power plan in Windows 10

I've a 27" external monitor connected to my laptop and I use my laptop's screen as secondary. I've both screens turned on while I'm working. When I'm watching movies, I just keep my external monitor ...
DarknessBeginsHere's user avatar
37 votes
8 answers
17k views

How can a CMOS battery store data?

How does a CMOS battery store information on it? I know it stores information such as the time, date, passwords and drive configuration, but how? How can a battery store data?
ryryan's user avatar
  • 511
36 votes
3 answers
10k views

How is the operating system able to know the battery level?

Even if we remove the default OS and install a new one it can interact with the battery. Are there some drivers for it? How does it work?
green's user avatar
  • 479
31 votes
6 answers
59k views

Can a new battery go bad if unused

My old 2008 macbook's power adapter died recently and since I was not sure if the problem was it or the battery, I ordered a new generic battery as well just to speed things up. After I received my ...
Dude named Ben's user avatar
30 votes
3 answers
18k views

Why do PCs still require a CMOS battery?

Why do PCs still require a CMOS battery, given that they're already plugged in? We are providing lots of power to the PC by plugging it into AC mains electricity, so why does it still require a CMOS ...
Joseph Philipson's user avatar
29 votes
7 answers
31k views

Does more RAM usage cause more battery usage?

I'm using a 2 year old 15" AMD laptop running Windows 8, and its battery life is not as long as the brand new ultrabooks for sure. In the place I'm currently working I don't have access to a power ...
user42175's user avatar
  • 399
28 votes
3 answers
60k views

Can I run my MacBook in clamshell mode without being connected to power?

At home, I run my MacBook in clamshell mode (closed lid, external display). This works fine when you're connected to the power adapter, but it doesn't work when running on battery. That's how it's ...
kch's user avatar
  • 2,232
27 votes
2 answers
2k views

How does Windows detect battery issues?

I have a laptop that's a little over 5 years old, and I've never changed the battery, so I believe Windows 7 when it tells me "there is a problem with your battery", and to consider replacing it. My ...
Cam Jackson's user avatar
  • 2,496
27 votes
3 answers
47k views

How does limiting a laptop battery's full charge to less than 100% extend its battery life?

My laptop lets me limit how much of the battery will charge before reaching full charge: At first, I understand what the intent is. I know that overcharging a battery will result in degradation of ...
Ben Richards's user avatar
  • 12.8k
24 votes
4 answers
21k views

Can I run a computer using DC power?

I always thought that using a conventional UPS with a PC is highly inefficient. Power goes from AC -> DC -> AC in UPS and then AC -> DC in PC SMPS. Since PC works only with DC (12, 5 and 3 volts) It ...
Rajkumar S's user avatar
23 votes
8 answers
1k views

Is a UPS a good investment for a home machine?

Is it worth the money to invest in a battery-backed UPS unit for a home machine? Or is it a waste of money? The purpose of the UPS would be to prevent a "meltdown" of the computer due to bad power ...
Avery Payne's user avatar
  • 2,501
22 votes
5 answers
53k views

Fastest way to drain battery

I'm using Mac OS X 10.7.1 on a Macbook Core 2 Duo. What's the fastest way of draining the battery without crashing the system and preferable by using some sort of a script?
Tyilo's user avatar
  • 2,746
22 votes
4 answers
10k views

Extra battery in the bay of an HDD

Some modern laptops ship with an M.2 NVMe interface for an SSD and a SATA interface for an HDD. Is it ever possible to install an extra battery in the bay of the HDD, so as to have two internal ...
Quora Feans's user avatar
22 votes
3 answers
61k views

Is a CMOS battery rechargeable?

Is a CMOS battery rechargeable? If so, what does its charger look like?
Timo Huovinen's user avatar
22 votes
8 answers
1k views

What are some good practices for making sure my laptop battery serves its full life?

Basically, I'm looking for some do's and don'ts. Is it bad to keep my laptop plugged in when I'm not using it (majority of the time)? Is it bad to plug it in once I've finished using it (with it ...
Dan's user avatar
  • 229
20 votes
7 answers
39k views

The CPU core temperature is over 110 °C. Is it too high?

Are these temperature values below the permissible level?
user41855's user avatar
  • 303
20 votes
3 answers
28k views

Software to hold battery at 50% charge level [closed]

My Sony Vaio laptop has a built-in program called "Sony Battery Care" which provides a functionality to hold battery at certain levels of charge while operating. For example, I've set it to 50% and ...
Mehper C. Palavuzlar's user avatar
18 votes
5 answers
7k views

How does the capacity (kVA) of a UPS affect my power consumption?

I asked my dealer for a 3 kVA UPS for my PC-class computer with a 12V * 8 * 42 Ah battery bank. However, he provided me with a 6 kVA UPS with the same battery bank. He claimed no extra money for the ...
Pragyaditya Das's user avatar
17 votes
6 answers
14k views

How to check if power cable is connected from the command line?

I'm running ubuntu on my notebook and I need a way to check (from the command line) if the power cable is connected. Is there any system file that keeps log of this? or is there a bash command that ...
Malabarba's user avatar
  • 8,788
17 votes
5 answers
7k views

Are notebook batteries generally hot-swappable?

I have a new HP Compaq 610. Most of the time I use it plugged and with the battery removed, to avoid wearing it. Sometimes I need to move it to somewhere else - currently I hibernate the machine, move ...
ggambetta's user avatar
  • 367
17 votes
4 answers
19k views

How to stop computer from entering sleep under "Critical Battery Trigger Met" misidentification?

I'm using a Lenovo Laptop, Windows 10. Update 15/2/2023: just today I upgrade to Windows 11, the same problem still persists (!) Recently I think the battery cell is not fully functioning, and system ...
Graviton's user avatar
  • 5,730
16 votes
3 answers
41k views

Using a higher current charger on a laptop which requires a lower current [duplicate]

Possible Duplicates: Laptop power supplies, does current matter? Can I use a power adapter with more current but lower voltage on another laptop? I have an ASUS K50IN laptop which requires an ...
Gelo's user avatar
  • 161
16 votes
4 answers
4k views

Do recommended battery charging practices for a laptop apply to an ultrabook (with non-removable battery)?

For normal laptops, everyone said that if you want to use your laptop for a long period of time at home, its better if you detach the battery and just connect it directly to power. I followed this ...
Soheil SH's user avatar
  • 163
16 votes
8 answers
20k views

Why does Ubuntu eat more power than Windows?

I play full screen video with maximum volume or browse the Web with Wi-Fi. Under Windows 7 my laptop works ~5 hours. Under Kubuntu 10.10 only ~2 hours. I've got an Acer Aspire 1810TZ. Battery wear ...
iUm's user avatar
  • 273
15 votes
8 answers
23k views

Checking CMOS battery without going into the BIOS

Today, I found my Windows 10 date and time too far ahead by about 26.5 hours. The time zone is fine, and I corrected the problem by clicking on a "Sync" button to sync with a Microsoft ...
user2153235's user avatar
  • 1,201
15 votes
2 answers
26k views

Windows XP/Vista/7 Check Battery Charge from CMD?

How can I get the battery status in windows? On Linux it is as simple as acpi -b but in Windows this simple task seems impossible. powercfg -energy can get all kinds of all information, but won't ...
PSYU's user avatar
  • 151
15 votes
1 answer
7k views

Is it safe to store a battery in the freezer?

Of course, assuming you wrap it in a tight plastic bag to avoid humidity. I have a laptop battery at my office that's not currently in use, and also won't be used at least for the next several ...
Malabarba's user avatar
  • 8,788
15 votes
3 answers
18k views

Notebook's Battery is not calibrated. Operates at 0% for an hour

My problem is that even if the battery percentage is 0 the notebook can stay on around an hour. I have disabled "critical battery action" on my operating systems to use more time my notebook. The ...
George Sofianos's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
3k views

Why is my ping higher when my charger is plugged into my Dell Precision M6800 laptop?

I recently noticed that the reason my Wi-Fi was so terrible seems to be caused by plugging in my charger. Here is a little video of it happening, trying to ping riot.de Here is the ping when plugged ...
Treycos's user avatar
  • 222
14 votes
5 answers
12k views

What is an easy way to drain a laptop battery to 0?

I need a way to kill my battery in my Ubuntu laptop. Is there any mind numbing tasks I can Ubuntu do that will eat up the battery? I have already shut off the power management options. The battery is ...
AtomicPorkchop's user avatar
14 votes
7 answers
31k views

Implications of using a laptop always-on as a server

I assumed that there would be a lot of information on this on both the Web in general and on Superuser, but to my surprise I can't find direct answers to these questions about using a laptop as a ...
ShankarG's user avatar
  • 916
14 votes
2 answers
12k views

How long do Lithium Ion batteries normally last?

On the laptop I have, I've had to buy a new Li-Ion batter roughly every year. I do use this computer quite a lot, but I'm wondering if this is normal. Right now, my battery is completely dead (it ...
Zifre's user avatar
  • 1,580
14 votes
4 answers
9k views

Laptop Battery Technology

My laptop battery has finally taken the plunge and I'm looking online for a new one. However I'm getting lost in all of the specs of the batteries that are out there. I'm looking to gain a better ...
James Mertz's user avatar
  • 26.4k
14 votes
3 answers
7k views

Laptop Either Shows 100% or 0% Charge

I have a strange issue with my Compaq CQ 61 running Windows 2012 (server) and I have Googled for it really long and hard and also searched other questions here but in vain. I believe my problem is a ...
skv's user avatar
  • 384
14 votes
4 answers
22k views

How to display battery discharge rate in watts, Windows 8 + perfmon

Windows 'perfmon' utility allows to display graphs for different counters. One of them is Battery -> "Discharge rate" that can be spotted in the internet as a good way to examine battery discharge. I ...
grigoryvp's user avatar
  • 1,047
13 votes
8 answers
17k views

Do newer laptop batteries still need to be drained before recharging?

10 years ago when I was doing hardware support it was best practice to fully drain a laptop battery prior to recharging in order to maximize its life. Is this still the case or can a battery now be ...
squillman's user avatar
  • 7,836
13 votes
8 answers
84k views

How long does CMOS battery (3V) on a motherboard last?

Just wondering usually how long does CMOS battery last on a regular motherboard? I read that motherboard leakage current of about 3 - 6 micro ampere. I did a calculation below but I believe that i ...
Kevin H's user avatar
  • 344
13 votes
3 answers
18k views

Is it OK for the laptop to always be plugged in? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Is it better to use laptop on battery or on AC power? If I stay near a power source is it recommended to always have my laptop plugged in? Or should I use the battery and let ...
Gold's user avatar
  • 1,978
13 votes
5 answers
65k views

How to extend battery lifespan / not charge to 100%

In the internet I found a lot of threads about Windows settings about making the battery last longer before you need to re-charge is. But this is about how to increase the battery lifespan. Also ...
Thorsten Niehues's user avatar
12 votes
5 answers
13k views

Does Windows 10 Fast Startup feature drain battery while laptop is turned off?

I'm wondering if leaving this feature enabled drains the laptop battery while it's turned off. I've searched online already but haven't found a conclusive answer.
Chef Tony's user avatar
  • 247
12 votes
3 answers
96k views

Laptop battery: is voltage really important to respect?

I got an Acer Aspire 5100 and I just bought a new battery (after the stock battery just died yesterday). But I saw something after buying and I'm wondering whether it's really important or not. My ...
Marc-Andre R.'s user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
34k views

How to bypass Windows 10's auto shutdown on "Critical battery level" when the battery is dead?

If your battery is “critically low” in Windows 10, you get about 45 seconds before it will automatically shut down “for your own good.” Well, if you have a computer with a bad battery, your computer ...
seizethecarp's user avatar

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