Steps to maximize the life of HP battery

There are actions you can take to make your battery last longer during each charge cycle and live longer over many cycles. HP laptop battery always recommends following the instructions for charging and storage that came with the battery or notebook. On this page we offer additional suggestions to help you get the most from your portable power supply.

Manage battery power more effectively in Windows

Make sure your battery gives the power you need, when you need it. Power Options in Windows XP allow you to control the power management features of your notebook PC.

Learn more about the Power Options in Windows by visiting Microsoft’s support site: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/russel_02march35.mspx

Tips for conserving battery power on notebook PCs

You can manually change the power consumption of your notebook PC and conserve HP 510 battery power.

• Reduce the brightness of the screen to the minimum readable level. Use the Fn and F7 or F8 keys to adjust the brightness.
• Remove peripherals when not in use. External hard drives, CD-ROMs, Zip drives, PC cards, and other peripheral devices can draw power from your battery even when they are not in active use. Disconnect them when you have finished using them.
• Reduce the speed of your processor. The faster your computer works, the more quickly it uses up the supply of power. By cutting down on processor speed, you can extend the charge of your battery. Methods to reduce processor speed vary from model to model, and your manual should provide instructions for doing so.
• Turn off the Wireless On-Off button when it is not in use. If your notebook has one, press the Wireless On-Off button so that the light turns off.

Battery care practices

HP dv5000 Battery cells suffer gradual, irreversible capacity loss over time. Such aging occurs more rapidly as temperature and discharge loads increase. Here are some suggested ways to minimize the capacity loss for your battery.

• Store Li-Ion batteries between 20C and 25C (68F and 77F) with 30% to 50% charge.
• Do not leave batteries exposed to high temperatures for extended periods. Prolonged exposure to heat (for example, inside a hot car) will accelerate the deterioration of Li-Ion cells.
• Remove the battery if the notebook will be stored (turned off and not plugged into AC power) for more than 2 weeks.
• Remove the battery if the notebook will be plugged into AC power continuously (via a wall adapter or docking station) for more than 2 weeks.

Note: Recommendations for battery use and storage are covered in the HP User Guides for each model.

Calibrate the notebook PC battery

Short discharges and recharges do not fully synchronize the battery’s fuel gauge with the battery’s state-of-charge. This can result in the amount of power available in one cycle being less than expected or the laptop battery meter being inaccurate.replacement laptop battery

Under normal usage, batteries should be calibrated a minimum of once every 3 months. Your battery can be calibrated by following these steps:

Step 1 - Disable the Windows Power Management

r scheme, select Never in each of the drop down menus.
• Click OK on the Power Options P
• In Windows, right-click the Desktop and select Properties in the menu list.
• Click the Screen Saver tab and then click the Pavilion DV6000 battery Power button.
• Under Power schemes, select Always On in the drop down menu.
• Under Settings for Always On poweroperties window and then click OK on the Display Properties window.

Step 2 - Fully charge the battery

• Connect the AC adapter to the notebook.
• Charge the battery until the Windows battery meter is at 100%.

Step 3 - Fully discharge the battery

• Remove the AC adapter.
• Keep the notebook on until the HP dv2000 battery has completely drained and the notebook automatically turns off.
• Connect the AC adapter to the notebook.
• Keep the AC adapter connected to the notebook until the battery has completely charged.

Step 4 - Enable the Windows Power Management

• In Windows, right-click the Desktop and select Properties in the menu list.
Click the Screen Saver tab and then click the Power button.

Under Power schemes, select Portable/Laptop in the drop down menu.

Click OK on the Power Options Properties window and then click OK on the Display Properties window.

Note: After completing the steps above, your notebook PC battery will be calibrated.

The article is from : HP.com