#132 - Laptop Maintenance

A great majority of our customers have laptops as well as desktop computers. Laptops are DIFFERENT and require different maintenance procedures. Many times we see customer who always leave their laptops plugged in. They aren't using them as a true laptop, just a small desktop. The risk in following this use model is the life of the laptop battery. If you leave the laptop plugged in always and don't use the battery then it will die a quick death and that will cost you over $100 to replace.

When you get a new laptop or batter you should fully charge it (6-12 hours) and then fully discharge it. Here is the recommended cycle (from the battery manufacturers):

1. Unplug the laptop and use the laptop until the battery fully drains.
2. while the computer is turned off, plug in the computer and charge it a minimum of 6 hours.

Lithium-based batteries should be given a full discharge/charge cycle once every 30 charge cycles. If the batter is not going to be used for more than a month, it is recommended that it be removed from the laptop and stored in a cool dry clean place. A charged battery will eventually lose its charge if unused.

Do not expose the battery to high heat or freezing temperatures. Do not leave your batter in your car in the summer. The life of a rechargeable battery operating under normal conditions is generally between 500 to 800 cycles.

Getting the most Usage Time with a Battery:

1. Turn off your WiFi if not using it.
2. Don't use your DVD/CD player
3. Disconnect all external devices (USB devices, PC Cards, Printers)
4. Adjust your screen brightness to the lowest acceptable to your eyesight.
5. Don't multitask. Run just one program at a time.