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Lengthen Your Laptop Battery Life

Edited by Vick Oluoch, Charmed, Eng, Alma and 1 other

3 Parts:

Instructions

Tips Tricks & Warnings

Comments

This article provides you with tips on lengthening the battery life of your computer.

It's incredibly frustrating to pick up your Laptop and discover it's out of power - and that's a problem that tends to get worse the longer you own the computer. The solution is to try to cut down on power consumption, which will help you maximize the amount of time you can go between recharges. Here are a couple of ways you can cut back and keep yourself from staring at a dead screen while on the road or in a coffee shop.

Instructions

1
Regularly defrag
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The more efficiently your HDD works, the less power it needs to complete a task. Defragging it from time to time will help it stay at its peak. You should only defrag while your Laptop is plugged into a power outlet - never when it is drawing from its battery.

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2
Dim your screen
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A brighter screen sucks down more juice, so reduce your Laptop's brightness to save some battery. Some laptops will also have other power settings you can play around with. Note that some power-saving settings will also reduce your Laptop's performance. You'll need to take note of what functions you're playing with.

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3
Minimize the number of programs you have running
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We often have things going on in the background that aren't helping us in any way. These add to the strain on your system, and in turn to the amount of power your Laptop is sucking down. Try to close as many of these as possible. This will help cut down on the battery being drawn by your computer.
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4
Cutting down on the external devices
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WiFi and USB devices usually drain the battery of your Laptop. Shut off the WiFi and remove all the USB devices that you aren't using. It's also important to know that charging mobile devices with your Laptop battery can also shorten your battery's lifespan.

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5
Add more RAM
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When you add more RAM your Laptop will be able to process more with its RAM and will rely on virtual memory less. Whenever your Laptop taps into virtual memory, the hard disk drive is usually the source that is used. RAM is more efficient.
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6
Clean the Battery Contacts
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You should make a point of cleaning the metal contacts of your battery fairly often. Clean the contacts with a piece of cloth moistened with alcohol. Cleaning the metal contacts keeps the transfer of power from the battery to the processor more efficient.

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7
Prevent the Memory Effect
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Owners of older laptops should take extra steps to maintain their battery. Fully charge and fully discharge your battery at least once every two weeks. Most recent laptops, which come with lithium ion-batteries, don't require this maintenance.
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8
Optimize your power options
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To optimize your power options go to the "Power Option" tab, which you will find in the control panel. From here, you can toggle settings to optimize power efficiency. For maximum effect, select a power saver or eco-friendly power setting.

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9
Hibernate your Laptop
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You should put your computer into hibernation rather than placing it in standby. Standby is a low-power state that nevertheless draws on your battery. Hibernation, on the other hand, saves the state of your PC before shutting it down. It's the best of both worlds.
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10
Keep the operating temperature down
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Your computer is more efficient when it is cool. Cleaning the vents will allow your machine to operate well for longer.
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