Posted by: TAZ Networks on April 7, 2017 at 3:14 pm
Keep your laptop battery running longer with 3 simple adjustments.
Almost everyone uses a laptop these days. If your battery’s letting you down, here are three ways to increase battery life and usage:
1. Keep the Vents Clear
Never ever set your laptop on a couch cushion, or on a mattress, or anything soft. Soft surfaces hinder airflow through the little slots on the bottom and sides of your machine. Those vents can suck up dust and debris, clogging the fans and causing your laptop to work harder. And, the harder the machine works, the more battery power it is going to require.
If you hear a loud buzzing (like a fan spinning really fast), or your laptop base is so hot you could cook an egg on it, try moving to a tabletop, lap desk or other hard surface. If this buzzing is consistent, the laptop doesn’t cool down, or you need assistance cleaning the dust out of the vents, contact us to take a look at it.
2. Keep the Screen Brightness Down
When you do not need the screen brightness cranked up, turn it down. The screen is the number one battery drain on any mobile device, including your laptop. Adjust this setting through the Power Options to see an almost-immediate improvement in battery life. If you are using Windows 7 or newer, type “Power” in the search field by the power menu. Click on “Power Options,” and slide the “Screen Brightness” bar at the bottom to adjust.
3. Hibernate and Sleep
While you are in the Power Setting menu, you can tweak your Power Plan to help optimize battery life. Two settings to note are the “Choose when to turn off the display” and “Change when the computer sleeps” commands. These are listed on the left-hand side of the window and can also be accessed by clicking the “Change Plan Settings” link in the middle of the same window. In this menu, you have the ability to tell your computer what to do when it is plugged in, and when it is not plugged in. When you are just running on battery power and are not hooked up to any outlets, adjust the display to turn off or dim after a short period of time. Essentially, you want your laptop to hibernate and sleep sooner when it’s inactive and not being charged.
If none of these ideas are working for you, if your laptop is more than 3 years old or has a completely dead battery, contact us to see what your options are for replacing or upgrading.