May 10, 2021
I wondered why that baseball was getting bigger … then it hit me.
We’re all using our laptops more frequently, in more places and in more ways than ever before. One of the most common complaints that our users have with their laptops relate to batteries. From a hot battery, to overheating – sometimes damage to the laptop case. Even melting.
It happens.
Here are some tips for making your laptop battery last:
But first, here’s our Tech Tip of the Week …
We’ve all been there – so many windows and apps open on your laptop that you can’t find the one you need.
Quickly jumping between applications on your Windows PC or Mac is simple. To quickly go to another app, hold down the Alt and Tab keys at the same time. Each time you press the keys, you can open another app. On the Mac, press the Command and Tab keys to get the same effect.
Battery Not Charging?
Did you know that while our laptops have a four-year warranty, the batteries in our laptops have only a one-year warranty?
Laptop batteries have really taken a beating this year. In fact, in our recent survey of faculty/staff, many members of our community reported some battery issues.
Is your battery charging as expected? If not, give our IT Service Desk a call. Here’s what to expect:
- If we have your battery in stock, we can change it out in about 15 minutes.
- If we need to run diagnostics on your laptop, it will take about an hour.
- If your battery is not in stock, we’ll order one for you and call you when it’s in.
Battery Basics
Laptop batteries can handle a defined number of charge cycles. Around 500, sometimes more. A charge cycle is one full discharge to 0% and then recharged back up to 100%. Here’s the math. If you discharge to 75%, then back to 100%, you’ve used a quarter of a cycle. As your battery matures, each charge cycle decreases your battery’s capacity. Simply put, the fewer times you drain your battery, the longer it lasts.
Best practice? Start your day with a full battery, then unplug it. Let your battery drain to about 20%, then fully charge.
But like most things, your mileage may vary.
Protect your battery
For maximum battery life, do these things:
- Only use the laptop charger that came with your laptop.
- Don’t use an off-brand.
- Don’t use a similar charger that has the same type of port.
- Just because it has the same type of charging port, it doesn’t mean that It provides the current/voltage specific to your laptop.
- If you are unsure, just bring the charger and your laptop to the IT Service Desk. We’ll let you know if it’s the right one.
- When using your laptop at home, make sure there is an air pocket under your laptop. Without it, the laptop can overheat.
- Don’t place it on a fabric ottoman – place a magazine or other hard surface between the laptop and the fabric.
- Do you keep your laptop in your lap?
- When it starts getting hot, it’s probably not getting the air pocket it needs. Switch positions to provide proper venting.
Battery-friendly Settings
- Turn the screen down. 70% is about right for rooms with lots of light. You can go down to 20% for dark rooms.
- Close the apps you aren’t using. You can always open them back up when you need them.
- Enable your battery saving mode. Look for it in Settings.
- Switch off Wi-Fi when you’re off the grid.
- USB sticks and devices can drain your battery. Unplug them if you don’t need them.
- Select Hibernate instead of Sleep when you take a break.
Extra Credit
Your browser can be one of your biggest power drains, particularly if you keep lots of tabs open. Save your battery by closing those tabs. Want a way to manage them? Put your favorites in bookmarks. It’s an easy way to get to the websites you use frequently. Be sure to close the tabs when you’re finished.
Duke Photo of the Week
This week’s Duke Photo of the Week is the Abele Quad on Duke’s West Campus.
