You can make your laptop run longer on its battery by
turning off or reduce all the things that expend
power in your Laptop. If you are going on a long trip, or just taking your laptop to a local coffee shop, use these tips to help your laptop battery power last longer.
power in your Laptop. If you are going on a long trip, or just taking your laptop to a local coffee shop, use these tips to help your laptop battery power last longer.
Turn down the brightness of your screen
Generally, modern laptops allow you to control the brightness of
the screen. As you might expect, the brighter the screen, the more power is
required. Dim the screen and you could find that your battery lasts a lot
longer.
Shut down programs that aren’t being used
It’s often the case that you’ll have a number of programs
running, yet you’re only using one or two of them. Although you might not see
them running, they could be running in the background, adding to your CPU load,
and consuming more energy. Shut down the programs which is not in use and save energy.
Clean the battery contacts
You should clean the connection points on your laptop’s
battery every now and then. Dampen a cloth with alcohol and use it to clean the
points. Clean points mean that electric current can pass through efficiently,
meaning you save on wasted power.
Use the CD/DVD drive sparingly
CD and DVD drives use a substantial amount of energy to
operate. If possible, opt to use the hard drive instead, as this requires less
energy.
Defragment your hard drive regularly
If you regularly defragment your hard drive, it will operate
more efficiently. The more efficiently your hard drive operates, the less
demand is placed on the battery, meaning you will get more life out of it! As
an additional advantage, this will also help in speeding up your computer.
Do not use wireless networks
If you are not in need of a wireless connection, it is
better to turn off the wireless receiver on your laptop as it puts unnecessary
strain on your battery. Most laptops have an easy to locate switch to turn off
wireless networks.
Disable unnecessary visual effects
Your computer requires computing power to show all those
stunning visual effects. More computing means more battery consumed. Hence, if
you want your battery to last longer, it is advisable to preferably turn off or
at least tone down those visual effects.
Change Power scheme
Changing your power scheme to Power Saver makes your
computer adjust its settings to use power minimally and give you extended
battery life. Most operating systems allow you to change power schemes.
Regularly clean the air vents and keep your laptop cool
Your laptop will operate far more efficiently at lower
temperatures. If your air vents are clogged up with dirt and dust, the machine
cannot be cooled efficiently. By regularly checking that air can pass freely
through the vents, you can be sure that your laptop remains as cool as
possible. You can use a brush or a lightly dampened cloth to remove any dust or
dirt. For even better cooling, you can try a laptop cooling pad.
Refrain from using external devices
External devices, such as external hard drives, iPods, and
even your mouse can put unnecessary strain on your battery. If it isn’t
absolutely crucial that you use these external devices, shut them down and
disconnect them entirely to save on battery usage.
Only multitask when absolutely necessary
Performing multiple tasks at any one time, for example
listening to music whilst downloading files and creating Word documents, will
again put unnecessary strain on your computer. When battery power is scarce,
don’t over-work your laptop and drain the battery too quickly.
