Technology Tips – Published July 2023 in the Guide and Digest
by Don Trauger – Kennett
As your laptop computer ages, so does the battery. Where you once got 3-4 hours or more out of one charge, in several years you may be down to one hour or less. In fact you may start to notice it after a year or two. Each time you recharge the battery it takes a small bite out of the life expectancy of the battery.
Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 have ways to extend the operational charge of the battery so you can get your work done while it’s not plugged in. First, for Windows 10 on the Windows taskbar, clicking the battery icon opens what we know as the power slider. Here you can trade lower performance for extended battery life. Simply click the slider and drag it to the left side to extend the useful charge. However, Microsoft decided that this convenient feature was too easy to get to (imho) so they moved it into Settings for Windows 11. Hold down the Windows button (the 4 pane window button) and press the X key. In the menu, click Settings, go to System , click Power & Battery, then scroll down to Power mode. On the right is an options button. Here you should see several options, Best performance, Balanced and Best power efficiency. Click the button and choose the one that works for you.
Another feature in this Power section, is that you can control when the computer sleeps. Adjust it for your needs. Scroll down to Battery and click Battery Saver to set the battery at a higher level above 20% that turns on the Battery saver earlier to help extend the existing charge during your unplugged session. Also, make sure Lower screen brightness when using battery saver is turned on.
There’s also another factor in extending your battery’s charge. The Internet connection draws considerable power from the battery. If you are working on a document or just using a program that does not require immediate Internet connectivity, consider choosing airplane mode. Again, this is available when you click the battery icon.
Another tip to improve overall battery life is not to leave the computer plugged in forever without doing a discharge down to 10 – 20% once every month or so. Unplug it and use it until you get a message that the battery is running low then. plug it back in. This helps in restoring battery chemistry.