The autonomy of laptops depends not only on the capacity of the battery itself, but also on the controller, which monitors the voltage, temperature, battery level, and also saves energy in various ways until the equipment is completely turned off. Over time, it works with great inaccuracy. So, the controller may incorrectly display the charge level, prematurely switch to power saving mode and even to hibernation, although the battery capacity was enough to continue working. Calibrating the laptop battery avoids these problems. A simple procedure is recommended every six months.
What is battery calibration?
It is believed that the battery needs to be “trained” to increase its capacity and service life. This process is often associated with calibration. However, it does not make the battery more capacious. To answer the question of why calibration of the laptop battery is necessary, you need to understand the process. It involves only a full charge-discharge to configure the controller. The latter simply registers new extreme values, leveling the natural statistical errors arising from the operation of the equipment. In fact, the software parameters are adjusted, which displays the battery charge, temperature and voltage, is responsible for activating the energy-saving functions and turning off the laptop. At the same time, it is still recommended to perform this procedure from time to time, since chaotic and random network connections slow down its operation.
BatteryCare Program
Utilities for calibrating the laptop battery allow you to fully automate the charge-discharge cycle without user intervention. Their use is convenient when there is no built-in Battery Calibration function in the BIOS and there is no desire to temporarily change the power settings. For example, by turning on Battery Care, you can activate a series of charge-discharge cycles to adjust the controller. The software will also check the general condition of the battery, its degree of wear, the level of nominal and maximum capacity. However, experts are convinced that surface diagnostics should not be completely trusted.
Battery Eater Utility
There are many programs for calibrating a laptop battery. Some of them only work on certain device models. Battery Eater Utility is compatible with laptops of most manufacturers - HP, Dell and others. As in the case with the previous program, it is enough to start the charge and discharge cycle and calmly go about your business while the controller is working. It is not always possible to work on the device while the utility is running. Therefore, when using this and other programs, it is better to leave the technique alone.
HP Support Assistant
Manufacturers often release software specifically for their technology. Owners of Hewlett-Packard devices can use a special program to calibrate the laptop battery. HP Support Assistant lets you diagnose all systems, including the battery. A calibration function is provided. It works without fail on any laptop models of this manufacturer.
BIOS Calibration
To perform a full charge-discharge cycle of a battery, it is not always necessary to use extraneous programs. In some cases, you can calibrate the laptop battery through the BIOS. The necessary utility is already built into the system of many models. When you turn on the laptop you need to enter the "BIOS" by pressing F12, DEL or others (indicated on the screen). Next, you need to find the special Battery Calibration function. It can be in the Boot, Advanced, or Power Management section (depending on the model). After its activation, the laptop will perform all necessary actions on its own. The user only needs to charge it after turning it off.
Manual calibration
You can correct the controller’s work yourself. The essence of the procedure will remain the same, but you will have to manually discharge the battery and replenish its capacity again. To calibrate the laptop battery, go to the power settings and turn off the transition to hibernation. Otherwise, the device does not turn off when it reaches a certain capacity threshold, but plunges into a "sleep", saving part of the charge. Also recommended:
- Activate maximum performance mode.
- Turn off battery saver.
- Set high brightness.
All that remains is to discharge the battery. You can play, watch movies and videos on the Web, but work with caution, because when you turn off the laptop unsaved data may be lost (when you turn off the power-saving features, battery status notifications are often deactivated). As soon as the battery is completely dead, you must connect the device to the network, wait for the indicator to reach 100% capacity and do not remove the adapter for another half an hour. It is not recommended to work on the equipment during charging, because this contradicts the basic principles of calibrating a laptop battery.
What to do with the new battery
There is a widespread belief that the equipment immediately after the purchase must be completely discharged and only then connected to the network. This method of "buildup" of nickel-cadmium / metal hydride batteries has lost its relevance when manufacturers began to use lithium-ion / polymer in the devices. Moreover, a full discharge does more damage and can lead to a decrease in maximum capacity. Calibration of a new laptop battery requires first a charge of up to 100% and only then a discharge before shutting down.
It is worth noting that it is not recommended to keep the device in this state for a long time. Even when the equipment is turned off, a small charge remains, but over time it can be used up. The so-called overdischarge will ruin the battery and significantly reduce its maximum capacity. Of course, it’s worth worrying only if the device remains in this condition for several weeks.
The next time you charge, it’s important not only to reach 100% or see the icon of a fully-filled battery. It is recommended that you leave the device connected to the network for a certain time. This is due to the fact that charging continues for about half an hour after the appearance of an indicator indicating a full capacity.
How often do you need to calibrate
The number of charge-discharge cycles of the battery is limited. Therefore, calibration of the laptop battery for the sake of the procedure itself is not worth it. You can periodically combine full charge-discharge with normal operation of the device. Experts do not recommend performing calibration more than once a month. It is quite enough, even with the active use of the laptop, to adjust the controller's operation no more than once every six months.
Useful Tips
The number of charge-discharge cycles should be reduced if possible. You shouldn’t always connect the device to the network and disconnect it. Regardless of how much the laptop will be charged - by 10% or 95%, the battery will still pass part of the cycle.
It makes no sense to remove the battery from the laptop. In order to extend the battery life, many users take it out of the device when they are working on the mains. However, manufacturers of modern laptops make the batteries non-removable for a reason. A device that works only from the mains will simply turn off during power surges and temporary power outages. A sudden loss of power does not benefit the hard drive, processor, or other components. In addition, applications may not save the result of work, causing inconvenience to the user. Horse racing and temporary outages are not scary for a laptop with a battery. In this case, the battery serves as an uninterruptible power supply. At the same time, worrying about the charge-discharge cycles being spent is not worth it: when the 100% capacity is full, the laptop will work from the network, and not from the battery.
Do not use electronic devices in extreme temperatures. Even modern lithium-ion batteries "do not like" to work outside the range from –10 to 35 ° C. Since laptops are rarely used at low temperatures, serious measures need to be taken only during operation in the summer. So, for example, it is worth using additional cooling so that the device does not overheat.
Finally
Calibrating your laptop battery is easy. For this, it is important to understand why this process is needed and how to properly implement it. Calibration can be carried out manually, using the built-in BIOS utility or specialized programs that automate the controller setup process. Compliance with simple operating rules, in turn, will extend the battery life.