Batteries and Power Management
Using Battery Power
Using Battery Power
To check battery status
From the battery status light
Check your notebook battery status light.
From the Windows taskbar
The Windows taskbar can display a power icon that provides detailed battery status information (see Windows Help for details). The icon resembles a battery when AC power is not connected.
• Place the pointer over the power icon to display the remaining battery charge.
This value is shown as either a percentage of charge remaining, or as time remaining.
• Select the power icon to open the Battery Meter window.
From the Windows Control Panel
Select Start > Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options, then select the Power Meter tab to see the battery status. The Alarms and Advanced tabs provide additional Windows power-information options.
On the battery
1. Remove the battery from the notebook. See the “Getting Started with Your
Notebook” chapter in this guide.
2. Press the contact pad on the side of the battery. The number of lights that turn on indicates the remaining charge (each light represents 20 percent of a full charge).
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Note
CAUTION
Batteries and Power Management
Using Battery Power
To respond to a low-battery warning
The notebook automatically alerts you when the battery power drops to a critically low level. The notebook first emits a high-pitched beep or displays a warning message. Then, if you do not restore power within a short time, the notebook enters
Hibernation.
After the notebook enters Hibernation in this way, you will not be able to turn it on again until you restore power by doing one of the following procedures:
• Replace the battery with a charged one.
• Plug in the AC adapter.
If you plug in the AC adapter, you can continue to work while your battery recharges.
To recharge the battery
The AC adapter is normally warm whenever plugged into an AC outlet. The notebook is normally warm while recharging. Do not recharge the notebook in a briefcase or other confined space, or the battery could overheat.
Plug the AC adapter into the notebook.
To get the longest operating time, wait until the battery charge is below 50 percent before recharging, then charge it fully (100 percent). Charging can take up to several hours. If you continue working while the battery charges, the charging time may increase.
The operating time for a fully charged battery depends on the notebook model, power management settings, and level of use.
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Batteries and Power Management
Using Battery Power
To get the most from your batteries
Follow these suggestions to make your battery power last as long as possible:
• Plug in the AC adapter, especially when using a CD-ROM or DVD drive, or any external connections such as a PC Card or a modem.
• Set the display brightness to the lowest comfortable level (Fn+F1).
• Put the notebook in Standby whenever you are not using it for a short while.
• Put the notebook in Hibernation whenever you want to save your current session, but will not be using the notebook for a day or more.
• Set the automatic timeout settings to emphasize saving power. If your notebook has a multispeed processor, use the lower speed on battery power (the default settings conserve battery power).
• If your notebook has a wireless on-off button, turn off the wireless function when you are not using it. Press the wireless on-off button so that the light turns off.
• If you have a PC Card such as a network card, remove it when you are not using it. Some PC Cards use significant power even while they are inactive.
• If you work with an application that uses the serial port or a PC Card, exit the application when you finish using it.
• Do not leave batteries unused for long periods. If you have more than one, rotate them.
• If you normally use AC power, make a practice of using the battery as your power source at least once a week.
• Unplug the AC adapter when the notebook is not in use.
• To preserve the life of a battery, be sure to charge it regularly.
• For long-term storage, the battery must be charged 20 percent to 50 percent to minimize capacity loss by self-discharge and to avoid deterioration of battery performance.
• Avoid using or charging batteries at high temperatures.
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Modem and Network Connections
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