When a notebook’s battery is in its first flush of youth, it should be good for between two and five hours’ use (depending on the notebook itself and how you’re using it). But the implication in the question above is that the questioner has always run the computer on mains power, and that makes a big difference.
Notebook batteries need exercise – they need to be made do some work. Otherwise they become lazy and dispirited, doing the battery equivalent of slumping in the sofa and watching TV all day. A battery that’s never called upon to do any work quickly forgets how to do it.
If your notebook is always run on mains power, that means its battery is kept fully-charged all the time and is never used. Over time, it gets ever more used to this lazy lifestyle until, when you do need it, it can’t muster the energy to do more than a few minutes’ work before giving up. Windows should give you a warning about low battery power a few minutes before the battery runs out, but if the battery is in such a sorry state that it can never manage more than a few minutes, you won’t get that warning: the PC simply switches off.
With a new notebook PC (or a new battery in your notebook), exercise the battery right at the beginning to maximise its lifespan. Charge it fully, then disconnect it from the mains and use it (or leave it sitting) until its battery runs down, then repeat the procedure, and repeat it again. In ideal circumstances, you’d use it on battery power whenever possible thereafter, but whether you do that or not, try to allow the battery to discharge itself fully every few weeks.
If you never use the notebook on battery power, and you sometimes run into the same problem as the questioner, a simple solution would be to remove its battery. This way, the notebook won’t switch on if you haven’t turned on the mains, so there’s no risk of it switching itself off after a few minutes. (It also makes your notebook a good deal lighter to carry around or to place on your lap!)
If you use your Notebook for long periods and wish to keep it on mains power then again, remove the battery until you have finished the extended use then replace the battery.
With replacement notebook batteries often costing upwards of £50, it’s well worth paying some attention to their well-being and eking out the maximum life from them.
That’s even more important for the batteries in tablet computers. Most tablets are not designed to have their batteries replaced – indeed, you’ll rarely see any sign of a battery compartment – so when a tablet’s battery bites the dust, the dust stays bitten!
With thanks to PC Tips for Seniors
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