Buzz
Unlike mobile device batteries, it's often challenging for users to determine the opportune moment to swap out the battery of their laptop, usually waiting until it starts malfunctioning or exhibits severe issues. Consequently, the laptop, despite having a battery, always needs to be plugged in to function.
1. When should you consider getting a new battery for your Windows laptop?
Differing from smartphone batteries, users typically find it difficult to discern when it's necessary to install a new battery for their laptop until it encounters significant problems. Consequently, the laptop may have a battery but consistently requires charging to operate.
If you've exhausted all methods to prolong your laptop battery's lifespan without success, it's time to invest in a replacement battery.
For Windows laptops, the best approach to determining the right time for a battery replacement is by analyzing statistical reports regarding its battery health. To do so, follow these steps:
- Launch Command Prompt by right-clicking on the bottom left corner of the screen and selecting 'Command Prompt'.
- In Command Prompt, type powercfg /batteryreport and press Enter. You'll receive a notification indicating that a file has been saved.
- Navigate to your Users folder, locate the Battery Report file, and double-click to open it in your browser.
There's a plethora of information to understand and consider in the battery report (why it's draining over time) and the battery analysis across the last three charge cycles. The most crucial data to look at right now is the Design Capacity versus Full Charge Capacity – the designed capacity versus the current charging capacity.
Design Capacity represents how much energy your laptop could hold when fresh out of the box (when newly purchased), whereas Full Charge Capacity is the amount of charge it can hold at the current moment after charging. For instance, Design Capacity may be 46,030 mWh while Full Charge Capacity is only 39,030 mWh, as illustrated.
If the Full Charge Capacity significantly falls below the Design Capacity, it's probably time for users to invest in a new battery for their laptop.
