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| Laptop Battery Draining Fast? 10 Ways to Fix It |
If your laptop battery used to last the day and now it only lasts a couple of hours you are not imagining things. Laptop batteries get worse over time but a lot of the time the battery drains really fast because of the settings on your laptop the apps that are running in the background and the way you use your laptop. These are things you can change in a few minutes. Before you think that your laptop battery is dead and you need to get an one it is a good idea to do some simple checks on your laptop.
This guide will show you ten ways to fix the problem of your laptop battery draining really fast on Windows and Mac laptops. We will go from fixes that you can do with the software on your laptop to checks on the hardware of your laptop. Try these fixes one, by one in order because the easy ones are first.
1. Check What Is Actually Draining Your Battery
To figure out what is using a lot of power you need to find out what is using the power. This will tell you if the problem is, with the software, an app or the battery itself.
On Windows you should go to Settings. Click System. Then click Power & Battery. Open Battery Usage screen. Battery Usage screen will show you which apps and which processes have used your battery power over the 24 hours or over the last 7 days.
On Mac you should go to System Settings, Battery and check the Battery Usage graph and the list of apps that are using a lot of energy.
If you see one app or background process that is using a lot of power that is usually the thing to fix. You can close the battery using app update the battery using app or replace the battery using app with an alternative. The battery using app is the one that you need to focus on to fix the problem with the battery.
2. Lower Your Screen Brightness
The screen is one of the uses of power on any laptop especially on models that have bright screens or high-resolution displays. Keeping your screen at brightness all the time can greatly reduce how long your battery lasts.
Lower the brightness to a level that feels good for your eyes between 40% and 60% when you are inside. Most laptops allow you to set the brightness to change automatically depending on how much light's around you which makes it easier, without you needing to do anything. On Windows this option is found in Settings > System > Display. On Mac it is located in System Settings > Displays.
3. Turn On Battery Saver or Low Power Mode
Both Windows and macOS come with built-in power-saving modes. These modes reduce background activity and lower performance slightly. They help make your battery longer.
On Windows: Open Settings go to System, Power & Battery. You can turn on Battery Saver.. Set it to start automatically when the battery drops below a certain level.
On Mac: Go to System Settings then select Battery. Turn on Low Power Mode. You can keep it on all the time. Only when the battery is low.
These modes don't fix a battery.. They can add extra hours of use during a long day.
4. Close Background Apps and Browser Tabs
Every open app and every browser tab uses some memory and some processing power even if you are not using the apps and the browser tabs. The video calling apps and the cloud sync tools and the messaging apps are the things that cause problems because they keep running quietly in the background checking for updates and checking for notifications.
The browser tabs are another thing that uses up power without you noticing the ones that are playing video or running ads or auto-refreshing content. You should close the tabs you are not using. You should think about getting a browser extension that suspends the inactive tabs automatically.
On Windows you can open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc. After that go to the Processes tab. Sort the list, by power usage. This will help you see which apps are running in the background and using up battery power without you noticing. On Mac you can use the Activity Monitor then switch to the Energy tab. It gives you a view of which apps and even browser tabs are consuming energy. This way you can find out what is slowing down your battery life.
5. Update Your Operating System and Drivers
Outdated software is a ignored reason for bad battery life. Operating system updates usually have ways to manage power and old graphics or chipset drivers can make your hardware work harder than it needs to.
Make sure to look for updates. On Windows go to Settings > Windows Update. On Mac go to System Settings > General > Software Update. It is also an idea to visit the website of your laptop maker to get new drivers especially for the graphics card because driver problems are a well-known reason, for sudden battery loss.
6. Manage Startup Programs
A lot of apps will start up automatically when you turn on your laptop. Then they just keep running in the background. You might not even use these apps. They are still running and using up your battery power. Over time more and more apps start doing this. It really starts to drain your battery.
On Windows you can take action to fix this. You need to open the Task Manager and then go to the Startup Apps section. Turn off any apps that you do not want to run all the time. This can include apps, like chat apps, cloud storage tools or software updaters.
On Mac you can also solve this issue. You should go to System Settings, General and then Login Items & Extensions. Check the list of apps that start up automatically and remove any that you do not need.
7. Turn Off Keyboard Backlight, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi When Not Needed
Little things can make a difference. For example a keyboard that is lit up all the time Bluetooth looking for devices and Wi-Fi searching, for networks all use up battery power even if it is just a little bit.
If you do not need to use Bluetooth things then you should turn off Bluetooth. If you are going to be working without the internet for a bit then you should turn off Wi-Fi. Most laptops will let you make the keyboard light not so bright or turn it off completely when you do not need it. You can usually do this by pressing a key or by going into your laptops power settings.
8. Check for Malware or Unwanted Background Processes
Malware and unwanted background processes like cryptocurrency miners or adware can quietly take over your CPU. Make your battery drain much faster than it should. You might notice your device using a lot power, than usual from a process you don’t know or your laptop fan might keep running even when the device is not doing anything.
On Windows run a scan using Windows Security. It’s built into the system and works well. You can also use a trusted antivirus program if you prefer. On a Mac Activity Monitor and look for any processes using too much CPU.If you find unfamiliar software or a suspicious process, first verify what it belongs to before removing or disabling it.. Then check your battery usage to see if things get better.
9. Calibrate Your Battery
Your laptop battery can get a little mixed up over time. It might say it has some battery left when it really does not. This can be bad because your laptop will just shut down when you are not expecting it to. The battery says it has some charge left. It really does not.
Calibrating your laptop battery helps your laptop say how battery it really has.
If your laptop manufacturer recommends battery calibration, follow its specific instructions. Avoid regularly draining a lithium-ion battery completely, as calibration is mainly useful for correcting inaccurate battery readings and does not restore lost battery capacity. It is better if your laptop is turned off or sleeping while it is charging. You do not need to do this often but it can be helpful if your laptop battery seems like it is not working right. Your laptop battery seems inconsistent. It seems like it is not working right so calibrating your laptop battery can help your laptop battery
10. Check the Physical Battery Health
If you have tried all the software fixes mentioned and the battery still drains quickly the battery might just be getting old. Batteries are parts that get used up over time. They lose their ability to hold a charge after times of being charged. Battery capacity naturally decreases as a lithium-ion battery ages, but the rate of degradation varies depending on the battery, temperature and usage.
On Windows: Open Command Prompt and run powercfg /batteryreport. The report shows information such as the battery's design capacity and current full-charge capacity, helping you see how much capacity the battery has lost over time.
On Mac: Go to System Settings > Battery > Battery Health. This shows if your battery is working fine or if it needs help.
If the report shows that the battery has lost a lot of its ability to hold a charge replacing the battery is probably the real solution. Do this through the laptop maker or a trusted service center of a random local repair shop. This is because the battery needs to be safe and of quality.
A Few Habits That Help Long-Term Battery Health
To make your battery longer you can do a few simple things every day.
These things can help slow down the wear on your battery over time.
Here are some things you can do:
- Do not let your battery completely die or stay fully charged for long.
- If your laptop supports a charge limit or battery-care mode, consider using it when the laptop stays plugged in for long periods.
- When your laptop is charging, try not to use it for things that make it work hard especially if it is hot.
- Heat can make your battery wear out faster.
- If you usually use your laptop at a desk and it is plugged in most of the time you should check the software that came with it.
Your laptop manufacturer might have a feature that helps take care of the battery and slow down the wear over time.
This feature might be called something, like battery care or charge limit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my laptop battery draining quickly even when it is closed or in sleep mode? This usually happens because of background app activity that keeps waking the laptop, such as scheduled updates, sync tools or notifications. On Windows run powercfg /sleepstudy in a Command Prompt to see what is waking your laptop during sleep. On Mac check the Energy tab in Activity Monitor for apps preventing sleep.
Does keeping my laptop plugged in all the time harm the battery? Constant charging at 100% is not good since lithium-ion batteries get worn out faster when kept fully charged for periods especially if the laptop is running warm at the time. If you mostly use your laptop at a desk look for a battery care or charge limit setting in your manufacturers software, which keeps charging around 80% to reduce long-term damage.
How many charge cycles does a laptop battery usually last? Laptop battery cycle ratings vary by manufacturer, battery design and chemistry, so there is no single cycle count that applies to every laptop. A full cycle means using 100% of the batterys capacity whether that happens in one go or spread across charges.
Is it normal for battery life to go down after a Windows or macOS update? Yes this can happen for a time. Updates sometimes reset background indexing reinstall drivers. Change power settings, all of which can cause an increase in battery use. Give it a day or two of use and check battery usage again before thinking something is permanently wrong.
Should I take out my laptop battery if I only use it plugged in? On laptops, with batteries some people removed the battery for long-term desktop use to avoid heat. Most modern laptops have batteries so this is not possible anymore and manufacturers usually suggest keeping the battery in and using built-in charge management instead.
Final Thoughts
Fast battery drain can sometimes be improved by changing software and power settings, but a worn-out battery can also be the cause. Checking battery usage and battery health first can help identify the problem. First you should do some checks. Look at how your battery's being used. Turn down the brightness on your screen. Close any apps that are running in the background. Do these things before you think that your battery is broken.
If you do all of these things and your battery is still not working well then it is probably time to get an one. You will know this because the report, on your battery will show that it is not working like it should be.
Sometimes you can get a few hours of battery life by making a few small changes. It is not usually one thing that fixes the problem. It is a lot of things. Go through this list. You will see what is using up your laptop battery. Then you will know what you need to fix.
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