Battery Packs
Hardware Guide
3–7
Monitoring the Charge in a Battery Pack
Obtaining Accurate Charge Information
To increase the accuracy of all battery charge displays:
■
Allow a battery pack to discharge to about 10 percent of a full
charge through normal use before charging it.
■
When you charge a battery pack, charge it fully.
■
If a battery pack has not been used for 1 month or more,
calibrate the battery pack instead of simply charging it. For
calibration instructions, refer to “Calibrating a Battery Pack,”
later in this section.
Displaying Charge Information on the Screen
Accessing Charge Displays
To access information about the status of any battery pack in the
notebook:
■
Select the Power Meter icon on the taskbar,
or
■
Access the Power Meter tab. To access the Power Meter tab:
❏
In Windows 2000 Professional, select Start > Settings >
Control Panel > Power Options icon > Power Meter tab.
❏
In Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional,
select Start > Control Panel > Performance and
Maintenance > Power Options icon > Power Meter tab.
265656-002.book Page 7 Thursday, February 20, 2003 2:32 PM