The Windows Power Meter indicates the remaining battery charge. To check the Power Meter, double-click the
icon on the taskbar.
If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, a
icon appears.
Charge Gauge
By pressing once or
pressing and holding
the status button on the charge gauge on the battery, you can check:
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Battery charge (check by pressing and
releasing
the status button)
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Battery health (check by pressing and
holding
the status button)
The battery operating time is largely determined by the number of times it is charged. After hundreds of charge and discharge cycles, batteries lose some
charge capacity
—
or battery health. That is, a battery can show a status of "charged" but maintain a reduced charge capacity (health).
Check the Battery Charge
To check the battery charge,
press and release
the status button on the battery charge gauge to illuminate the charge-level lights. Each light represents
approximately 20 percent of the total battery charge. For example, if the battery has 80 percent of its charge remaining, four of the lights are on. If no lights
appear, the battery has no charge.
Check the Battery Health
To check the battery health,
press and hold
the status button on the battery charge gauge for at least 3 seconds. If no lights appear, the battery is in good
condition, and more than 80 percent of its original charge capacity remains. Each light represents incremental degradation. If five lights appear, less than
60 percent of the charge capacity remains, and you should consider replacing the battery. See
Specifications
for more information about the battery operating
time.
Low-Battery Warning
By default, a pop-up window warns you when the battery charge is approximately 90 percent depleted. You can change the settings for the battery alarms in
QuickSet or the
Power Options Properties
window. See
Configuring Power Management Settings
for information about accessing QuickSet or the
Power
Options Properties
window.
Conserving Battery Power
Perform the following actions to conserve battery power:
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Connect the computer to an electrical outlet when possible because battery life is largely determined by the number of times the battery is used and
recharged.
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Place the computer in standby mode or hibernate mode when you leave the computer unattended for long periods of time. See
Power Management
Modes
for more information about standby and hibernate modes.
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Use the Power Management Wizard
to select options to optimize your computer's power usage. These options can also be set to change when you
press the power button, close the display, or press <Fn><Esc>.
Power Management Modes
Standby Mode
Standby mode conserves power by turning off the display and the hard drive after a predetermined period of inactivity (a time-out). When the computer exits
standby mode, it returns to the same operating state it was in before entering standby mode.
To enter standby mode:
NOTE:
You can check battery health in one of two ways: by using the charge gauge on the battery as described below and by using the Battery Meter
in Dell QuickSet. For information about QuickSet, right-click the
icon in the taskbar, and click Help.
NOTICE:
To avoid losing or corrupting data, save your work immediately after a low-battery warning. Then connect the computer to an electrical outlet.
If the battery runs completely out of power, hibernate mode begins automatically.
NOTE:
See
Power Management Modes
for more information on conserving battery power.
NOTICE:
If your computer loses AC or battery power while in standby mode, it may lose data.
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