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Short Battery Life and Memory Effect

Date Originated:

April 12, 1996

Symptom(s):

After being fully charged, the main system battery will only last for 10-20 minutes Battery will not charge at all

Suggestion(s):

  1. Allow the battery to completely discharge and then charge the battery until the charger indicates that a full charge has been reached. Repeat this process three times and see if the battery functions normally

  2. Replace the battery due to memory effect

Technical Tip(s):

Compaq Computer Corporation uses the latest in battery technology to provide our customers with a dependable and stable power source. There are several factors that affect how long a battery will last for any particular user. This technical tip will cover what those factors are and will hopefully provide you with enough information so that you can customize your settings to find the combination that works best for you.
TERMS

Battery Life:

  1. The amount of time a battery will supply power starting from a full charge and can range from 30 minutes to over 7 hours.
  2. The amount of time that a battery can used until it will no longer take a charge, usually 2-5 years or more.

Short Battery Life: A condition that occurs either as an inherent defect or through improper maintenance of rechargeable batteries where battery life is greatly reduced.

Memory Effect: A condition that occurs when a battery is charged to the same level several times consecutively. The battery develops a chemical "memory" of that level and will not allow a charging past that point.

Power Conservation: Measures taken by computer users to maximize the battery life of there systems. This is done through the use of power conservation utilities and regular battery maintenance.

Deep-Cycle Discharge: A process by which a rechargeable battery is totally discharged and then charged to it's fullest capacity.

BATTERY TALK

Batteries should be periodically ( once or twice a month ) deep-cycle discharged. This is one of the most effective means for prolonging battery life. The factors that most affect battery life are :
  • Display brightness/contrast settings
  • Hard drive activity
  • Internal and External options ( PCMCIA cards, etc. )
  • Power Conservation settings

There is no magic combination of Power Conservation settings and battery maintenance procedures that works best for all situations. Power Conservation settings are very personalized and the values used depends greatly on the type of work being done. The best way to find out what settings work best for you is to experiment with the available options and regular battery maintenance.

 
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