One of the biggest advantages of laptops is mobility. So if you are always on the move, it is important for you that your laptop is prepared to run at all times and in any location. Although you can find a lot of electrical outlets almost everywhere but sometimes you don’t have any other option but to resort to battery. Although batteries are becoming more and more efficient with time but still there are severe limits to their usage and most laptop models have the three to four hours of battery life. Now the crucial question before you is how can you keep your battery running for as long as possible? Here are 9 tips to improve the functionality of your laptop battery and extend its life.

Optimize your laptop’s power usage

You can optimize power usage of your laptop. For Windows XP, this option can be found in Control Panel under “Power Options” and by selecting “Max Battery” option.

Go to Start > Control Panel > Power Options and then select “Max Battery”

Switch to Hibernate or Standby modes

You can set your laptop to either Hibernate or Standby mode while on battery. It can save on power consumption. Hibernated mode fully shuts the computer down but still saves the state of everything open where you left off and Standby mode puts the computer into a low-power state instead of shutting it down.

Don’t expose your laptop to extreme temperatures

Extreme temperatures are not suitable for your laptop battery and can drain the battery quickly. For example when you leave your laptop in your car where it may be exposed to extreme heat or cold.

Gaming or playing a DVD can consume more power

Don’t play games or play CD or DVD on your laptop while it is on battery. These two use up all the power quickly.

Power down all external devices

Remove or turn off all USB and WiFi devices because they use energy and drain down your laptop battery even while they are not in use.

Dim the graphics of your laptop

Dim your laptop screen (display’s brightness) and  lower the screen resolution to save power.

Avoid multitask

Close down all non essential programs or documents when you’re on battery.

Recharge the battery properly

Most laptops come with lithium-ion batteries today. Don’t allow a Li-On battery to completely discharge as it can negatively impact the performance and life of the battery. Recharging procedure vary for different types of batteries so read the user manual that came with your laptop .

Lower operating temperature

Laptops work more efficiently on lower temperatures. Lower operating temperature can also help to retain battery for extra time.

Although the performance of battery  declines over time but these  tips can help prolong the life of your laptop battery and above all save it from going dry at an inappropriate time.