Laptop Battery Longer Life Tips

We’ve all been there. You’re in a meeting, or on the road, or in a classroom, and you find, to your horror, that your Laptop is nearly dead. Maybe you forgot your power adapter, maybe there isn’t an available outlet. For whatever reason, your battery power is dwindling, and you still have stuff to get done. Hope is not lost, however. There are some things you can do to buy more time on that almost-dead battery so you can meet a deadline or respond to an important email before it’s too late.

Some of these techniques are for when you need to stretch your battery at that very moment, while others are preventative measures, best implemented before your battery life comes up short. There is some of overlap between the short- and long-term strategies we’ll outline below, but even when the actions are the same, the reasons behind it may be different.

Laptop low batteryShort-Term Battery-Stretching Strategies If you’re in a tough spot right now, there are things you can do to extend the battery life immediately. None of these actions will actually increase the amount of power left in the battery, but instead will reduce the amount of power the laptop is using, letting you squeeze in a few more precious minutes before the battery goes kaput. The name of the game in these instances is power consumption, and you need to reduce yours to as little as possible.

  1. Activate Your Laptop’s Battery Saver Mode or Eco Mode Designed with these sorts of circumstances in mind, most Battery-Saver or Eco modes will engage a number of automatic changes to lengthen usable battery life—many of the same changes we’ll be making here. This saved profile will adjust your laptop’s settings and shift components into low-power states to help you ration your remaining juice a bit longer.

Once you’ve turned on the automatic battery-saver tool, there are still plenty of steps to take to eke out even better efficiency. This is done by turning off unnecessary devices, adjusting settings to reduce power consumption, shutting down unwanted apps and processes, and adjusting your activities to use less power.

  1. Disable Unused Devices and Ports The easiest way to reduce power consumption is to simply turn stuff off. Every component in your laptop needs power to function, but that doesn’t mean you need to power all of those components all the time. Start by disconnecting any unneeded peripherals (like a USB mouse or external drive) and turning off the biggest power hogs, like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, graphics processors, and unused optical drives.

WARNING: Before disabling any component or device, stop and make sure that this device is not in use, and that it is not essential to continuing operation of the laptop. For example, you DO NOT want to disable the hard drive that houses the operating system or the processor the runs the entire laptop. Only disable those devices you are comfortable turning off.

To disable unused devices on a Windows system, open up your system’s Control Panel and find the Device Manager. In the Device Manager, individual components are grouped by category. For example, Network Adapters will often include both the LAN adapter, which provides Ethernet connectivity, and Wi-Fi, for wireless networking.

The four standard candidates for saving power are the graphics card (found under Display Adapters), the optical drive (found under DVD/CD-ROM Drives), and the Ethernet and Wi-Fi adapters (under Network Adapters). Find the device you want to shut down within the relevant category. Right click on the device name, and select “Disable” from the drop down menu.

While you’re in the Device Manager, you can also turn off any unused ports. Just like an extension cord left plugged into an outlet, these unused plugs still have power going through them, and losing some in the process. The actual impact on battery life will be minimal, but if you need to eke out another minute or two of life, this will help. Take a quick glance at your ports, and turn off anything that’s not being used, like USB ports with nothing connected to them.

While you can disable USB ports on a Mac using the terminal program, it’s something that IT administrators would use to lock down Macs for security purposes. We don’t recommend doing it as an end user because it may make your system act up. You can, however, disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi from the Menu bar at the top of the screen.

Laptop battery low

  1. Adjust Your Settings while you’ll still have to use the display and the keyboard, you can adjust the settings for each to reduce power consumption. One often overlooked power drain is keyboard backlighting. Unless you’re in the dark, and need the backlight just to make out each key, turn the backlight off entirely. You can typically assign a hotkey for this function.

The next power drain is your screen. While you need to keep the up and running to use the laptop, you don’t necessarily need it running at 100-percent brightness or full resolution. Many laptops will have hotkeys for increasing and decreasing the screen brightness, but if not, it can be adjusted in the control panel. Reducing the display to 50 percent when you’re running on battery power can add a significant amount of time.

Additionally, if you’re simply typing up a document, you don’t need all of the detail offered by a 1080p or higher display. Dialing down the screen resolution to a basic 1,366-by-768 resolution or lower reduces the amount of power used in graphics processing without negatively impacting your ability to work, letting your laptop a bit longer than at full resolution.

Finally, turn off or turn down the sound. If you need to hear, drop the sound down as low as you can, and consider switching from the laptop’s larger speakers to a set of tiny earbuds to get the audio piped right to your ears. Whenever possible, just mute the laptop altogether. That way, the speakers won’t be getting any power, and you’ll buy yourself some more precious time.

  1. Turn Off Apps and Processes It’s not just the hardware that’s stealing your battery juice. Multiple apps and processes running on your system will also chew through battery life more quickly. As with the hardware, start by turning off anything that isn’t being used.

In Windows, start by taking a look in your System Tray, the collection of icons in the lower right corner of the desktop, next to the clock. On the left end of the System Tray, select the icon to display hidden icons. Take note of which apps are running in the background.

Open up the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc, or use Ctrl+Alt+Del and select Task Manager from the menu. Once in the Task Manager, look at the open apps—you may find that a program or two have been left running simply because you forgot to close a window instead of minimizing it.

Next, go to the Processes tab. This shows you what processes are currently running on your machine. While some of these are needed, some, like those associated with music and video players or cloud storage services (like Dropbox or Google Drive) can be disabled without causing any problems.

For MacBooks, the process is a little different. Take a look at System Preferences > Users&Groups for a menu called Login Items. Delete any power-hungry programs that you don’t need anymore, or disable things like Google Chrome’s automatic launch at startup. You can also see programs that are using a lot of power at any given moment by holding down the Option key, then clicking on the battery indicator in the Menu bar. Alternately, you can open the Activity Monitor utility to see a list of all the programs and processes you currently have open, and which of these are using the most power. You can stop these processes by selecting the program and then clicking the Stop icon. Power Nap is an Apple OS X feature that checks your email and twitter feeds for activity while the system is asleep. If you are trying to maximize battery life, it would be wise to turn that feature off.

  1. Simplify You can also stretch your battery life by simplifying your own activities. Multitasking is nice when you have full power, but running several programs at once puts a greater load on the processor and draws more power. Adjust your computer use by sticking to one application at a time and avoiding resource-intensive programs.

Start by single-tasking—if you need to type up a document, close any additional programs. You’ll get longer battery life by not running Spotify in the background. If you need to keep some tunes going, switch from streaming media to locally stored songs—you’ll still be using some extra power to play them, but streaming media over Wi-Fi also uses the laptop’s wireless radio.

You might also benefit from switching to simpler tools for the same tasks, like opting for a simple text file instead of a Word document. With fewer features and none of Word’s automatic actions (like Spell Check and Auto save), you can do all the writing you need without using quite so much power. Some activities you’ll want to avoid entirely, like photo and video editing tools, which place a significant load on the processor and graphics card, and are real power hogs.

By eliminating unnecessary power uses, you should be able to extend the life of your battery in those moments that you find yourself high and dry.

 

My Desktop heat and causes of excessive issues

The following list describes some of the issues caused by too much heat in the computer:

  • Games stop responding during play.
  • Windows stops responding during use.
  • Fans inside the computer become louder because they are spinning faster to remove the heat.
  • When starting the computer, it sometimes stops at a black screen and does not open into Windows. Windows usually stops responding when it does open.
  • Mouse and keyboard stop responding.
  • Computer unexpectedly restarts or displays a blue screen error message.

 note:

These errors are not predictable. If these errors occur only in one software program, the issue is probably related to that software program and is not heat related.

The following list describes some causes of excessive heat:

  • Dust inside the computer. Dust problems are worse if the computer sits on a carpeted floor.
  • A new component, such as a hard drive, is added. The extra component causes the power supply to work harder and generate more heat. Extra heat also radiates off the new component and adds to the temperature inside the case.
  • Over time, some cooling fans might slow down and wear out, depending on the usage of the computer.
  • High ambient room temperature.

Desktop Laptop Overheating Prevention

Heat buildup can cause problems for any computer. Generally, when temperatures inside the computer case rise above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), the risk of damaging important internal components increases greatly. The most common cause of a computer getting too hot is the accumulation of dust inside the computer. This Section describes how to prevent heat-related issues from occurring.

Use compressed air and a lint free cloth to blow and wipe any dust build up you can see. Pay particular attention to any crevices, plastic shrouds, and heat sinks. Thoroughly clean any dust filters too. To clean fan blades, hold them steady and wipe or blow each blade individually

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 1 — Access Door

  • With the case closed, place the mac aluminum body top-side down on a flat surface.
  • Depress the grooved side of the access door release latch enough to grab the free end. Lift the release latch until it is vertical.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 2

  • The access door should now be raised enough to lift it up and out of the mac aluminum body.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 3 — Battery

  • Be sure the access door release latch is vertical before proceeding.
  • Grab the white plastic tab and pull the battery up and out of the mac aluminum body.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 4 — Lower Case

  • Remove the following eight screws securing the lower case to the chassis:
    • One 3 mm Phillips screw.
    • Three 13.5 mm Phillips screws.
    • Four 3.5 mm Phillips screws.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

 

Step 5

  • Using both hands, lift and remove the lower case off the upper case.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 6 — Display Assembly

  • Disconnect the camera cable by pulling the male end straight away from its socket.
    • Be careful not to pull up on the cable as you remove it from the socket.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 7

  • De-route the camera data cable from the channel in the optical drive.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 8

  • Remove the following screws securing the camera data cable and right speaker to the upper case:
    • One 9.9 mm partially threaded Phillips screw
    • One 9.6 mm threaded Phillips screw
    • One 4 mm Phillips screw
  • Slide the camera cable bracket out from under the subwoofer and remove it from the computer.
  • The Sight cable has an eyelet through which passes the left-most screw in these pictures.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 9

  • Grab the plastic pull tab secured to the display data cable lock and rotate it toward the DC-in side of the computer.
  • Pull the display data cable connector straight away from its socket.
  • Make sure to pull the connector straight away and not straight up from its socket.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

 

Step 10

  • Remove the following two screws from the display data cable bracket:
    • One 7 mm Phillips screw.
    • One 5 mm Phillips screw.
  • Lift the display data cable bracket out of the upper case.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 11

  • Remove the two outer 6 mm Torx screws securing each side of the display to the upper case (4 screws total).

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 12

  • Open your MacBook so the display is perpendicular to the upper case.
  • Place your opened MacBook on a table as pictured.
  • While holding the display and upper case together with your left hand, remove the 6 mm Torx screw from the lower display bracket.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 13

  • Be sure to hold the display and upper case together with your left hand. Failure to do so may cause the freed display/upper case to fall, potentially damaging each component.
  • Remove the last remaining 6 mm Top screw securing the display to the upper case

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 14

  • Grab the upper case with your right hand and rotate it slightly toward the top of the display so the upper display bracket clears the edge of the upper case.
  • Rotate the display slightly away from the upper case.
  • Lift the display away from the upper case, minding any brackets or cables that may get caught.

 

MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement Access Door Step 14c

 

Step 15 — Front Display Glass

  • In the following steps, you will use a heat gun to soften the adhesive securing the outer black border around the underside of the front glass panel to the display. The area the adhesive is applied to is shown in red in the second picture.
  • With the heat gun set to low, start by heating the outer black border near the upper right corner of the glass panel.
  • Always aim the heat gun away from the soft rubber strip around the display glass. Heating the rubber will cause it to melt slightly, turning its finish from matte to glossy. Touching overheated rubber can cause it to permanently deform.
  • Due to the heat applied, it is normal for a layer of condensation to develop on the inside of the glass panel and/or the outside of the LCD. It can be removed with glass cleaner once the glass is separated from the display.

Step 15 — Front Display Glass • In the following steps, you will use a heat gun to soften the adhesive securing the outer black border around the underside of the front glass panel to the display. The area the adhesive is applied to is shown in red in the second picture. • With the heat gun set to low, start by heating the outer black border near the upper right corner of the glass panel. • Always aim the heat gun away from the soft rubber strip around the display glass. Heating the rubber will cause it to melt slightly, turning its finish from matte to glossy. Touching overheated rubber can cause it to permanently deform. • Due to the heat applied, it is normal for a layer of condensation to develop on the inside of the glass panel and/or the outside of the LCD. It can be removed with glass cleaner once the glass is separated from the display. Step 15 — Front Display Glass • In the following steps, you will use a heat gun to soften the adhesive securing the outer black border around the underside of the front glass panel to the display. The area the adhesive is applied to is shown in red in the second picture. • With the heat gun set to low, start by heating the outer black border near the upper right corner of the glass panel. • Always aim the heat gun away from the soft rubber strip around the display glass. Heating the rubber will cause it to melt slightly, turning its finish from matte to glossy. Touching overheated rubber can cause it to permanently deform. • Due to the heat applied, it is normal for a layer of condensation to develop on the inside of the glass panel and/or the outside of the LCD. It can be removed with glass cleaner once the glass is separated from the display.

 

Step 16

  • With the panel sufficiently heated, fasten a heavy-duty suction cup near the upper right corner of the display glass.
  • Don’t fasten the suction cup on top of the rubber strip around the edge of the display glass.
  • To attach the suction cups we sell, first position the suction cup with the movable handle parallel to the face of the glass panel. While lightly holding the suction cup against the glass, raise the movable handle until it is parallel with the other handle.
  • Slowly and gently pull the corner of the display glass up off the display assembly.
  • If only the top edge of the glass lifts up (as seen in the third picture), repeat steps one and two until you can lift up the corner of the panel.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement

 

Step 17

  • Gently lift the corner of the display glass enough to insert a spudger between it and the display assembly.
  • Use the flat end of a spudger to gently pry up the adhesive securing the front glass to the display.
  • Pry up the glass panel a few inches away from the upper right corner along the top and right edges of the display.

 

MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 18

  • Use a heat gun to soften the adhesive under the black strip along the right side of the front glass panel.
  • Attach a suction cup along the right side of the front glass panel.
  • Pull up on the glass panel while you use the flat end of a spudger to separate it from the rest of the display assembly.
  • Continue working along the right edge of the front display glass until it is separated from the display.
  • It may be helpful to use a guitar pick or another thin plastic object to keep the upper right corner of the front glass panel from sticking back down to the display assembly.

 

MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 19

  • Use your heat gun to soften the adhesive under the black strip along the top edge of the glass display panel.
  • Attach a suction cup near the top edge of the glass display panel and use it to pull the glass panel up off the display.
  • Work along the top edge of the glass panel, carefully using the flat end of a spudger to separate the adhesive if necessary.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement

 

Step 20

  • Use a heat gun to soften the adhesive under the black strip near the upper left corner of the glass display panel.
  • Attach a suction cup near the upper left corner of the glass display panel.
  • Pull up on the suction cup and use the flat end of a spudger to carefully pry the glass display panel out of the display assembly.
  • Once the upper left corner has been separated from the display, it may be helpful to use a guitar pick or another thin plastic object to keep the glass from sticking back down to the display assembly.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement

 

Step 21

  • Use a heat gun to soften the adhesive under the black strip along the left side of the front glass panel.
  • Attach a suction cup along the left side of the front glass panel.
  • Pull up on the glass panel while you use the flat end of a spudger to separate it from the rest of the display assembly.
  • Continue working along the left edge of the front display glass until it is separated from the display.

 

MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 22

  • Now that the top, left, and right edges of the glass are free from the display, slowly lift the top edge of the glass panel and gently rotate it out of the display.
  • If necessary, use the flat end of a spudger to free the bottom edge of the glass display panel from the display assembly.
  • Before reassembling, be sure to clean both the inside of the glass display panel and the LCD as any dust or fingerprints trapped inside will be annoyingly visible when the machine is on. It is recommended to use a silicon roller and sticky sheets to clean well.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 23

  • Insert the edge of a plastic opening tool between the display glass and the camera bracket, and run it around the camera bracket to separate it from the display glass.
  • Do not forget to stick the camera bracket down to the new front display glass before reassembly.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement

Step 24  

  • During the glass removal process, the AirPort & iSight data cable may stick to the adhesive on the glass panel, disconnecting it from the camera board as the panel is lifted. If your AirPort & iSight data cable is still connected to the camera board, skip this step.
  • If your objective is to remove the camera board, skip this step as reconnecting the AirPort & iSight data cable is not necessary.
  • To reconnect the cable, first use the tip of a spudger to remove the piece of foam tape over the AirPort & iSight data cable ZIF socket.
  • Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the ZIF cable retainer on the AirPort & iSight data cable socket.
  • Insert the AirPort & iSight data cable into its socket on the camera board and use the tip of a spudger to snap down the ZIF cable retainer, locking the cable in place.

MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement MacBook Display Glass Replacement

 

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laptop removing tools

The following tools will be very helpful if you decide to repair or disassemble a laptop yourself.

I will make some recommendations and also provide links where you can find all these tools on online shopping.laptop removing screwdriver tools

In order to open the case you must have a good set of screwdrivers.

LAPTOP CASE OPEN TOOL

When you disassemble a laptop, very often you have to separate plastic parts.

For example, when you replace the LCD screen, you have to separate the screen bezel from the display cover. Never separate plastic parts with a screwdriver, you can and most likely will damage/scratch the plastic.

I would suggest using cell phone case open pry tools. These tools are made of plastic and will not damage your computer case.

How to open laptop case open