How long should a laptop battery last on a full charge?

A healthy laptop battery should last six to ten hours of normal use (web browsing, email, documents). If yours is lasting less than three hours, something is either draining it quickly in software or the battery itself is worn.

Is it bad to leave my laptop plugged in all the time?

Modern laptops (from about 2015 onwards) are smart enough to stop charging at 100 percent, so leaving them plugged in is not harmful. Older laptops were damaged by constant charging. If your laptop is less than eight years old, do not worry about it.

Can I replace the battery myself?

For some older laptops with removable batteries, yes. For most modern laptops, the battery is sealed inside and replacement is a technical job that should be done by a qualified repair shop. We can organise this for you as part of a visit.

Help Guides

Why does my laptop battery drain so fast?

A laptop that used to last all day but now dies by lunchtime is one of the most common complaints we hear. The cause is usually one of a small number of things, and half of them are quick fixes.

Quick Answer

First check your screen brightness and close any background apps you do not need. Then check the battery's actual capacity (on Windows use powercfg /batteryreport in PowerShell, on Mac check System Settings, Battery). If the battery is worn down to under 70 percent of its original capacity, replacement is the only real fix.

Not sure how to check the battery report? We go through it with you during a computer help visit. Give us a call.

The six most common battery drains on a laptop

Work through this list. Fix anything you recognise and your battery should feel noticeably better within a day.

Screen brightness too high

The screen is the single biggest battery drain on any laptop. A laptop at full brightness uses noticeably more power than one at 50 percent. Press the brightness-down key (usually F1 or a sun icon in the function row) until the screen feels comfortable, not bright. You will be surprised how quickly the battery time extends.

Too many programs running in the background

Every tiny icon in the system tray at the bottom-right of the screen (Windows) or top-right (Mac) is an app running in the background, quietly using power. Most are leftovers from software installs you forgot about. On Windows, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and close anything you do not recognise. On Mac, open Activity Monitor from the Applications folder. Our slow laptop guide covers this in more detail.

The battery is actually worn out

Laptop batteries lose capacity over time. After about three years of daily use they are usually down to 60 or 70 percent of their original capacity. On Windows, open PowerShell (search for it), type powercfg /batteryreport, and open the HTML file it creates to see the real capacity. On Mac, open System Settings, Battery, and look at the condition. If the report shows significant wear, replacement is the only real fix.

Power settings set to maximum performance

Windows has three power modes: Best Power Efficiency, Balanced, and Best Performance. If yours is set to Best Performance, the laptop drains the battery twice as fast to squeeze out extra speed. Right-click the battery icon in the system tray and switch to Balanced unless you actually need the extra power for gaming or video editing.

Too many browser tabs open

Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox all use more power the more tabs you have open, even tabs you are not looking at. 20 open tabs can drain a battery twice as fast as 3 tabs. Close anything you are not actively reading. Bookmark pages you want to return to later rather than leaving the tab open indefinitely.

Operating system not up to date

Windows and Mac updates often include battery life improvements. A laptop that has not been updated in a year may be missing significant power management fixes. Check for updates (Settings, Windows Update on Windows, System Settings, Software Update on Mac) and install anything waiting. Our Windows update guide covers this for Windows specifically.

Want us to go through these for you?

We sit with you, clean things up, and leave the device running better. Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa.

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A few other things worth trying

Turn off Bluetooth when you are not using it. Close video call apps when your meeting ends (they often keep running in the background and use the camera even when you think they are closed). Plug in the charger when you are at a desk so the battery does not go through unnecessary discharge cycles, which wear it out faster.

When to call us instead

Call us if your battery holds less than 20 percent of a charge, if the battery feels warm even when the laptop is doing nothing, or if you have tried the steps above with no improvement. We visit homes across Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa and can run a full diagnostic. If it turns out the battery is at the end of its life, we can organise a replacement.

If the real problem is that the laptop is slow generally, our slow laptop guide is a better starting point.

Get help today

We diagnose laptop battery problems across Durham Region and organise battery replacements when that is the right answer.

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FAQ

Common questions about laptop batteries

How long should a laptop battery last on a full charge?: A healthy laptop battery should last six to ten hours of normal use (web browsing, email, documents). If yours is lasting less than three hours, something is either draining it quickly in software or the battery itself is worn.
Is it bad to leave my laptop plugged in all the time?: Modern laptops (from about 2015 onwards) are smart enough to stop charging at 100 percent, so leaving them plugged in is not harmful. Older laptops were damaged by constant charging. If your laptop is less than eight years old, do not worry about it.
Can I replace the battery myself?: For some older laptops with removable batteries, yes. For most modern laptops, the battery is sealed inside and replacement is a technical job that should be done by a qualified repair shop. We can organise this for you as part of a visit.