What To Do If Your Laptop Battery Drains Too Fast

Power - by Joe Weber - updated on 5/27/2024

We've all been there, unplugged the laptop, sat on the couch, and started working on a project or a report, only to have the computer warn of a low battery an hour later. Not only is it frustrating when this happens, but in many scenarios, it's easily fixable.

If the battery drains quickly, even after changing settings and doing some system cleanup, bring it to your nearest Batteries Plus to pick up a new battery or have one installed by our in-house repair technicians.

Why Does My Laptop Battery Drain So Fast?

It's hard to comprehend just how many reasons there are for your laptop battery to be draining faster than it should. It's easy to monitor the status of your battery in your laptop, but determining the cause of the drain will take a little investigating. Below are some common reasons your battery may be draining faster than normal.

• The screen brightness is set higher than it should be.
• Several accessories are connected to your laptop.
• The laptop is in high-performance mode.
• Many programs are running in the background using up resources.
• You are working in a resource-heavy program, like photo or video editing software.
• The backlit keyboard is set to a higher level.
• A program running that is malfunctioning.
• Some operating system settings have been changed, causing the battery to drain faster.
• Your computer needs to be updated.

Can I Fix Laptop Battery Drain Myself?

Many common issues revolving around battery life can be easily corrected by manipulating a few settings on your computer. It does not immediately mean you need a new battery.

1. Check and reduce screen brightness.
2. If you are connected to multiple networks, disconnect or forget any networks you are not using.
3. If your laptop has the ability, turn off the backlight on the keyboard.
4. Change the power setting to battery-saver mode or best power efficiency to be easier on the battery when the laptop is unplugged.
5. Unplug any accessories that you aren't using while using battery power.
6. End any unnecessary programs that are running in the background.
7. Similarly, end unnecessary processes.
8. Turn off Bluetooth or WiFi when they are not being used.

Can I Replace My Laptop Battery?

The simple answer? Yes.

The more complicated answer is the difficulty of this task varies depending on the make and model of the laptop.

Many laptop batteries are easily replaceable by the user in the comfort of their home. You just press on some tabs and the battery slides or snaps out and insert the new one. However, many newer laptops and higher-end laptops come with integrated batteries that require professional installation. That's where the experts and Batteries Plus come in handy.

Batteries Plus carries a variety of user-replaceable laptop batteries and offers replacement options for laptops with integrated batteries. We'll even install your new battery if it's one you can't replace yourself so you can get back to work as soon as possible.

Learn how to care for your new laptop battery to get the best life out of it by reading our blog "Do I Need to Break In a Laptop Battery?".

Where Can I Get A New Laptop Battery?

Whether you have an Apple MacBook, a Dell Inspiron or an HP ZBook we have the best laptop battery solutions for you. User-replaceable or requiring installation by our technicians, your local Batteries Plus store and associates are here to get your laptop battery working at its peak performance capability so you can get back to writing that report.

Not sure what to do with your old laptop battery? We can help there too. If our technicians replace your battery, we will recycle the old battery properly. If you bring in your old battery and buy a new one that you replace yourself, let us help dispose of your laptop battery so it is properly recycled to keep it out of the landfill.