Why Is My Laptop Battery Draining So Fast?

Quick drainage of a battery can be quite disturbing, resulting in several issues for the user. This often leads you to ask the question, why is my laptop battery draining so fast? There are many reasons why your laptop battery drains so fast. Some might be faulty drivers, system programs, settings, etc. But, knowing the main cause of this problem is a crucial step to solving it.

This article will uncover the major factors that affect the life of a laptop’s battery. Also, you’ll discover the steps you can take to curb this issue. Furthermore, you will find the proper charging pattern to sustain longer battery life.

Find more details below!

Why Is My Laptop Battery Draining So Fast?

The most notable reasons a laptop battery would drain quickly include the display, heavy usage, or multiple peripherals. However, the part of a laptop that consumes the most battery power is the display. This is because a lot of energy is required to power the backlight to illuminate a laptop’s display pixels. The laptop’s display consumes more energy when the display brightness is high. Thankfully, you can adjust this from your keyboard on a Windows or Mac pc. In addition, there are other settings you can apply to automate this action.

Below is a more detailed list of factors that could affect the rate of a battery’s drainage.

• Multiple Running Programs in the Background

Usually, when several applications are running in the background of your laptop simultaneously, this drains the battery’s life pretty fast. Therefore, the fewer the background running applications, the less likely the battery will drain faster.

• System Settings

Certain system settings negatively affect a laptop’s battery life. Some of which may include backlight time, brightness, keyboard light (if applied), advanced options, etc. Such system settings can drain a battery quickly if set on a high level.

• Heavy Applications

This is, in no doubt, one of the most significant battery-draining factors anyone can think of – Heavy Applications. Applications that deal with graphical display and resolutions can significantly affect the life of a laptop’s battery. An excellent example of such an application is gaming or another desktop application.

• Multiple Network or Online Connections

Another major aspect of a laptop system that affects the battery’s life is the internet connection (wired or wireless). If you stay long on your browser, you will encounter fast battery drainage.

• Corrupted Firmware

You may not know this, but having corrupted firmware can pose specific problems to a laptop’s power system. This, in turn, can affect how long your system can last without an external power supply.

• Multiple Peripherals

When your laptop has too many attachments (Peripherals), battery life tends to drain quickly. This is because, usually, peripherals act like parasites. They draw some energy from your laptop power while connected to it.

• Faulty Battery

There should not be a lot of explanation on this. A faulty battery could be a clear reason why it drains so fast. Other issues attached to a defective battery may include the inability to charge or get completely low before it shuts down.

There are several options for laptop batteries available on the market and online. However, for a better experience with your laptop, getting the best battery backup for laptop is not negotiable. Just search on Amazon or other trust-worthy eCommerce platforms to know how much a good laptop battery cost.

How To Stop My Battery From Draining Faster?

Some of the ways to stop your battery from draining so fast include tweaking the display brightness, configuring the power settings, and switching. Now that you are familiar with the main reasons a laptop battery would drain so fast, it is crucial to know how to tackle or manage the issue to extend the life of your laptop’s battery. You can learn more from this video

 

If your laptop’s battery life drains pretty fast, you can use some tips to help you extend the battery lifetime.

Modify the brightness settings of the Laptop Display

The performance of a system is one significant aspect of the battery boost. Therefore, this is an aspect you want to look into before considering other options.

You can find these settings from the control panel of your laptop or taskbar shortcut. On the other hand, most laptops come with a couple of function keys that control the system’s brightness. This makes it even simpler to adjust the brightness settings of the laptop display.

Configure the Power Settings of the Laptop

The majority of laptop OS come with a setting or menu that enables users to modify the power usage settings of the system easily. You can change the time when the display should go off and when the system goes to sleep in these settings. Reducing the time allows the system to conserve energy, thereby lasting longer.

To change this setting, navigate to the Settings page > System > Power & Sleep. On this page, you can modify the settings to suit your choice.

Switch off the Laptop’s Keyboard Backlight

Although some laptop systems do not come with this feature, if you have a laptop with a keyboard backlight, such as a high-end notebook system, turn off its keyboard backlight when not needed.

To do this, use the keyboard shortcut option, HP Function + F5. However, you can employ other control options to modify the backlight intensity. Furthermore, simply navigate to the control panel > Mouse & Keyboard to disable this function.

Check the Computer’s Network Connection

If several network devices are attached to your laptop, you will likely run out of power soon. If you do not need to be online at a particular time, ensure to disable the Wi-Fi connection on your system. To modify this setting, navigate to the System Settings > Network Connections. Here, you will find every active connection and disable the unnecessary ones.

The process might be different in some other Windows operating system versions. If this is the case, you should go to Control Panel – Network and Internet – Network Connections. On this page, you should be able to adjust the settings.

Disconnect every unnecessary Peripheral

To add to the network connection above, several peripherals or attachments to your laptop can also result in the fast draining of the battery. For instance, if your laptop has several devices attached, it might result in battery failure.

If this is the case, unplug every unnecessary device such as keyboard, USB drive, wireless mouse, Bluetooth speakers, etc. You can monitor or disconnect such devices from the System Settings or simply select the device icon from the taskbar.

Cool Down the Laptop

The fan embedded on the inside of the laptop works harder to keep the system cool in a hot environment. This can cause the battery to drain faster. Ensure to keep the system cool by allowing ventilation. Better still, work with your laptop in a cool environment.

Replace the Battery

If your battery is new and drains very fast, you most likely have a bad battery. If the laptop or battery is still under warranty, simply contact the manufacturer for a replacement. If not, then the best option is to check online for a new one or simply visit a stationery store for one (if it is a removable battery).

On the other hand, you might need the assistance of a qualified technician to look into the issue. They can always offer a solution, whether or not there is a need for a replacement.

How To Charge Laptop Battery for Long Life?

There are several thoughts regarding how, where, and when pc owners should charge their pc batteries. It is impossible to have a laptop battery that will last forever; we all know that. However, you can follow these tips to sustain long, healthy battery life.

Learn more from this video

You can use the system while the battery is in charge

It is totally fine to use your laptop while the battery is on charge. This does not have any effect on how fast or slow it charges and will not deteriorate quickly after such a charge. However, you must ensure to handle this charging process correctly.

Be ready to engage the battery when fully charged.

Letting the battery stay idle after a full charge can affect how long it lasts. As such, you should engage the battery by using the system at full charge.

Do not leave the battery plugged in for long at full charge

Leaving the battery connected for a long time at full charge can negatively impact it. Meaning, that if the battery is connected when it is already fully charged, it will likely result in the malfunctioning or overheating of the battery. This can drain the battery pretty fast as well.

Do a shallow discharging

It is not advisable to let the battery life get to 0% before charging. Most of the current lithium-ion batteries last longer when drained to a certain percentage before recharging.

A Battery University study cited that leaving your battery to discharge to 50% enhances the battery’s long-term life. This method is preferable to leaving it for a short while (possibly 90%) or too long (0%). Furthermore, a 50% discharge offers the correct figure of cycles-to-usage ratio.

Final Thoughts

So, if you are wondering and asking, why is my laptop battery draining so fast? It could, most likely, be that the system settings do not support the long-lasting of the battery. Or, possibly, there are several running applications in the background, too many peripherals attached, or maybe from a corrupted firmware or faulty battery.

To prevent or curb this situation, simply follow the guidelines provided in this article. They are a sure way to sustain the long-term life of your laptop battery.