KrazyKracka

Hello All!

A coworker and I were discussing computers today when he told me of a problem with his notebook: the battery won't hold a consistent charge. He also claimed that there is a command that can be run from the operating system to discharge the battery, which should be done occasionally to prevent his problem. I have never heard of such a command, but I'm not doubting that it's there. He asked me if I knew what it was, but I was unable to tell him.

Does this command exist? If so, does anyone know what it is?

He has a gateway notebook running windows 2000 or XP, as he wasn't sure.

Thanks in advance if anyone can answer this question!

MikeSty

Yes the command is leave_laptop_on_for_a_while_while_the_battery_is_in_the_laptop_and_to_speed_up_the_process_disable _ACPI_and_run_haxx0rs.exe

shakran

less sarcastic answer to follow.

Go into your control panel and open up the power options. Set it to "always on" and then let it run. That'll disable sleep/hibernate AND will throttle your chip up to 100% if it's a variable speed chip. This will also generate heat, which will run your fans.

Then turn your LCD up to full brightness.


Feel free to do something processor intensive like gaming (save often) or video editing or something to speed up the process.

Pragma

To give a more precise answer, there isn't an actual command. There isn't any way to tell the battery to discharge the electricty stored within (laptop, shoot out a bolt of lightning to annihilate my enemies!) short of simply running it until it powers down.

I know laptops tend to have battery calibration/analysis programs in the BIOS, but generally once a battery stops holding a charge, it's toast. And, unfortunately (batteries can get expensive - I've got a laptop with a dead battery that will cost me 150$ if I ever want to replace it), laptop batteries die - it's part of a laptop's lifecycle.

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cyrnel

Sometimes you can obtain "battery conditioning" utilities that work with the laptop's power management smarts. It's something provided by the original design manufacturer, and may only be available to service techs or through tech support. The actual function they provide varies. It may mean discharging at an optimal rate for recharging or it may just sync the battery management features with current battery condition as determined by the manufacturer. Check with the laptop vendor's support & download areas for your model.

It could be that his laptop battery is nearing the end of its useful life. Battery age and type would help answer that question.

Otherwise, what those guys said.

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There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

KrazyKracka

I didn't think there was a command out there that would do it, but I didn't rule it out either, thanks again everyone, much appreciated!


P.S. MikeSty that command is too long to type in the 'RUN' window... perhaps there's an abridged version?

JStrider

a lot of times you can rejuvinate old rechargeable batteries by freezing them...

discharge it fully
put it in a ziploc bag ( i usually use 2 or 3 to be extra safe)
and put it in the freezer for a few days
take it out and let it warm to room temperature
charge fully and then run it down and see how long it lasts

sometimes it works really well... sometimes it doesnt help one bit...

worth a try...

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-=JStrider=-

~Clatto Verata Nicto

shakran

The better way would be to put it on a cycle test. Automatic chargers do this for you but since laptops don't have automatic chargers you'll have to do it yourself. Discharge it all the way, all at once. Charge it fully. Repeat at least 6 times.

analog

depending on the type of cell, discharging is totally useless. if you have an old NiMh (Nickel Metal-hydride) or (god help you) NiCa (nickel cadmium) battery, this can work.

if, however, you have a lithium-ion battery, which most made in the last few years will be anyway (also denoted as Li-ion), the "drain it down and then fully recharge it several times" practice will do you absolutely no good. you might get back a fraction of a percentage of performance, nothing at all measurable. Li-ion just doesn't do that.

And pretty much all rechargeable batteries (except lead-acid and car batteries) have a life span of 18-24 months, tops. Anything past 2 years is borrowed time. And yeah, yeah, i know some of you had _______ for ____ years and it worked fine or whatever, but good for you, that's not the norm, and especially not with Li-ion.

I worked for Radioshack for 4 years (back when you actually had to know the product, many years ago) and I got this all the time. "I had my blah blah battery for 8 years and it's fine!" Well i don't give a shit, you probably barely used it. Like the old people who complain that "nothing lasts anymore" because the cordless 49Mhz phone they've had since they bought it new back in 1980-something's battery has FINALLY died, and when you tell them they're rated for 2 years they flip out. WELL I TAKE CARE OF IT AND IT LASTED 57 YEARS. WHY SHOULD I BUY A NEW BATTERY THAT WILL ONLY LAST TWO???

cyrnel

Analog, there are cases where battery management can learn screwy curves from a combination of curious programming and untested charge cycles. In some of those cases, a discharge can "fix" the battery by resetting or expanding the curve. This problem/fix simulates NiCad memory and fuels retelling of the cause that isn't.

I haven't seen the effect as often the last few years, presumably because power management code has improved and become standardized. Still, it goes as far back as I can remember (SLA laptops), and has affected fairly recent Li-ion models.

One of those things that defies reason until development error is considered.

__________________
There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

KrazyKracka

I didn't know most latptop batteries were rated for a 2 year span. You guys did give some good tips though.

I DID however, find the "command" that I was looking for in this notebook, however I'm not sure if it's a proprietary deal with gateway notebooks. The Laptop is about 3 years old, and in the BIOS, there's a command called "battery auto-learning", at least on this machine. It will cycle the battery, charging it fully, discharging it, then recharging it.

This process takes a good couple hours to do, so after I set it up for him, I left for the evening. I haven't spoken to him yet, and I won't until tomorrow, so I have yet to find out if it did any good.

The battery in question is an eight-cell NiMH.

P.S. Analog, I have empathy for you and everyone who works(ed) in retail. There are quite a few colorful and stubborn people that you guys have to deal with.

MikeSty

Yeah, but it's mine and mine alone :P

cyrnel

Mike, your command exceeded my monitor width to the point of causing overscan damage to my CRT. I'm now forced to purchase a new monitor. Pony up, bud.

__________________
There are a vast number of people who are uninformed and heavily propagandized, but fundamentally decent. The propaganda that inundates them is effective when unchallenged, but much of it goes only skin deep. If they can be brought to raise questions and apply their decent instincts and basic intelligence, many people quickly escape the confines of the doctrinal system and are willing to do something to help others who are really suffering and oppressed." -Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, p. 195

MikeSty

HAHA! That would be so cool if it actually did that