Batteries and Power Management 
Using Battery Power 
56  Corporate Evaluator’s Guide 
In addition, follow these suggestions to extend the life of your batteries. 
•  Do not leave batteries unused for long periods. If you have more than one, rotate 
them. 
•  If you normally use AC power, make a practice of using the battery as your power 
source at least once a week. 
•  Unplug the AC adapter when the computer is not in use. 
•  To preserve the life of a battery, be sure to charge it regularly. 
•  For long-term storage, the battery must be charged 20–50% to minimize capacity loss 
by self-discharge and to avoid deterioration of performance. Storing a fully charged 
battery can cause higher self-discharge and reduce its discharge capacity—even after 
recharging—as compared to a battery stored when charged 20–50%. 
•  To maintain maximum battery capacity and accuracy of the battery gauge, perform 
this procedure about once a month: 
1.  Charge the battery to 100%. 
2.  Disconnect the AC adapter, and use the computer until the battery is fully 
discharged and the computer goes into hibernation. 
3.  Connect the AC adapter and charge the battery to 100% with no power 
interruptions. 
To maximize processor speed 
If your computer contains a multispeed processor with Intel SpeedStep Technology, the 
processor can automatically switch to lower, power-saving speeds or to higher-
performance speeds according to the workload. See “How the computer manages power 
automatically” on page 50.