What would we do without laptops? From those who prefer to do work on the go at a coffee shop to those who simply want a smaller computer to work on from home, laptop computers are the way to go. They are portable, easy to work on and the answer to many who wish for a fast method of jumping onto the Internet or performing work no matter where they are. However, as most laptop users know, it is not always possible to plug your laptop in, and you must be able to depend on your machine's batteries. Batteries can be very expensive, so let's take a look at the most common laptop battery problems that users experience and some tips that may help laptop users.

Laptop Battery Problems

It has probably happened to you before; you were working on an important presentation or perhaps a complicated Excel spreadsheet when your laptop suddenly warned you that the battery was low. You rush to save your work before everything closes down. Or perhaps you just charged your laptop, believed all would be fine and suddenly an issue occurred. It's happened to all of us, so let's take look at the most common laptop battery problems that people experience and what may be done to prevent them.

Batteries, as you probably know, can be extremely expensive. The main reason for this is that the manufacturer of any particular laptop is the only manufacturer for the battery as well. Each laptop will only work with one certain battery and most are not interchangeable as everyday batteries are.

Because of this, owners are not given the opportunity to shop around and compare prices. Many times, the battery itself is almost as expensive as the laptop. For this reason, we are discussing the most common laptop battery problems.

One of the most common problems is called memory effect. This is a term used to describe what happens when an owner constantly recharges the battery without it discharging fully. For example, you may have worked on your laptop all day and noticed in the evening that the battery had roughly half life left. You then charge the battery overnight and wake up to a fully charged one. This may seem like a good idea, however charging a battery that is not fully discharged and in need of charging will eventually cause memory effect and begin to last less and less time for you until eventually a so-called fully charged battery only lasts minutes. While batteries are not alive, this is referred to as the battery forgetting that it has unused capacity and it discharges faster each time that it is used. This can all be avoided if you only recharge your laptop battery when it truly needs charging.

Another one of the most common laptop battery problems is when a laptop is left sitting unused, with the battery still in it. Even while not in use, the battery will slowly be drained. You will then find that when you do finally try to turn on your laptop, the battery is dead . This can be avoided by taking out the battery if you will not be using your laptop for several days to a week or longer.

Another issue that is one of the most common laptop battery problems is an overheating battery. Have you ever been at work on your machine and realized that the battery was becoming very hot to the touch? If this happens, the battery would be removed and allowed to cool off. If this issue continues to happen, it may be a defective battery. It is then recommend to not use that battery as doing so could cause damage to your machine.

You can also experience battery problems if you allow your battery to completely discharge outside the laptop. You should check the battery while it in storage so it will not be allowed to completely discharge. This could also prevent the laptop from accepting the battery when you place it back into the computer.

If your laptop battery becomes hot to the touch you will need to remove the battery and allow it to cool off. If this problem continues when you replace the battery in the laptop, you will probably have a defective battery. It is best to remove the battery and replace it since a defective battery could cause extensive damage to the laptop. Check with the manufactured to see if your particular battery has been recalled.