What is laptop battery calibration?

Calibrating the battery means fully charging the battery and resetting the meter to accurately indicate the level of energy stored in the cells. The indicator on the Windows taskbar may not accurately display the charge status. This is because the battery’s maximum charge level changes over time, making the results inaccurate. 

When to use it?

Most often, the battery calibration process should be used in a situation where the working time away from a power socket has significantly decreased. It is also recommended to use this scheme if you notice that the laptop turns off even when the battery is at, e.g., 20% charge level. This means that the actual cell capacity has changed so much that the value stored in the battery memory is now simply wrong. 

Battery calibration – step by step

  • Charge the battery to 100%
  • For the next 2 hours after charging to 100%, the laptop should still be connected to the charger. During this time, you can use your computer as usual. 
  • In the computer’s power management section of your laptop’s settings, set the computer to automatically suspend or hibernate when the battery power is at 5%.
  • When 2 hours have passed from charging to 100%, disconnect the charger and keep the laptop turned on until the battery depletes itself. You can use the computer normally until it is fully discharged. However, if you do not want to do so, check that the device won’t enter hibernation or turn off when not in use. 
  • After confirming complete discharge, leave the computer turned off and unplugged for 5 hours. 
  • After this time, connect our computer to the charger and charge the battery to 100%. During the charging process, you can use the laptop as normal. 
  • After carrying out all these steps, make sure that the power settings have the same parameters as when you normally use the computer. 

The most important thing during the entire calibration process is to fully charge the battery, discharge it, and then charge it again.

Unfortunately, each battery has its own lifetime and a certain number of cycles that it can work. Calibrating the battery won’t help restore the battery to its maximum  factory capacity. It is natural for the durability to decrease over time, and after a certain period you will have to replace the old battery. Then, of course, we encourage you to visit Battery Empire, where we will gladly help you choose the right model.