PC Problems? Fix 'Em Yourself

Notebooks

Symptom: Battery life is way too short.

Minor: Check your Windows power settings. Your notebook may be running full blast even when no activity is under way, robbing you of useful battery life. Review the settings in your laptop's Setup program, too, to make sure your system isn't ignoring power-saving opportunities. Next, consider the applications that you run. If you play Unreal Tournament or compress video files on battery power, your portable won't remain charged for long. Finally, try lowering the screen brightness.

Moderate: Rechargeable batteries wear out, and some types wear faster than others. You can expect lithium ion batteries to start losing their youthful vigor after about 18 months. Nickel-based batteries (nickel cadmium and nickel metal hydride) are more robust, but they require regular deep discharging to avoid shortened battery life (the well-known "memory effect"). For aging lithium batteries, your only real option is to replace the unit.

Dire: Is this a new PC? If so, check your specs. Some desktop replacement notebooks use desktop parts like Pentium 4 CPUs and 7200-rpm hard drives that can exhaust a battery within an hour. If your PC is one of these beasts, its battery life will always be low, though you can buy a third-party battery extender pack or install a second battery (if your notebook supports this).