• ×
    Information
    Need Windows 11 help?
    Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
    Windows 11 Support Center.
  • post a message
  • ×
    Information
    Need Windows 11 help?
    Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
    Windows 11 Support Center.
  • post a message
Guidelines
Troubleshooting screen flickering issue on HP notebooks: Click here to view the instructions!
Common problems for Battery
We would like to share some of the most frequently asked questions about: Battery Reports, Hold a charge, Test and Calibrating Battery . Check out this link: Is your notebook plugged in and not charging?
HP Recommended
Envy m6-w105dx
Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

Hi,

 

I have a notebook Envy m6-w105dx and it is mostly used at home. Because of that, it is always connected to the power. Since I am not able to take the battery off, I was wondering if being connected to the power all the time could damage the battery or to decrease its average life.

 

If I am damaging the battery, what would it be the solution for that problem?

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
HP Recommended

This is a common question. Being connected to power all the time is not damaging the battery, but it may result in slightly less life. The battery has an electronic chip inside that counts cycles and if you turn it off let it sit for a couple days and then turn the computer back on it may have to charge the battery back up from below 95% and it will read that as a cycle and the battery is set to stop working after a certain number of cycles to keep it from being a power hazard. Old lithium ion batteries can become a hazard if they have too many charge/discharge cycles on them so batteries are actually pre-programmed to stop working before they are really chemically dead. 

 

The battery cannot overcharge, however, so having it connected to power all the time is not a bad thing as far as that goes. The cycles can only happen if you have it on power and turn it off and leave it off and have power to the AC adapter off for a couple days or more. Even if you remove and store the battery it will lose capacity just from sitting around in storage, so there is really no perfect answer to laptop battery life. 

 

So basically, for most people, the battery is a "use it and forget it" thing. Don't let it drive your life, just leave it in place and use the laptop as you want. The only thing you should avoid is discharging the battery below about 15-20%. They do not like that very much. There is no memory effect any more so you can use it on battery, run it down to say 70% then charge it up. No problem with that. 

 

You have to assume that you will need a new battery at some point if you keep the laptop more than about 2 years. 

 

Post back with any more questions. 

View solution in original post

1 REPLY 1
HP Recommended

This is a common question. Being connected to power all the time is not damaging the battery, but it may result in slightly less life. The battery has an electronic chip inside that counts cycles and if you turn it off let it sit for a couple days and then turn the computer back on it may have to charge the battery back up from below 95% and it will read that as a cycle and the battery is set to stop working after a certain number of cycles to keep it from being a power hazard. Old lithium ion batteries can become a hazard if they have too many charge/discharge cycles on them so batteries are actually pre-programmed to stop working before they are really chemically dead. 

 

The battery cannot overcharge, however, so having it connected to power all the time is not a bad thing as far as that goes. The cycles can only happen if you have it on power and turn it off and leave it off and have power to the AC adapter off for a couple days or more. Even if you remove and store the battery it will lose capacity just from sitting around in storage, so there is really no perfect answer to laptop battery life. 

 

So basically, for most people, the battery is a "use it and forget it" thing. Don't let it drive your life, just leave it in place and use the laptop as you want. The only thing you should avoid is discharging the battery below about 15-20%. They do not like that very much. There is no memory effect any more so you can use it on battery, run it down to say 70% then charge it up. No problem with that. 

 

You have to assume that you will need a new battery at some point if you keep the laptop more than about 2 years. 

 

Post back with any more questions. 

† The opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the authors, not of HP. By using this site, you accept the <a href="https://www8.hp.com/us/en/terms-of-use.html" class="udrlinesmall">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/t5/custom/page/page-id/hp.rulespage" class="udrlinesmall"> Rules of Participation</a>.