Why is Critical battery level locked too high and cannot change it lower

[ddizzle]

Hello experts,

I want to know why HP does not allow users to change the critical battery level in the power options to anything lower than 7%.

I've checked many other manufacturers' laptops (ranging from Dell, Acer, Toshiba, Lenovo, Asus) and no other manufacturer locks this setting at such a high percentage.  The highest I found was 5% and most allowed you to change it lower (even down to zero in one instance).

I even checked some of HP's other laptops and found that 7% seemed to be the norm, with one locked at a ridiculous 9%!

It makes no sense why HP appears to rob us of precious battery life by forcing the computer to hibernate at 7%.  I am fully aware of the detriments to running a battery down to zero (and I don't want to run it down to zero), but why does HP feel the need to have such a large reserve of battery life when all other maufacturers seem fine with lower amounts?  Are HP's batteries somehow inferior?

HP touts the Spectre x360 with up to an impressive 12 hour battery life.  I just want to be able to get the most out of my battery without HP forcing me to hibernate way before the battery level gets anywhere near danger levels.

Will HP issue a BIOS update to the Spectre x360 (and indeed the rest of its range of laptops) to allow us to change the critical battery level to something more reasonable (say 3% minimum)?

[Prath_KR]

Hi ddizzle ,

I understand the concern about the unit going to hibernate only at 7% , Its simply to save battery life , However i realise how frustrating that could be .

however This option is infact customizable.

Go to Power options > Slect the power plan > Changed advanced power settings > Under that go to the battery section - it gives you options of what action to do when battery goes critcail - What is the percentage when the battery should be considered as critical  & the critical action aswell 

Its totally customizable as per your needs 🙂 

Hope this helps .

[ChrisT]

Hello,

If you are willing to take the risk with your machine, you can try the instructions here: http://www.howtogeek.com/58109/how-to-lower-the-critical-battery-level-to-1-in-windows-7/

[ddizzle]

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@Prath_KR wrote:

Go to Power options > Slect the power plan > Changed advanced power settings > Under that go to the battery section - it gives you options of what action to do when battery goes critcail - What is the percentage when the battery should be considered as critical  & the critical action aswell 

Its totally customizable as per your needs 🙂

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Hi Prath_KR,

This doesn't work.  When you try to change it to something lower than 7%, it just automatically jumps back to 7%.  You can only change it to something high than 7%.  You can't set the critical battery activity to "Do nothing" either because that option is not available.

HP has hard coded this 7% limit somewhere and you can't currently lower it.  I know that OEMs are able to do this when they manufacture laptops.  I just don't get why HP locks this at a ridulously high number.

[ddizzle]

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@ChrisT wrote:

Hello,

If you are willing to take the risk with your machine, you can try the instructions here: http://www.howtogeek.com/58109/how-to-lower-the-critical-battery-level-to-1-in-windows-7/

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Hi Chris,

I have already tried this.  It just results in a cosmetic change.  By cosmetic I mean that the registry tweaking through power.cfg looks like it has changed the critical battery level to something lower (as evidenced by checking Power Options), but when you actually run the laptop down to the new lower setting (say 3%), the laptop refuses to go that far - it still hibernates at 7% and ignores the setting anyway.

This is why I say HP has hard coded it somehow.  I wish HP would release a fix to enable the end user to lower this setting for reasons I outlined in my original post.

[Wayne_C]

Hello ddizzle,

Win 8 retrieved the critical battery level value from BIOS during OOBE and it is not able to change to a lower value than default.

Default value has been decided by system configuration and platform charaterization in developement cycle to ensure the best performance.

Understood some advanced user like you may have specific requirement. HP value your input and already feedback to stakeholder to improve future product. Aprreciate your help to driving a better prodcut. 

Wayne

[ddizzle]

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@Wayne_C wrote:

Default value has been decided by system configuration and platform charaterization in developement cycle to ensure the best performance.

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Hi Wayne,

It baffles me how locking this at 7% "ensures the best performance" of the laptop.

As I mentioned previously, no other manufacturer has the critical battery level at such a high value.  Unless there is something with HP's batteries that makes them somehow inferior, there is no valid reason why we should not be allowed to adjust this setting lower than 7%.

Is there someone I can speak to at HP that can request this to be fixed now (and not sometime in the future when and if HP gets more complaints)?

[eclas]

I know this is an old post but I want to chime in too.

Shame on you hp for thinking that you know what's best for the consumer no matter what. Sounds like big gov't to me.

The user never gets the advertised 12hrs in real life to begin with and then you cap it off at a ridiculously high level to boot. I could Maybe understand 5% but 7...c'mon?

I would rather be able to use my laptop for longer each day for the few years that i will have it than to stretch another extra year maybe for the life of the battery.

Let the CONSUMER make these decisions!

off my rant, sorry

[FrostyVic]

Totally Agree.....just purchased a 8800 battery and 7% of that is wasted because of this level. Let the user decide. Put in a "Are you REALLY sure you want to change to 1%" message if HP is that concerned over MY battery.

[Magicl63]

I want to weigh in too not only is this wasted battery time but impacts the capacity of the battery over its life and since the battery is not replacable makes me wonder what HP's agenda is???  Certainly its not the best interest of the consumer or they would give us all we paid for.  Unlock the battery critical level HP its the right thing!