Use laptop w/o battery

Most of the time my hp dv6000t just sits on my desk. It is better to use it without the battery and just leave it plugged in? So that the battery does not drain at all? Or is this bad for the computer?

Thanks!

 

Just leave the battery in. This is also how I use my laptop, 99% of the time it is plugged into the wall. It's designed to run with the battery inside though, it won't hurt anything.

 

I don't know how long it takes batteries to "go bad" when they are stored in a cool place, but I think I should have tried it.

I have had my Toshiba Satellite for 4 years and kept it in the computer all the time. I have used it on battery maybe a total of 10 hours in 4 years. The battery now holds a charge for maybe 30 minutes tops. My wild guess is that it's better to take it out. This computer is 4 years old though, maybe the technology is better now.

Also, just found this:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=91846

 

Yes that's true, my father has a thinkpad t20 which originally had a battery life of about 3 hours which has gone down to about 45 minutes without ever using the battery.

 

What about just using the battery power occasionally, to the point that it runs out, just to keep the battery viable?

 

That's odd. I've had a Dell that was several years old, the battery still held a charge for the full 2 hours. My old Compaq laptop also had good battery life after about 2 years of running off the wall in the kitchen.

I guess it just depends on the type of battery, quality, etc. This laptop barely gets warm so I'm not really worried about heat killing it.

 

Take it out! I heard this before, I read it again at the HP site, it is manufacturer independent and is valid for all Li-Ion batteries.

http://h20239.www2.hp.com/techcenter/battery/Battery_max.htm


Battery care practices
Battery cells suffer gradual, irreversible capacity loss over time. Such aging occurs more rapidly as temperature and discharge loads increase. Here are some suggested ways to minimize the capacity loss for your battery.

*

Store Li-Ion batteries between 20°C and 25°C (68°F and 77°F) with 30% to 50% charge.
*

Do not leave batteries exposed to high temperatures for extended periods. Prolonged exposure to heat (for example, inside a hot car) will accelerate the deterioration of Li-Ion cells.
*

Remove the battery if the notebook will be stored (turned off and not plugged into AC power) for more than 2 weeks.
*

Remove the battery if the notebook will be plugged into AC power continuously (via a wall adapter or docking station) for more than 2 weeks.

 

Huh. Well I guess I'll remove mine then. That's the first time I've read you should remove it when using AC power.

 

You can also go here and read tons of stuff you've never heard of before. Best source for information on batteries I am aware of.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/index.htm

 

It is certainly better to remove your battery, unless you work in a third world country with unstable power network.

It is easy to google out how one should take care about the notebook battery,
eg. Toms hardware guide had a long article one year ago or like.

 

hmm i read a thread similar to this a few weeks ago and the conclusion went the other direction...but after seeing those links I'm convinced. Out goes my battery!

 

I just drained mine to ~50% and took it off. I'll keep it in my bag so I'm not stranded if I forget my power cord and need to use it. In the winter I'm not worried about outside temp if it's in my bag. During the summer though...100F+ temps will be hard to work with. No leaving it sitting in my car!

 

Keep in mind that putting your battery into prolonged storage will only slow down the aging and deterioration of your battery's cells. Nothing can stop that.

And although you want to avoid heat--you also want to avoid freezing your battery--as that also causes damage.

batteryuniversity is a great source of information. And much of this is covered in the battery guide linked to above.

 

Doesn't leaving the battery out expose the battery compartment and in turn becomes a magnet for dust. I would prefer to have to replace a battery then a laptop.

I know we all preach about keeping our laptop cool well that dust will insulate the hardware and increase temps.

 

Leaving the battery in the laptop wears it out as it's constantly discharging slightly, then the notebook detects it and recharges it again. Also the heat from when the laptop's running accelerates the discharge. So I recommend taking it out.

 

Chris's battery guide is definitely a good thing to read if you want to know more.

But leaving the battery out will probably result in an even faster drain of capacity.

 

Could this all be manufactorer specific?

 

I think so. My Compaq barely gets warm, so I can have a good laugh at "heat will kill your battery." I took my battery out and it wasn't aby hotter than after I let it sit on the counter for an hour. But other laptops get really hot, so that is an obvious concern.

It just depends, I doubt there is a universal answer to solve everyon'e battery issues. If so...well please share lol.

 

Wow. I guess i'll start unplugging my battery. I've asked multiple people and have gotten differen't answers. It wouldn't hurt to take it out tho.

 

do i need to hook the laptop to a ups or do you guys just plug ur laptops straight to the wall with no battery inside?

 

I just take the battery out. Most of the stuff I have read says to remove the battery if it is plugged in for more than a few weeks.

 

ok, i removed the battery now.

I have a dv6113us amd turion x2 and this lappy heats up a lot

so i guess it's safer to just remove the battery if the laptop is just going to sit on my desk for a long period of time.

 

I'd be happy to remove my battery. The NB is plugged in most of the time.

But taking it out removes one of the feet, making it wobbly.

I'm keeping my eyes open for some kind of "dummy" stuff to put in the empty compartment to keep everything level.

 

At MY GF's house I plug it in straight to the wall, no UPS. At my house I use a UPS for everything even my lamps and alarm clocks.

Funny thing is my house was built in late 2006, still very new. Her house was built in the 80's. So jacked up.