Laptop Power & Batteries

Batteries are an expensive component of any portable device, even more so when they go bad. Some information on their care, handling, and replacement is important. Lets explore.

CMOS Battery	CMOS is short for Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. CMOS is an on-board chip powered by a CMOS battery. The CMOS stores information such as the system time and system settings for your computer.
CMOS Battery Types	In Laptops, CMOS batteries are either button type mounted on the motherboard or plug wired.
Laptop CMOS Troubleshooting	A CMOS battery can be bad, but can be masked by a charged laptop battery. Disconnecting the laptop battery and allowing the system to sit un-powered for a short period of time after the system time / date has been set or verified is the key. Reconnect the battery, plug in system power, and if the system time is incorrect, the CMOS battery is bad.
Laptop Battery Tips	The identified link provides methods to care for and prolong the life of your battery. Power management is also addressed since it affects the performance of a battery.
Laptop Main Battery	The best way to protect your battery investment is to remove your battery and use external power whenever it is available. Constant charging will ruin a battery over time.
Laptop Power Supplies	Nothing lasts forever. Laptop won't turn on? Don't overlook the power supply. Swap it out or a DC Voltmeter you can check the output of the power supply. Without a voltmeter, a close inspection of the length of the cable will sometimes reveal the location of the problem.