Maintaining battery power
The notebook can run on a fully charged battery for about 3 to 4 hours of normal use before the battery needs recharging.
As long as the AC adapter is properly connected, the battery will charge while your notebook is operating.
Battery learning software
About once a year you will need to run the Battery Learning Software to re-calibrate the battery gauge. This learning cycle increases the battery gauge accuracy (gauge accuracy changes over time).
Because the learning cycle can take as long as 16 hours per battery, we suggest that you let the Learning Cycle program run overnight.
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- Insert the battery into the battery bay.
- Plug the AC adapter into the notebook, then to an AC outlet.
- Insert the Portable System Restoration CD.
- Start up your notebook.
- After pressing the power button, watch for a message to appear on the bottom left side of your screen. This message will prompt you to press F2.
- Press F2 as soon as the message appears. The BIOS Setup program opens.
- In the Main menu, select Boot sequence by pressing the down arrow key.
- Change the Boot sequence value to CD-ROM by pressing the ( - ) minus key.
- Select the Exit menu by pressing the right arrow key.
- Select Save Changes & Exit by pressing Enter, then press Enter again.
- At the next screen, select Boot from CD-ROM.
- Press Enter. After the program loads memory for approximately 5 to 10 seconds, another screen appears.
- Select Go to other options by pressing the down arrow, then press Enter.
- Select Battery learning... (of your particular notebook model) by pressing the down arrow.
- Press Enter. A screen with a description of the Battery Learning Software appears.
- Press Enter.
- After reading the last screen of instructions, press any key to continue.
- Type Y, then press Enter. After a couple of minutes, a screen showing the progress of the Battery Learning Software appears.
- Once the cycle is complete, follow the on-screen instructions.
Important!
Removing the battery or disconnecting the AC power will interrupt the learning cycle. If the learning cycle is interrupted, it must be restarted from the beginning to properly condition the battery.
Battery status
You can check the battery status in several ways.
- Position the cursor over the power cord or battery icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar. A battery status popup window appears. Moving the cursor anywhere on the display closes the window.
- Click twice on the power cord or battery icon in the lower right corner of the taskbar. A battery status window opens. Click on the X in the upper right corner of the screen to close it.
- Click on Start, Settings, then Control Panel. Double click on the Power Management icon. You can view the battery status and set power preferences from the Power Management Properties window.
- Press the Fn and the F2 keys simultaneously. The Power Status window appears in the upper left corner of the display. This window monitors battery status and the power management selection. BAT1 monitors the status of the battery pack in the battery bay. Press the Fn and the F2 (Status) keys again to close the window.
When the battery level gets low:
- The system beeps three times.
- The battery icon in the lower right task bar has a red "X" over it.
- The Low Battery window appears, advising you to change your battery or switch to AC power immediately to prevent losing your work. Connect the AC adapter to the notebook to recharge the battery.
Swapping batteries
Important!
Since notebooks only operate in Standby mode for a short time without power, battery swapping should be done quickly.
Battery packs can be "warm-swapped." This means that you can change battery packs while in Standby mode.
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- Save all work.
- Press the Fn and the F4 keys simultaneously. The notebook goes into Standby mode.
- Close the cover and turn your notebook over.
- Slide the battery release latch toward the center of the notebook.
- Hold the latch in its release position and place your fingers over the raised bar on the battery pack next to the latch.
- Slide the battery pack straight out and away from your notebook, then release the battery release latch.
- Slide a recharged battery pack (bottom side up) straight into the battery bay until it snaps into place.
- Turn the notebook right side up and open the cover.
- Press the power button. The notebook resumes power.
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Maximizing battery life
You can extend the battery life by following these practices:
- Dim the display brightness as low as is comfortable.
- Close the LCD lid when not in use. The LCD display stays off until you open the lid.
- If your PC Card uses battery power even when not in use, remove the card between uses. Check the PC Card manufacturer's documentation for your card's power requirements.
- Keep the battery pack in the computer when using AC power to continuously charge the battery.
- Use the DVD or CD-ROM only when necessary. (Both of these drives use a large amount of battery power.)
Managing power
Power management is handled differently in Windows 98 than in Windows 95 and Windows NT. The following sections address these differences. Refer to the section that applies to your operating system.
Windows 98
To manage your power management settings in Windows 98, you do not need to open the BIOS Setup program. This is only necessary if you want to change the power button setting. Instead, Windows 98 includes a Power Management Properties dialog box.
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- Click Start, Settings, then Control Panel.
- In the Control Panel window, double-click the Power Management icon. The Power Management Properties dialog box appears.
- Click the appropriate tab to view and modify settings.
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Creating power schemes
The Portables/Laptop power scheme changes the settings to maximize the battery life of your notebook.
You can select one of three pre-defined power schemes from the Power schemes drop-down list.
You can also create your own power scheme and add it to the list.
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- Click on Start, Settings, then Control Panel.
- Double-click the Power Management icon. The Power Management Properties window appears.
- Click to select the Power Schemes tab.
- Set the properties as you want them to be in your power scheme, then click Save As.
- Type a name for your power scheme, then click OK.
- Select your power scheme from the Power scheme drop-down list.
- Click OK to apply the change.
Alarm settings
Your notebook is equipped with alarms that can alert you if your battery power is running low.
An Alarms tab is located in your Power Management Properties dialog box. You can turn the alarms on and off, set the time when your notebook alerts you of a low battery, then select how you want to be notified.
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Using Standby mode in Windows 98
Windows 98 uses Standby mode (which is referred to as Suspend mode in Windows 95). When in Standby mode, your notebook enters a sleep state, cutting off power to most devices except memory.
The following table shows how to change the system modes in Windows 98.
If your notebook is... |
...and you want to... |
...then do this |
Off |
Start up |
Press the power button. |
On |
Standby |
Click Start, Shut Down, Standby, then click OK.
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In Standby mode |
Resume power |
Press the power button briefly. |
On |
Shut down |
Click Start, Shut Down, click Shut Down again, then click OK. |
Windows 95 and Windows NT
To manage your power management settings in Windows 95 and Windows NT, you need to go into the BIOS Setup program and change the power management settings.
Using Suspend mode in Windows 95 and Windows NT
Windows 95 and Windows NT use Suspend mode (which is referred to as Standby mode in Windows 98). When in Suspend mode, your notebook enters a sleep state according to the power management settings. Suspend mode cuts off power from most devices except memory.
The following table shows how to change the system modes in Windows 95 and Windows NT.
If your notebook is... |
...and you want to... |
then do this |
Off |
Start up |
Press the power button. |
On |
Suspend |
Click Start, then Suspend. |
In Suspend mode |
Resume power |
Press the power button briefly. |
On |
Shut down |
Click Start, Shut Down, Shut down the computer, then click Yes. |
Using the Power menu
The Power menu is a part of the BIOS Setup Utility that contains the power management settings. Use the Power menu to make changes to the notebook to improve the battery-powered session time and performance. The rest of the BIOS Setup screens are explained in Maintaining and Troubleshooting Your Solo Notebook.
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- Start your notebook.
- Press the F2 key when prompted to do so. "Entering Setup..." message appears briefly and then the Main menu appears.
- Use the keys identified at the bottom of the screen to navigate through the various options. An Item Specific Help bar providing additional information is also located to the right of each menu.
PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility |
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Main Advanced Security Power Exit |
Item Specific Help | ||
Power Button Mode: |
[On/Off] | Select Power button functionality.
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This screen example is similar to what you see on your LCD. However, you may have a notebook with a newer BIOS version than the one described in this manual. If there are differences, see the information in the Item Specific Help box in the right column of the BIOS Setup menu.
The following settings are most commonly changed:
Important!
In Windows 98TM, Microsoft® has replaced the term "Suspend" with "Standby." Standby is used when referring to Windows 98TM and Suspend is used when referring to Windows 95TM.
Status menu
The Status menu is supported by the VGA controller chip. The menu opens in the upper left corner and closes after about 30 seconds.
Important!
Changes in power management levels are temporary and do not affect the power settings in the BIOS setup screens. The changes are only in effect until the notebook is restarted, then the BIOS power settings are restored.
- Power status display appears when you press the Fn key together with the F2 (Status). It shows current battery status. The display is updated when you change any function choice.
- Battery status appears in the top two lines. The first line reflects the status of the primary battery pack. The second line reflects the status of the optional secondary battery.
- The power management levels appear in the third and fourth lines. You can change power management levels during setup.
- AC power status is monitored on the fifth line.
- The Brightness meter shows the brightness level for the LCD panel. Press the Fn key simultaneously with the up arrow or down arrow key to increase or decrease the brightness level.