Managing Power

    While your notebook is running on battery power, you should manage power consumption to get the most use out of the battery. This chapter shows you how to:

Check and recharge the battery
Change batteries
Extend the life of the battery by conserving battery power and using alternate power sources
Change power-saving settings

Monitoring the battery charge

    Closely monitor the battery charge. When the battery charge gets low, change the battery or connect to AC power immediately to prevent losing any unsaved work.

    Monitor the battery charge by:

Positioning the cursor over the power cord icon or battery icon in the taskbar. A battery status window opens. Move the cursor away from the icon to close the window.
Pressing Fn+Status to view the Status display, which opens in the upper left corner of the screen. The Status display shows the current power source, the battery charge, and the power management mode. (Available on the Solo 9500 only.)
Removing the main battery and optional second battery, then pressing the battery meter buttons. The battery meter lights indicate the percentage of battery charge remaining.
Waiting for a Low Battery warning message to appear.

    If your battery charge indicators display what looks like an inaccurate charge, you may need to recalibrate the battery. For more information, see "Recalibrating the battery".

Recharging the battery

    Both the main and the optional secondary batteries recharge while they are installed and your notebook is connected to AC power. While the batteries are recharging, the battery charge indicator becomes orange and the battery icon in the taskbar has a lightning bolt.

Changing batteries

    Your notebook must be turned off while changing the batteries.

    Warning

    Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.

    Replace only with the Gateway Li-Ion battery designed for your specific model. Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions.

    The battery used in this device may present a fire or chemical burn hazard if mishandled. Do not disassemble, heat above 212°F (100°C), or incinerate. Dispose of used battery promptly. Keep away from children.

    To replace the main battery:

      1. If your notebook is on, save all work and turn off the power.

      2. Close the cover.

      3. Turn your notebook over.

      4. Slide the battery release latch to release the battery.
      1. Lift the battery out of the bay.

      1. Place a recharged battery into the bay and press down until it snaps into place.

      2. Open the notebook and press the power button.

         

    Installing a second battery

      Your notebook has a modular bay that accepts a second battery. When a second battery is installed, the system uses power from the second battery when the main battery's power is exhausted. The second battery charges when the notebook is connected to AC power.

      Warning

      Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced.

      Replace only with the Gateway Li-Ion battery designed for your specific model. Discard used batteries according to the manufacturer's instructions.

      The battery used in this device may present a fire or chemical burn hazard if mishandled. Do not disassemble, heat above 100°C (212°F) or incinerate. Dispose of used battery promptly. Keep away from children.

      To install a second battery:

        1. If your notebook is on, save all work and turn off your computer.

        2. Close the cover.

        3. Turn your notebook over.

        Important

        On the Solo 9500, the second battery is installed in the 5.25-inch module bay. On the Solo 9550, the second battery is installed in the 3.5-inch module bay.

          1. Slide the bay module latch and pull the bay module straight out.
          1. Firmly push the second battery straight into the bay until the latch clicks into place.
          1. Open your notebook and press the power button.

             

        Extending battery life

        Conserving battery power

          While using the battery to power your notebook, conserve power by:

        Dimming the display as low as is comfortable.
        Removing PC Cards when you do not need them. Many PC Cards use a small amount of power while inserted, even if they are not being used.
        Modifying the Power Management settings for maximum power savings. For more information, see "Changing power settings" or "Changing power settings in Windows NT".
        Closing the display panel to turn off the display while you are not using your notebook. The display stays off until you open the panel again.
        Using Hibernate mode for maximum power savings while the notebook is not in use. For more information, see To activate Hibernate mode:.
        Using the CD/DVD drive only when necessary. CD/DVD drives use a large amount of power.
        Recharge the battery often, take an extra battery, and fully recharge the batteries before traveling. For more information, see "Recharging the battery" and "Changing batteries".

        Using alternate power sources

          To extend battery life, use alternate power sources whenever possible.

        If traveling internationally, take electrical adapters. Save the battery for times when you cannot use a power adapter. If you plan on taking your AC power adapter, also take a single-plug power surge protector.
        If you will have access to an EmPowerTM in-flight power receptacle or an automobile cigarette lighter, use an airplane/automobile power adapter. Save the battery for times when you cannot use a power adapter.
        To find AC power outlets in airports, look for them next to support pillars, in large areas such as boarding gates, and under banks of telephones.

        Changing power modes

          You can use the following power modes to lengthen the life of your notebook's battery:

        Standby - while your notebook is on standby, it switches to a low power state where devices, such as the LCD screen and drives, turn off.
        Hibernate - (also called save to disk) writes all current memory (RAM) information to the hard drive, then turns your notebook completely off. The next time you turn on the notebook, it reads the memory information from the hard drive and opens the programs and documents that were open when you activated Hibernate. For more information on using Hibernate mode, see "To activate Hibernate mode:".

        Using Standby mode

          Always save your work before using Standby mode. When in Standby, your computer reduces or turns off the power to most devices except memory. However, the information in the memory is not saved to the hard drive. If power is interrupted, the information is lost.

          When in Hibernate mode, your computer saves all memory information to the hard drive, then turns the power completely off.

        If your computer is... ...and you
        want to...                 		...then

        On

        Enter Standby mode

        In Windows XP, click Start, then click Turn Off Computer, then click Stand By.

        - OR -

        In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, press Fn+F4.

        On

        Enter Hibernate mode (must be enabled)

        In Windows XP, click Start, then click Turn Off Computer, press and hold Shift, then click Hibernate.

        - OR -

        In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, click Start, then select Shut Down, Hibernate, then click OK.

        In Standby or Hibernate mode

        Exit Standby or Hibernate mode

        Press the power button.

        Changing power settings

          You can change the function of the power button, Standby key, and power-saving timers by changing power settings on your notebook.

          You can customize power settings from the Windows Control Panel by selecting power schemes, setting power alarms, adjusting advanced power settings, and activating Hibernate mode.

          Power schemes (groups of power settings) let you change power saving options such as when the monitor or hard drive is automatically turned off. You can select one of the defined power schemes or create a custom power scheme.

          Alarms can alert you when the battery charge is low.

          Advanced power settings let you assign different power saving modes to the power button and Standby key. You can also select which power saving mode is activated when you close the LCD panel.

          Help and Support

          For more information on changing power settings, click Start, then select Help and Support.

          To change the power scheme

            1. In Windows XP, click Start, then select Control Panel. Click Performance and Maintenance.
              - OR -
              In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. If you do not see the Power Options or Power Management icon, click view all Control Panel options.
            1. Click/Double-click the Power Options or Power Management icon. The Power Options Properties dialog box opens.
            1. Select a power scheme from the Power Scheme list.
              - OR -
              Set the timers, then save your custom power scheme by clicking Save As and typing a name for the scheme.
            1. Save the changes by clicking OK.

               

          To change the alarm options:

            1. In Windows XP, click Start, then select Control Panel. Click Performance and Maintenance.
              - OR -
              In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. If you do not see the Power Options or Power Management icon, click view all Control Panel options.

            1. Click/Double-click the Power Options or Power Management icon. The Power Options Properties dialog box opens.

            2. Click the Alarms tab.
            1. Adjust the alarm settings, then save the changes by clicking OK.

               

          To change advanced power management settings:

            1. In Windows XP, click Start, then select Control Panel. Click Performance and Maintenance.
              - OR -
              In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. If you do not see the Power Options or Power Management icon, click view all Control Panel options.

            1. Click/Double-click the Power Options or Power Management icon. The Power Options Properties dialog box opens.

            2. Click the Advanced tab.
            1. Select a power savings mode to be activated by the power button, then save the changes by clicking OK.

               

          To activate Hibernate mode:

            1. In Windows XP, click Start, then select Control Panel. Click Performance and Maintenance.
              - OR -
              In Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows 98, click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. If you do not see the Power Options or Power Management icon, click view all Control Panel options.

            1. Click/Double-click the Power Options or Power Management icon. The Power Options Properties dialog box opens.

            2. Click the Hibernate tab.
            1. Select the Enable hibernation check box, then click Apply. Hibernate mode is now an option you can select on the Advanced tab and in the Turn Off Computer dialog box.

               

          To use Hibernate mode:

          To use hibernation as a power savings mode, open the Power Options dialog box, click the Power Schemes or Advanced tab, select Hibernate as one of the power settings, then save the changes by clicking OK.
          To manually place your computer into hibernation:
          In Windows XP, click Start, then click Turn Off Computer, press and hold Shift, then click Hibernate.
          In Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows 98, click Start, then select Shut Down, Hibernate, then click OK.

               

          Changing SpeedStep settings

            The processor installed in your notebook may use Intel ® SpeedStep™ technology to conserve battery power. A SpeedStep-equipped processor can change its operating speed according to the power source. Your notebook's default settings operate the processor at full speed while connected to AC power and at reduced speed (which uses less power) while using battery power.

          To change SpeedStep settings in Windows Me, Windows 2000,
                  and Windows 98:

            1. Click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. If you do not see the Power Options or Power Management icon, click view all Control Panel options.

            2. Double-click the Power Options or Power Management icon. The Power Options Properties dialog box opens.

            3. Click the Intel SpeedStep technology tab.
            1. Change any of the following settings:
          To run the processor at full speed regardless of the power source, change the Running on batteries setting to Maximum Performance.
          To run the processor at reduced speed (using less power) regardless of the power source, change the Plugged in setting to Battery Optimized Performance.
          To turn off the SpeedStep technology control, click Advanced, select the Disable Intel SpeedStep technology control check box, then click OK.
          To remove the SpeedStep icon from the taskbar, click Advanced, select the Remove icon from taskbar check box, then click OK.
            1. Click OK.

               

          Changing power settings in Windows NT

            In Windows NT, you can monitor the remaining battery charge and set low battery warnings.

          To monitor the remaining battery charge:

            1. Double-click the battery icon or power cord icon on the taskbar. The APM for NT dialog box opens.

            2. Click the Power Status tab. The current battery charge and estimated working time remaining appear.

            3. Click OK.

               

          To set the low battery warning:

            1. Double-click the battery icon or power cord icon on the taskbar. The APM for NT dialog box opens.

            2. Click the Settings tab, then select the Enable Low Battery Warning check box.

            3. Click OK. When the battery charge is very low, you see a warning message.