Tips for determining if a laptop battery is in good condition.
This Windows feature generates a report that helps you check the status of your laptop's battery.
The battery life is an essential aspect to consider when purchasing a laptop, especially for those who do not use a MacBook, known for its impressive battery performance that can last up to 24 hours in models like the MacBook Pro M4. Although more options are emerging in the Windows laptop market that offer great battery life, such as the Asus ZenBook and some models with Snapdragon X Elite processors, it is important to keep track of the battery's condition, especially when buying a second-hand device.
Windows 11 provides a useful tool, although not always easy to access, for users to monitor the battery status of their laptops. To obtain a battery status report, the Command Prompt app, or CMD, must be used. Simply type "cmd" in the Windows search bar and select Command Prompt. Then, enter the command powercfg /batteryreport and press Enter.
The system will generate a message indicating that the report has been saved to the C: drive in the folder corresponding to the username. For example, the path may be C:\Users\your_username\battery-report. This report is saved as an HTML file, which can be viewed using any web browser. When opening the file, several parameters can be found, with the most relevant regarding battery status being the estimated battery life, located towards the end of the document in the "Battery life estimates" section.
In this section, estimates of duration in hours and minutes during different periods are presented, which can provide a clear idea of whether the battery is in good condition. Additionally, the estimated duration when the battery was new is offered. While this estimate may not seem completely accurate, as it tends to extrapolate the performance (in some cases, the actual duration might not have reached the reported figures), it still provides a good reference regarding the current state of the battery.
It is also crucial to remember that battery life can vary based on various factors, such as the type of applications being used and the ambient temperature, as warmer weather can make the fans work harder and, consequently, require more energy. If the laptop is plugged in most of the time, it is recommended to reduce the maximum battery capacity to extend its lifespan.
