Is it OK to do this?

Ben B · 09-07-2009, 00:03

I want to leave a DVD to encode overnight and set it to shut down once it is complete. Is it OK to leave the laptop on overnight but leave the battery out so as not to overcharge it, I don't want it to break or anything and just wanted to be sure it's OK to do this....

Thanks,
Ben

popper · 09-07-2009, 00:35

sure its fine, iv been running a laptop for 3+ months now without problems, so theres no real need to power it down, but theres no problem if you do as they have regulators in there to stop overcharging anyway...

Ben B · 09-07-2009, 01:01

OK Thanks, i've put it in a place where there is plenty of ventilation haha.

Halcyon · 09-07-2009, 18:23

Many people never take out their battery so there is nothing to worry about. You'l be fine.

MovedGoalPosts · 09-07-2009, 18:31

I've never taken the battery out of may laptop for three years. Virtually every time it's in use it's plugged in, and when in use it'll be running, mostly idle, for hours on end.

chrisjones · 09-07-2009, 19:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

I've never taken the battery out of may laptop for three years. Virtually every time it's in use it's plugged in, and when in use it'll be running, mostly idle, for hours on end.

Did that with my Toshiba laptop for 4 years, no problems. Did the same with my Acer laptop and the battery was duff within seven months.

Halcyon · 09-07-2009, 20:39

You'd think there would be some kind of battery shut off once it is charged.?

Ben B · 09-07-2009, 22:21

It was fine, it is still working and I left the battery in and i still get 2hr 30mins charge out of it so it hasn't broken anything

Chicken · 09-07-2009, 23:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halcyon

You'd think there would be some kind of battery shut off once it is charged.?

There is, otherwise your battery would go up in flames. Something like this is the result http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJCZ4ayioCU

AbyssUnderground · 10-07-2009, 23:39

You can leave them in permanently, just be sure to discharge it once or twice a month to keep it in top shape. That's where most people go wrong and kill the battery.

Also, heat is a killer, so keep the laptop cool by leaving it on a flat surface like a table, and not your bed/lap.

MovedGoalPosts · 11-07-2009, 00:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbyssUnderground

Also, heat is a killer, so keep the laptop cool by leaving it on a flat surface like a table, and not your bed/lap.

But if you can't have it on your lap, why is it called a laptop

AbyssUnderground · 11-07-2009, 00:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

But if you can't have it on your lap, why is it called a laptop

I'm talking for long periods of time. Especially the ones that get so hot you end up cooking the flesh in your legs

Horace · 11-07-2009, 01:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by AbyssUnderground

You can leave them in permanently, just be sure to discharge it once or twice a month to keep it in top shape. That's where most people go wrong and kill the battery.

Also, heat is a killer, so keep the laptop cool by leaving it on a flat surface like a table, and not your bed/lap.

Bad advice. You don't need to discharge lithium batterys and completely discharging them overly-stresses the battery. They have no memory effect either so charging a part discharged battery is fine and won't shorten it's life.

AbyssUnderground · 11-07-2009, 11:04

I never said totally discharge, I said discharge, meaning use it on the battery down to a safe level (15% or so) then recharge. They DO have a memory effect actually, but not the battery itself, but rather the protection and charging circuitry instead.

I had a battery once that refused to run the laptop for more than 2 minutes before shutting off. To fix this I had to re-calibrate the batteries "fuel meter" on the circuitry by connecting a load that wasn't connected to the signal lines of the battery. I ran it until the battery turned itself off (protection circuitry) and then recharged it normally. That battery now lasts around 1 hour. Not bad for a 12 year old Lithium Ion battery.

So when people refer to it having no memory effect, that's the battery itself, not the circuitry behind charging and maintaining it. So the battery is never really dead, its just the circuitry going out of sync and it can be fixed in most cases doing what I did above. If you're interested in the guide I wrote on doing this let me know and I'll pass it along.

11-07-2009, 11:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horace

Bad advice. You don't need to discharge lithium batterys and completely discharging them overly-stresses the battery. They have no memory effect either so charging a part discharged battery is fine and won't shorten it's life.

That was my understanding also