Don’t let your
portable PC run out of power. Follow these tips and you’ll get a lot more
battery life out of your Windows 10 machine.
Battery life is
always a crucial part of any PC, whether it’s old or brand new.
We’ve already
explained some techniques to preserve power on Windows 7 but what about
Microsoft’s latest addition Windows 10? Thankfully if you’re using the new
operating system, there are a number of simple tips that will help you save on
power so you can continue using your PC that little bit longer. Watch the video
below to see some of the tips in action and follow our guide for more details.
Tip 1: Turn off wi-fi and Bluetooth
Windows 10’s new
Action Center makes it easier to switch off connectivity options such as wi-fi
and Bluetooth which can drain battery life.
If you don’t
need or Bluetooth on all the time, go to the Action Center by clicking the
small square icon near the time in the bottom right, and click on Bluetooth to
deactivate them so that they’re no longer lit. Older machines may not have
Bluetooth, in which case you won’t see that option.
Wi-fi is usually
used a lot of the time, but if you don’t need to be online for a while (perhaps
if you’re writing a letter using a word processor) you can always click the
Wi-fi icon to turn it off, which will save some battery as well.
Alternatively,
if you want to switch all connectivity options off for a certain period of
time, click Airplane mode and it’ll cut off all connections for you. When you
want them back, simply click Airplane mode again.
Tip 2: Turn on Battery Saver
For laptops that
aren’t plugged in to a power source, Windows 10’s new Battery Saver is a great
way to preserve some of your machine’s juice.
Battery Saver
does what its name suggests by reducing screen brightness, stopping push
notifications and preventing apps from running in in the background.
Battery Saver is
automatically set to kick in whenever your battery falls below 20%, but you can
switch it on at any time (if mains power is not connected) from the Action
Center.
You can also set
Battery Saver to start automatically a bit earlier or later too, by going into
the settings menu. Simply search for ‘Battery’ in Cortana and select Change
battery saver settings at the bottom.
From here you
can adjust the point at which Battery Saver will kick in by moving the
scrolling bar.
Tip 3: Turn the sound down
Your PC’s
speakers use up a decent amount of power, so turning them down even a little
bit could help save some of your battery’s life.
Headphones also
use less battery than speakers, so if you can opt for a pair instead, all the
better.
Tip 4: Turn screen brightness down
The brightness
of your screen is another big battery sucker. You can turn it down a notch or
two by searching for ‘Brightness’ in Cortana and clicking on Display settings.
Under ‘Adjust
brightness level’, move the scrolling bar down – but make sure it’s still
bright enough to use.
Tip 5: Adjust power and sleep settings
Leaving your PC
idle is a waste of battery, so make sure you’ve got the best screen and sleep
options set-up.
Search ‘Power’
in Cortana and select Power & sleep settings.
Here, you can
adjust how long your PC should wait before the screen dims or goes into sleep
mode. Select a suitable time that you’re comfortable with from each drop down
box.
Tip 6: Unplug any peripherals you’re not using
Got a USB stick
plugged in all day but not using it? Remove it! Even if you’re not actively
using it yourself, your PC will still be powering it.
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