Laptop: calibrate the battery - how it works

If you calibrate your laptop battery, the percentage display of the charge will be brought back to an exact level. This does not result in a longer term. We'll show you how it's done.

Calibrate laptop battery: there are these options

• Every laptop battery can be calibrated in the classic way. The battery is fully charged and then completely discharged. Instructions can be found in the next paragraph.
• Alternatively, you can also perform the calibration using software. Such software is often supplied by the manufacturer on CD or on the hard disk. The program is usually already installed for OEM devices.
• A suitable function is also often found in the BIOS. At Samsung, for example, it is called "Smart Battery Calibration". As a layperson, however, you should not make any changes in the BIOS.

Instructions: Calibrate the battery from the laptop

Both Acer and HP recommend the following method for their notebooks. The project works just as well with any other laptop.

1. First, fully charge your computer. You can use the device as normal.
2. If the battery is 100 percent charged, restart your computer or turn it on.
3. Press the [F8] key repeatedly at start-up so that a black and white menu opens.
4. Select "Safe Mode" or "System Start in Safe Mode" here.
5. Disconnect the laptop from the power and wait for the device to switch itself off due to the completely empty battery.
6. Depending on the battery, this process can take several hours. The battery is then calibrated so that the charge level is reliably displayed again.
7. Tip: If you cannot make it into safe mode, you will find detailed step-by-step instructions here.