Power Management: Dell QuickSet Help for Microsoft Windows Vista

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# Power Management

Dell™ QuickSet Help for Microsoft® Windows Vista™

Battery Power Conservation

Battery Meter

Battery Saver Switch

## Battery Power Conservation

For information about disabling wired network connectivity for the purpose of battery power conservation, see Internal Network Card (Wired) Power Management.

## Battery Meter

Press <Fn><F3> to display the Battery Meter window, and click the following tabs for information about your computer's batteries:

- Battery Status
- Battery Health
- Battery Tips

| NOTE: Your computer may not include all of the Battery Meter tabs described in this section.

If your computer is connected to a docking device (docked), the Battery Meter window includes a Dock Battery tab, which displays the charge level and current status of the docking device battery.

| NOTE: The docking device must be connected to AC power to charge the computer battery.

### Battery Status

The Battery Status tab displays one of the following icons beside a meter representing each battery used in your computer: primary battery, secondary battery, and keyboard battery (if your computer has a detachable Bluetooth® wireless keyboard). The icons indicate the following information:

- The computer (or keyboard, if detachable) is running on battery power.
- The battery is discharging or idle.

- The computer (or keyboard, if detachable) is connected to an electrical outlet (via the computer) and running on AC power.
- The battery is charging.

- The computer (or keyboard, if detachable) is connected to an electrical outlet (via the computer) and running on AC power.
- The battery is idle.

### Battery Health

The Battery Health tab displays an icon representing each battery's health status and recommends replacement of the battery, when needed. The battery has three states:

| Normal — The battery is functioning normally. NOTE: Battery capacity (the time it can hold a charge) decreases over time. Depending on how often the battery is used and the conditions under which it is used, you may need to purchase a new battery during the life of your computer.

Caution — The battery is charging normally; however, you may begin to notice reduced operating times as the life of the battery nears it's end.

NOTE: At any time after the battery enters the caution state, you may purchase a new battery via the Internet by clicking the Order Battery Online button or by calling the telephone number provided.

As the battery degrades further and operating times decrease, an automatic pop-up window notifies you that the battery is reaching the end of its usable life. The pop-up window contains a link to access the Battery Meter window where you can obtain more information.

Additional pop-up reminders continue to appear as the battery's charge capacity decreases. However, you can disable the pop-up window and be notified only when the battery reaches the end of its usable life by clicking the Please do not remind me again check box on the Battery Health tab of the Battery Meter window.

NOTE: Depending on the actual charge capacity of the battery, the check box may not be visible.

Depleted (Battery Failure) — The battery can no longer provide sufficient power and needs to be replaced.

When the battery reaches the end of its usable life or experiences permanent battery failure as the result of an error condition, an automatic pop-up window notifies you that the battery needs to be replaced. The pop-up window contains a link to access the Battery Meter window where you can obtain more information.

NOTE: In both the depleted and caution states, the Battery Health tab of the Battery Meter window provides options for purchasing a battery online and for disabling the pop-up window. However, once disabled, the pop-up window will not re-appear unless the Please do not remind me again check box is unchecked.

### Battery Tips

The Battery Tips tab provides recommendations to optimize the battery operating time and overall life.

## Battery Saver Switch

| NOTE: This feature may not be available on certain computers.

The battery saver switch is a combination of hardware and software that allows you to quickly change to a new power management plan.

The operating system provides an interface for you to manage battery life, thermal response, and overall performance. You can create, assign names, and save various combinations of these settings as different power management plans.

The battery saver switch allows you to change power management plans quickly and easily without using the mouse or the keyboard. When you press the battery saver switch, QuickSet activates the operating system to switch to a new power plan and then displays the current status in a pop-up window.

The pop-up window is visible for a few seconds and then automatically disappears. You can disable the pop-up window by performing the following steps:

1. Click the Quickset icon in the system tray.
2. Point to Hotkeys Popups.
3. Click Disable Battery Saver Switch Indicator.

If you want to enable the pop-up window to see the current power plan, follow steps 1 to 3. Selecting Disable Battery Saver Switch Indicator either enables or disables the pop-up window depending on the current state. A check mark to the left of the Disable Battery Saver Switch Indicator indicates that the pop-up window is disabled.

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