Toshiba has come a long way when it comes to the battery life in their laptops, but that does not make them immune to the occasional hiccup. Poor charging practices can cause issues with battery life, and power-sucking settings can deplete a charged battery, especially an older one, at a surprising rate. For many Toshiba laptops, even temperature can affect whether and how your battery charges and discharges.

Charging New Batteries

If your laptop is brand new, you have an opportunity to maximize your battery's health from the get-go. CNET authors Asher Moses and Brian Nadel state that long-term battery vitality can be ensured if "when first using your notebook on battery power, [you] let the battery completely drain before you recharge it. Don't recharge when the battery is only half drained. Do that for at least the first two sessions." If you continue to do this every time you use your laptop battery, you will extend the length of time your laptop can run on battery power.

Power Settings

One of the main reasons battery life is so short on many laptops is because of the power settings. You can access the power settings on a Toshiba either by right-clicking the battery tray icon in the lower-right corner of your screen and click "Power Options", or by going to Control Panel > Power Options. Here, you can select the settings your computer will use when it is running on battery power, adjust when the display turns off, choose when the computer will go to sleep, and decide how bright your display is. The default "Power Saver" settings adjust the display brightness to about 40%, turn off the display after 3 minutes of inactivity and put the computer to sleep after 15 minutes. Think about which settings make the most sense for you, and adjust your computer accordingly to save power.

Temperature

Extreme temperatures can negatively affect your laptop's battery. According to Moses and Nadel, you should not expose your battery to extreme heat or cold. Heat causes batteries to lose their charge very quickly and cold batteries don't perform as well. In addition, some Toshiba laptop batteries can detect when they have heated up too much, and will not charge even when the AC power is plugged in. The computer will display "AC power plugged in; battery not charging," in this case. If this happens, you can charge the battery by shutting down your computer and letting the battery charge while the computer is off.

Age

Laptop batteries generally last for 2 to 3 years. If your battery is not holding a charge and it is older than 3 years, consider purchasing a new battery. Remember to fully deplete and fully charge the new battery the first few times you use it.

Still Not Charging

If you have considered all of these possible battery problems and find that they are not the reason for the problem, try taking the battery out and gently cleaning the contacts on the battery and in the laptop's battery compartment with a dry, lint-free cloth. If there is no improvement, you may need to look into updating the computer's BIOS or using the recovery CD that came with the laptop to clear any internal problems that may be affecting your battery.

The typical laptop battery lasts approximately two years depending on usage. During that time, it slowly loses its effectiveness until it no longer holds a charge. There are other things that affect your battery's ability to charge, depending on the type you have. For example, Ni-Cd (Nickel-Cadmium) batteries need to be fully discharged before recharging to prevent loss of power. Li-ion (Lithium Ion) shouldn't be "overcharged" by leaving the battery charging after it has fully charged. Even if the battery is new, it will lose effectiveness if not properly cared for.

Instructions

General Troubleshooting

1. Check the power connector to see if it fits snugly. Pull it out and push it back in.
2. Try a different outlet. If the outlet has electrical problems it may prevent a good charge.
3. Use an alternate power cord, if available. Borrow one from a friend or use a compatible one from a radio or other laptop.
4. Try a different battery. If the other battery works, send the new one back for replacement.
5. Check the connection where the power adapter attaches to the laptop. If it is loose, there may not be enough power flowing in to charge the battery. Replace the motherboard or repair the DC jack.
6. Uninstall "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery" from device manager. The device manager is found by right-clicking "My Computer." (Just "Computer" in Vista or Windows 7). Restart the computer to reinstall the battery device drivers. Alternatively, download and install more compatible drivers from the manufacturer.
7. Use HP Battery Check for HP laptops to test the status of the battery (see Resources).

Apple Specific

8. Turn on the laptop and put it to sleep if it's a PowerBook. Some earlier models need to be turned on to charge.
9. Download and install an update for Mac OS X by going to the "Software Update" preference pane. You need Mac OS 10.2.4 or later, and you can also get it from Apple Software Downloads (see Resources).
10. Reset the power management unit as directed by Apple. This button is accessed by removing the case: Do this only as a last resort.
11. Turn the power cord so the black nub is turned horizontally if you have the PowerBook G4. If you have it turned vertically, it will touch the lid and stop the cord from going all the way in.

Tips & Warnings

If the DC internal connection is loose, do not wiggle it excessively or it may spark and start a fire.