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Battery Management software

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sri:
I am trying to move back to Windows from Mac.

One of the software I use on Mac is http://fruitjuiceapp.com/ which shows notifications on when it's good to unplug and plug back in depending on calibrations it does to the battery based on its cycles run etc.

Am I right in understanding that it's not recommended to always have a (Windows 10) laptop connected?

Is there a similar program for Windows? I did a google search and found http://batterycare.net/en/index.html.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

mouser:
Am I right in understanding that it's not recommended to always have a (Windows 10) laptop connected?
--- End quote ---

I have never heard such a thing -- I assume laptops can be left plugged in indefinitely.  MANY people leave their laptops permanently plugged in and never travel with them.

sri:
https://www.howtogeek.com/124715/should-i-leave-my-laptop-plugged-in-all-the-time/

I think the summary is that as long as the laptop is not performing CPU intensive tasks that might make it hot, it's ok to leave it always plugged.

Shades:
Leaving it always plugged in normally means that the functional life expectancy of the battery is decreased. That is as far I know the only reason to run your laptop on battery power.

Perhaps if you have a very poorly constructed laptop, the heat from a CPU under (heavy) load can have an effect. Or if you don't clean out dust, hair and fluff (for those "smart" enough to use laptops on blankets or carpeted rooms) from your laptops at regular intervals. Once a year, actually open your laptop and be amazed about how much cruft has found its way into your device. I would even suggest to use a very small air compressor or canned air to blow out the vents on your laptop every 6 months.

Even if you think you are in clean spaces, a laptop always find ways to attract much more dust than you think it does. And as a laptop has hardly any room to disperse heat generated by CPU, RAM or hard disk, keeping it clean means that your laptop won't throttle or even turns itself off to prevent damage caused by a build-up of excessive heat. Whatever that source may be.

Keeping Lithium-based battery technology within the 20%-80% range of charge is supposed to extend the functional life of the battery. Some batteries in laptops have technology on-board which adjusts the way how it is charged, depending on the amount of charge it contains. Some laptops have similar on-board tricks, but you won't find either in low-end laptops and it not even a given in mid-range laptops.

Links to software that shows battery status for windows 10:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-tools-analyze-laptop-battery-life/
http://www.windowscentral.com/generate-battery-report-windows-10
http://www.windowscentral.com/how-optimize-battery-life-windows-10-settings
https://batterybarpro.com/
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/battery-level/9wzdncrfhmwn
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/batexpert-free-laptop-battery-monitoring-software-windows-8-7
http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/2b876a/detecting-and-get-the-battery-status-in-windows-10-uwp-app/

I have no experience with any of the software suggested at those links, mainly because I think that any type of computing on any laptop is a below-par experience at best. Having owned one, operated several others and repaired even more, I speak from experience.

However, if you must own or work on one, be nice to it and always use one of these:
http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/best-laptop-coolers
https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F5L001-Laptop-Cooling-Pad/dp/B000NWIOM6
https://www.amazon.com/Laptop-Cooling-Pads-External-Fans/b?ie=UTF8&node=2243862011
https://www.newegg.com/Laptop-Cooling-Pads/SubCategory/ID-319

These will keep the laptop cooler and reduces the build-up of cruft. Now that will extend the functional life of the laptop as a whole. Not nonsense about keeping a laptop plugged in or not.

 

sri:
Great reply Shades.

I've already ordered "Thermaltake MASSIVE TM Aluminum Panel Dual 120mm Fans Adjustable Temperature Sensor Laptop Notebook Cooling Pad".

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J0NZYOK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I connect my laptop to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

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