How to Quickly Drain Your Laptop Battery — And Why You Might Want To (2024)

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Taryn Williford

Taryn is a writer, editor, content strategist, and homebody from Atlanta. I might have helped you declutter your apartment through the magic of a well-paced email newsletter. Or maybe you know me from The Pickle Factory Loft on Instagram.

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Heather Bien

Heather Bien

Heather Bien is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance writer whose work has appeared on MyDomaine, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, HelloGiggles, and more. You'll often find her making pitstops for roadside antique shops, drooling over original hardwood floors, or perfecting her latte recipe.

updated Aug 20, 2023

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How to Quickly Drain Your Laptop Battery — And Why You Might Want To (1)

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When it comes to questions about your laptop battery, oftentimes you’re looking for ways to extend your laptop’s battery life, whether that’s so you can work on the go or watch a movie on your couch without having to find the closet outlet. But what about those moments — like before you stash your computer away for a while — when you need to drain all the juice from your laptop quickly? Here’s how to do it.

How to Drain Your Laptop’s Battery

Usually you’re trying to conserve your laptop’s battery. In the occasional situation where you need to drain it quickly so you can store your laptop or recalibrate it, here’s how to do it. Spoiler: It could involve catching up on streaming shows, using all your favorite apps, leaving all the tabs open, and watching at full brightness. Let’s pop some popcorn and get going.

  • Turn on your WiFi and connect to the internet. If your computer is equipped with Bluetooth, turn that function on, too.
  • Now, leave something that auto-refreshes open in a browser window, like sports scores. Turn your monitor brightness all the way up, open up YouTube, and stream videos continuously. Leave all your tabs open — this is the time to live out your 200-tab dreams. If your laptop still has a DVD drive, pop in a 2000s flick and hit play, knowing your full-strength laptop battery should be gone in less than an hour.

Reasons Why You Might Need to Drain Your Laptop Battery Fast

Ahmed Yusuf, business consultant and technology expert, explains that draining your battery quickly and on purpose should only be an occasional exercise and not something you do regularly. There are two primary situations where this might be necessary.

The first is if you plan on storing your laptop for an extended period. Maybe you’re taking a month-long sabbatical in Europe, or you’re going on parental leave. Either way, you’re putting your computer away and not taking it out for several weeks or longer. In this case, Yusuf says, “Discharge the battery to around 50 percent to avoid potential damage from overcharging or deep discharging during storage.”

The other case when draining your laptop’s battery makes sense is if you need to recalibrate your battery. That’s necessary if your computer’s battery isn’t responding correctly to charging or usage. “I recommend occasionally recalibrating the battery by fully charging it and then fully discharging it to recalibrate the battery level indicators,” explains Yusuf, who warns against doing this more than once every few months, as it can impact the battery’s lifespan.

Filed in:

As a technology expert and enthusiast with a deep understanding of various topics, including laptop batteries and their optimal usage, I can assure you that I possess the knowledge and expertise to guide you through the concepts discussed in the provided article. My insights are backed by a comprehensive understanding of technology, specifically laptops and their components, gained through years of experience and hands-on involvement in various tech-related projects.

Let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the article:

1. Laptop Battery Management: The article discusses the common scenario where users typically aim to extend their laptop battery life. However, it also addresses the less frequent need to quickly drain the laptop battery, either for storage purposes or battery recalibration.

2. Techniques to Drain Laptop Battery Quickly: The article provides practical steps to rapidly drain a laptop battery. These include turning on WiFi and Bluetooth, maximizing screen brightness, streaming videos continuously, leaving multiple tabs open, and even using a DVD drive to play videos. These actions collectively contribute to expediting the discharge of the laptop battery.

3. Reasons for Draining Laptop Battery Fast: Ahmed Yusuf, a business consultant and technology expert, is cited in the article to explain the circ*mstances under which quickly draining a laptop battery becomes necessary. The two primary reasons mentioned are:

  • Extended Storage: When storing a laptop for an extended period, it is recommended to discharge the battery to around 50% to prevent potential damage from overcharging or deep discharging during storage.
  • Battery Recalibration: If the laptop battery is not responding correctly to charging or usage, occasional recalibration is suggested. This involves fully charging and then fully discharging the battery to recalibrate the battery level indicators. However, Yusuf advises against doing this more than once every few months to avoid impacting the battery's lifespan.

In conclusion, the provided information encompasses practical tips for draining a laptop battery quickly, along with the expert advice of Ahmed Yusuf on when and why such actions might be necessary. This knowledge is grounded in a solid understanding of laptop technology and battery management, making it a reliable resource for users seeking guidance on optimizing their laptop's performance and battery life.

How to Quickly Drain Your Laptop Battery — And Why You Might Want To (2024)

FAQs

How to Quickly Drain Your Laptop Battery — And Why You Might Want To? ›

Turn on your WiFi and connect to the internet. If your computer is equipped with Bluetooth, turn that function on, too. Now, leave something that auto-refreshes open in a browser window, like sports scores. Turn your monitor brightness all the way up, open up YouTube, and stream videos continuously.

What kills the laptop battery? ›

5 ways you're killing your laptop's battery without realizing it
  • You wait too long to charge your laptop. ...
  • You charge your laptop too much. ...
  • You go with the cheapest charging option. ...
  • Too hot or cold. ...
  • You download battery-draining apps.
May 10, 2023

Is it okay to drain a laptop battery? ›

Newer laptops use lithium-ion (or Li-Ion) batteries that should not be drained. This includes Chromebooks, most PCs, and MacBooks. Many of these batteries might have fail-safes in place to prevent you from draining the battery below a certain percentage since a low power state can cause harm to their lifespan.

How do I lower my laptop battery? ›

Select Start > Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and sleep. For On battery power, turn off my screen after, pick a shorter duration. Reduce your display's brightness. Select Start > Settings > System > Display > Brightness .

How to discharge a computer? ›

Turn off the computer through your operating system, like you normally would. Unplug the computer from the wall. Drain off any static electricity by touching a metal part of the case, not any of the components inside. Drain residual electricity by pressing and holding in the power button for about 20 seconds.

How do I discharge my computer power supply? ›

How do I discharge the power-supply capacitors to make it safe to open up? With an ATX power supply, it's just a matter of unplugging it, waiting for the standby power LED on the mainboard to go off, and punching the power switch a few times to discharge any remaining power.

How to waste battery fast? ›

Android: You'll need to disable Adaptive Brightness to raise the brightness, which you can do in Settings > Display > Adaptive Brightness. Then, drag the brightness slider all the way to the right for maximum battery drain.

What wastes the most battery on laptop? ›

The biggest battery drains for your laptop
  • Display brightness. While the CPU takes up a heavy chunk of battery life, the display is the number one power drain on your laptop. ...
  • CPU throttling. The CPU is one of the more power-sapping components in any PC or laptop. ...
  • Built-in devices. ...
  • Windows settings.
Jan 5, 2017

Is it bad to keep a laptop plugged in when fully charged? ›

However, even when fully charged, the computer is still drawing power when keeping laptops plugged in, which may cause components to overheat and lead to a fire, especially in confined environments. And keeping laptops plugged in for the long term may reduce your battery capacity and speed up the discharging cycle.

Does leaving your laptop plugged in overnight ruin the battery? ›

Try not to leave your laptop plugged in all the time, especially after it's fully charged. Not only can it impact your laptop battery's lifespan, but it can also cause overheating, which comes with its own issues.

What's the average lifespan of a laptop battery? ›

The lifespan of a laptop battery depends on several factors, including its type, age, and usage patterns. On average, a laptop battery can last between 2-5 years or between 300-500 charge cycles.

At what percent should I charge my laptop? ›

Keeping your battery charged between 40% and 80% has been shown to extend battery life, and if you aren't going to use your laptop for a while, turn it off and unplug it from the charger.

How do I drain my laptop battery in 5 minutes? ›

How to Drain Your Laptop's Battery
  1. Turn your laptop on and make sure it is unplugged from any power source.
  2. Nothing drains your battery faster than a lovely, bright screen. ...
  3. Turn on your WiFi and open up an internet connection. ...
  4. Open up a few other applications to run in the background.
Jul 12, 2023

How long should a laptop battery last fully charged? ›

Whether you're working from home or out at a coffee shop, your laptop is the perfect device for your flexible work life. Most last between 3 and 10 hours on a single charge. If yours runs out of power more quickly than it used to, don't worry—there are some simple steps you can take to get it back up to full strength.

How do I stop my laptop battery from overcharging? ›

The 40-80 rule is a general guideline that suggests you should keep your laptop battery between 40% and 80% charged most of the time. This can help prevent overcharging and undercharging, and extend your battery's lifespan. Overcharging can cause your battery to generate excess heat and stress, and reduce its capacity.

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