For new laptop, how long I should charge the battery before using it? The HP manual doesn't says for how long I should charge the battery

Thanks

Till it's charged?

My laptop (compaq presario) has a light that is on while charging and goes off when it's done.

HC

Charge and discharge completely 3 times. This is the best practice to condition the battery so it doesnt begin developing a memory. Also, if your laptop sits on the desk all the time like mine does, remove the battery.

This is NOT the case for Li-ion batteries. Infact I think it can damage a Li-ion to work it that hard. As Li-ion batteries are suceptible to having a crystalline structure form between the poles of the battery when totally discharged, shorting them out and only a large current jump can revive them. Often Li-ion are coupled with circuitry that allow estimates of charge remaining and recharge rates allowed.

The question is your battery Nickel Metal Hydride or Lithium Ion? Considering it is a "new one" it is very likely to be Lithium Ion.

Nickel Metal Hydrides *were* the batteries that had memory effects and total discharge with full recharge would revive them to former glory; as in the three discharge/charge cycles mentioned.

Li-ion batteries have a defined lifetime as far as charges go, whether it was fully or half-discharged. They usually last about 1000 charges before they start to drop off rapidly.

Li-ion can also survive being permanently in your laptop. If the laptop power circuits are smart enough to not charge when the charge level is about 98-99-100% that is. Apple's are very good for this.

If you are continually charging from 99->100% all the time, that will reduce the lifetime of you Li-ion. Else leave it in and it shouldn't charge and it will happily live fully-charged.

For example, my lappy, a Toshiba, isnt all that smart, and will charge when I pull it out or leave it off mains for more than, say 5 minutes. So if I plan on having it on mains and not using the battery for a few days I would consider leaving it out.

I've noticed some short-cuts in the circuitry of electronic gear with the introduction of Li-ion too. Some circuitry doesn't like having the battery removed and having a large load from the mains, it doesn't make any sense to me but I know my cell phone and some lappies have suffered as the result of removing and installing the battery. It might very well be the fact that it doesn't like the spikes put through when on mains and then put into recharge cycles all the while removing a reinstalling batteries...

oh, also, the very first charge of a Li-ion battery should be done in ONE GO and then fully discharged. Thereafter you can do what you want. I think this is due to the crystalline structure of the battery cells...

now, the question is: what happens if I (by error) completely discharged my battery? (Li-Ion)
I did not notice that my powercord did not supply anymore and battery status was disabled after an upgrade, but I did not care to fix it .


SO, now that battery is completely flat and doesn't charge any more.

what is that what you say,
" only a large current jump can revive them. "

how do I do that inside a laptop? I mean, I cannot just boost some current throught there and I don't know where to connect plus and minus on the battery (in fact it has probably six connections...)