BatteryCare

BatteryCare is a software created to optimize the usage and performance of the modern laptop's battery. It monitors the battery's discharge cycles and helps increasing it's autonomy and improving its lifetime. Battery Care is an application developed by Filipe Lourenço which comes at a time where the laptop is being widely used, and many of its users don't know how to take good care of its most important element, the battery.

Features and Highlights

Battery's discharge cycles monitoring
The advanced algorithm accurately records when a complete discharge cycle is performed. When the configured number of discharge cycles is reached, a notification balloon pops up to remind that a full discharge is required.

Complete battery information
It calculates the statistical remaining time in laptops that don't support the battery time left information and only list the charge percentage. Shows all the detailed information about the battery, such as wear level, capacities, consumption, manufacturer, etc.

CPU and HDD temperature reading
Battery Care constantly monitors your CPU and hard drive temperature, either in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Automatic power plans switching
Depending on the power source of the computer, BatteryCare can automatically select the power plan you prefer.

Control over Windows Aero and demanding Services
Automatically disable the graphics accelerated theme in Windows Vista and/or demanding services that degrade battery lifetime. Once the laptop stops running on batteries, the theme is re-enabled and the stopped services are restored.

Notification area information
It features a compact popup with the essential information you need to quickly monitor. Temperatures, charge status, remaining time and power plans

Auto-updates
No need to trouble in downloading new installers, when a new version is available, the program updates itself.

Lightweight in the system
Given the concern about battery optimization, the app does not interfere with system performance. It requires only a mere 0,1% of Processor and Memory resources.

How to perform a calibration (full discharge)?

The most adequate method to do a full discharge (100% to a minimum of 3%) consists of the following procedure:

• Fully charge the battery to its maximum capacity (100%);
• Let the battery "rest" fully charged for 2 hours or more in order to cool down from the charging process. You may use the computer normally within this period;
• Unplug the power cord and set the computer to hibernate automatically at 5%. If you cannot select 5%, then you should use the minimum value allowed, but never below 5%;
• Leave the computer discharging, non-stop, until it hibernates itself. You may use the computer normally within this period;
• When the computer shuts down completely, let it stay in the hibernation state for 5 hours or even more;
• Plug the computer to the A/C power to perform a full charge non-stop until its maximum capacity (100%). You may use the computer normally within this period.