If your Windows laptop is suddenly dying faster than it used to, you’re not alone. Many users have reported similar issues after upgrading to Windows 11. While Microsoft works on a permanent solution, here are a few things you can do to improve your battery life in the meantime. Before we begin, let’s explore why Windows Battery Drain is So Fast.
Why Does My Windows Battery Drain So Fast?
Windows has a reputation for being an unreliable operating system, especially when it comes to battery life. There are a number of reasons why Windows is more prone to battery drain issues than other operating systems.
- One reason is that Windows is a resource-intensive OS, which means that it requires more power to run than other operating systems.
- Additionally, Windows is not as efficient as others when it comes to managing battery power. As a result, Windows users often experience battery drain issues.
But there are some things you can do to help improve your battery life. Try these things:
- Check for power-hungry apps and processes
- Adjust your power settings
- Update your drivers and BIOS
- Use Windows’ Battery Saver mode
- Try a different charger or charging port
- Get a new battery (if needed)
Let’s now go to the solution.
1] Turn on Battery Saver Mode
One of the easiest things you can do is turn on Battery Saver mode. This mode will help reduce battery consumption by limiting background activities and notifications. To turn on Battery Saver mode, do the following:
- Press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to launch the System Settings.
- From the left pane, select the System tab.
- Then navigate to Power & battery > Battery.
- If you see the Battery saver mode is off, expand it.
- Click the drop-down menu next to Turn battery saver on automatically at.
- Set the threshold below which the battery saver should be turned on.
- Also, turn on the toggle next to Lower screen brightness when using battery saver.
You can also try adjusting your Power mode. By default, Windows 11 is set to Balanced, which strikes a balance between performance and energy saving
2] Check for power-hungry apps and processes
Do you find that the battery on your Windows laptop isn’t lasting as long as it should? You may have some power-hungry apps or processes to blame. To check which apps and processes are using the most power, follow the steps below:
- Press Windows + I on your keyboard to open the Settings menu.
- Navigate to System > Power & battery > Battery.
- Then, click the Battery usage tab and look for apps consuming more power.
- Once you find it, click on the three vertical dots.
- Then select the Manage background activity option.
- Next, turn off access permissions for Camera, Location, etc.
You can also get an estimate of an app or process’s power usage from the Command Prompt. To do this, press Windows + X to open the Power User menu, then select Terminal (Admin).
Type in the following command and press Enter:
powercfg /energy
This will generate a report that you can open in Notepad. Look for any apps or processes that have a high “Average CPU Utilization” percentage.
3] Run Power Troubleshooter
Next try running the Power Troubleshooter, which is a built-in tool that can help identify and fix problems with your power settings. Here is how to do this:
- Right-click on Start and select Settings.
- Inside the Settings menu, click on System.
- Now go to the right and click Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- Scroll down to Power and click on Run.
You will see the Power troubleshooter window appear and search for issues. You will need to follow the instructions on your screen in order to fix the issue. After you have completed this step, restart the system and check the battery life.
4] Change the Refresh Rate
Another way to extend battery life is to change the refresh rate. The higher the refresh rate of the system, the more power it will consume. So, if your Windows laptop is experiencing battery drain issues, changing the refresh rate may help.
Here’s how to do it:
- Right-click on the desktop and select Display Settings.
- Under Related settings, click on Advanced display. You will see Choose a refresh rate under Display information
- Click on the drop-down menu and select a different rate.
In case your monitor has a 60Hz refresh rate, set it to 48Hz. And set the refresh rate to 60 Hz if your monitor runs at 90 Hz.
5] Change the Video Playback Settings
The next thing you can do to improve battery performance changes your video playback settings. Here are the settings you need to change for video playback.
- Press the Windows + I keys to launch Settings.
- From the left side panel, click on Apps.
- Now go to the right and click on Video playback.
- Next to the Battery options, click on the drop-down menu.
- Choose Optimise for battery life from the menu list.
After performing the above steps, restart the system, and you will notice that the battery consumption of the system is much lower compared to before.
6] Disable unnecessary features
There are a lot of features in Windows that most people never use. By disabling them, you can free up resources that will help improve your battery life.
To disable features in Windows, just go to the Control Panel and click on “Programs and Features.” From there, you can turn off any features that you don’t use. Just be sure not to disable any critical Windows features or you could cause problems with your operating system.
Does Windows’ dark theme reduce battery drain?
When your laptop has an OLED display, you can use the dark theme to save battery life. If the screen is of a different type, it won’t matter that much. Moreover, if you enable Windows’ dark theme, your eyes will be less strained. If you haven’t already used dark mode on your Windows PC, you may want to do so.
Read Next:
