Windows 10 on a laptop can have a battery life problem if not properly configured. This can be caused by the numerous new Windows functions, active by default on the system, useful but also expensive from the energy point of view.
In this guide, therefore, we see how to adjust the settings of Windows 10 to optimize the battery life of the laptop and make it last as long as possible.
First of all, starting from Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, the power limitation option is activated to decrease the CPU usage for background apps.
1) Windows 10 energy saving
First of all, open the new smart battery saving tool in Windows 10 located in the Settings, in the System section.
As happens on almost all smartphones, even the PC can now be adjusted to activate an energy saving mode when the battery charge is less than 20% or even less if you prefer.
The energy saving mode essentially deactivates the animated panels of the Start menu and slows down the reception of Mail and events on the calendar.
The battery saver is turned off by default and obviously doesn't turn on if the computer is charging.
In the energy saving options you can also disable notifications from apps and ask to automatically decrease the brightness of the screen.
The same screen provides an estimate of how much time is left before the computer shuts down or how long it takes to reach a full charge).
You can also exclude some applications from saving energy and check which applications are the main ones responsible for discharging the battery when they remain in the background.
2) Power and suspension
Also in the system settings there is a menu with the old options to decide how long to put the PC in hibernation or when to turn off the monitor.
Different times can be set for when the PC is connected with the battery and for when it is connected to the power outlet.
By clicking the link at the bottom of the screen you can open the energy saving section of the Control Panel with additional options.
There are therefore the options of the combination used and the advanced options to decide when to disable the hard disks, disable the network, screen brightness, processor performance and other things that I have already talked about in the guide to Windows energy saving options.
3) Wifi, Bluetooth and other settings
As happens on smartphones, even on a Windows 10 PC you have to disable wifi and bluetooth, if not in use, to save energy.
To deactivate all active connections (except the cable one) you can activate Airplane mode in Settings -> Network and Internet .
4) Screen brightness
The brightness of the screen can be adjusted in Windows 10 from the settings, under System where you can disable the automatic adjustment option.
5) Update Windows only if it is charging
We have seen how Windows 10 manages updates autonomously with few options to disable automatic updates.
However, since when Windows downloads updates it drains a lot of battery, it is important to make the PC pause these downloads when using battery energy.
To obtain this suspension you only need to activate the airplane mode as seen in point 3.
6) Lower the volume
Computer volume has more of an impact on battery life than you might think, especially if you're listening to music.
To save battery it is therefore necessary to turn down the PC volume or switch to headphones.
If you don't need it, it's worth turning off the sounds completely.
7) Disconnect unnecessary peripherals.
To save battery it is advisable to disconnect everything from the USB sockets that supply energy to USB penns, external disks or even portable printers and external mice.
8) Disable Cortana's voice prompt from Cortana's options.
Finally, I remember that also in Windows 10 there is the Portable PC Center that collects all the options to save energy described above.
READ ALSO: Increase / extend the battery life of the laptop
