Batteries don't last forever. Like everything except
diamonds and viral tweets, they eventually wear
out. But with proper care, a laptop battery can still
carry a sufficient charge until you're ready to move
on to a better laptop.
But it's a tradeoff. Taking the best care of your
laptop battery just may be more of a hassle than
it's worth.
So let me start with a less effective, but more
practical approach:
When you're at home, running the laptop on AC
power, and you believe that it will stay plugged in
for a week or more, shut down the PC and remove
the battery.
Then, when you need the battery, plug it back in. If
it's been more than two months since you last
used the battery, check it and charge it before
taking it on the road.
Of course, you should never remove or insert a
laptop battery while the laptop is running. Always
shut it down first.
That's the practical approach. Here's the extreme
care method:
For the absolute best results, never charge it past
80 percent or let it drop below 20 percent. When
you're working on AC power, keep an eye on the
battery's charging. When it hits or passes 80
percent, shut down your computer, remove the
battery, then reboot. When it's time to take the
laptop on the road, shut it down again and reinsert
the battery.
And when you're using the laptop on battery power,
shut it down before the battery drops below 20
percent, and don't start it up again until you have
AC power.
As I said, probably more of a hassle than it's
worth.
One more thing: The hotter the battery, the quicker
it degrades. So keep your laptop cool.

www.pcworld.com/article/2690760/keep-your-laptop-battery-healthy.html