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How to Perform a Battery Calibration Cycle on a Dell Laptop

Summary: This process can help resolve problems where the laptop battery discharges quickly or the battery percentage drops suddenly (example: 20% charge to 6% in a short timeframe).

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Instructions

Battery Calibration Cycle

It is recommended to perform up to three battery calibration cycles to ensure that the laptop’s battery has been fully calibrated.

  1. Start by plugging in the laptop’s AC Adapter to the wall outlet and the laptop. Ensure that the laptop has begun charging once the AC adapter is plugged in (Figure 1).
    AC Adapter Plugged Into a Dell Laptop
    Figure 1
    Note: Your AC Adapter might be a USB Type C or a Barrel style connector.
     
  2. Allow the laptop to charge up to 100% (Figure 2). While the laptop is charging, you may use it normally.
    Windows Battery Status 100%
    Figure 2
     
  3. Unplug the AC adapter from the laptop and allow the battery to discharge normally (Figure 3). The laptop can be used normally during this time.
    AC Adapter Un-Plugged From a Dell Laptop
    Figure 3
     
  4. Once the laptop’s battery has reached 6% or less, plug the AC adapter back in, and allow the laptop to charge up to 100% (Figure 4).
    Windows Battery Status 6%
    Figure 4
     
  5. Once the laptop has been charged up to 100%, this completes one battery calibration cycle.


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Affected Products

G Series, Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, XPS
Article Properties
Article Number: 000205559
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 13 Nov 2024
Version:  4
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