Dell Vostro 500 Owner's Manual - Page 49

Microsoft® Windows® Battery Meter The battery meter indicates the remaining battery charge. To check the battery meter, double-click the icon in the notification area. Check the Battery Health You can check battery health by using the Battery Meter in Dell QuickSet. For information about QuickSet, right-click the QuickSet icon in the notification area, and then click Help. Low-Battery Warning NOTICE: To avoid losing or corrupting data, save your work immediately after a low-battery warning, then connect the computer to an electrical outlet. If the battery runs completely out of power, Sleep state begins automatically. A pop-up window warns you when the battery charge is approximately 90 percent depleted. The computer enters Sleep state when the battery charge is at a critically low level. You can change the settings for the battery alarms in Dell QuickSet or the Power Options window (see "Configuring Power Management Settings" on page 51). Conserving Battery Power To conserve battery power on your portable computer, do any of the following: • Connect the computer to an electrical outlet when possible; battery life is largely determined by the number of times the battery is used and recharged. • Configure the power management settings using either Dell QuickSet or Microsoft Windows Power Options to optimize your computer's power usage (see "Configuring Power Management Settings" on page 51). • Use the Sleep power state when you leave the computer unattended for a long time (see "Low-Battery Warning" on page 49). Using a Battery 49