Toshiba Satellite 5105 User Guide - Page 126

126 Mobile Computing Running the computer on battery power To ensure that the battery maintains its maximum capacity, operate the computer on battery power at least once a month until the battery is fully discharged. Please see "Maximizing battery life" on page 127 for procedures. If the computer is continuously operated on AC power, either through an AC adapter or a docking station for an extended period, more than a month, the battery may fail to retain a charge. This may shorten the life of the battery, and the battery light may not indicate a low-battery condition. In addition, the computer has an internal real-time clock (RTC) battery. This is a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery. The RTC battery powers the RTC memory, which stores your system configuration settings and the current time and date for up to a month while the computer is turned off. Using additional batteries If you spend a lot of time traveling and need to work for many hours without an AC power source, you may want to carry additional charged batteries with you. You can then replace a discharged battery and continue working. Battery safety precautions ❖ If the battery pack produces an odor, overheats or changes color or shape while it is being used or charged, turn off the computer's power immediately and disconnect the power cord from the power socket. Carefully remove the battery pack from the computer. ❖ Do not try to disassemble a battery pack. ❖ Do not overcharge or reverse charge a battery. Overcharging will shorten its life, and reverse charging could damage it. ❖ Avoid touching the metal terminals of the battery with another metal object. Short-circuiting the battery can cause it to overheat and may cause damage to the battery or the computer.