Dell XPS Battery Draining Fast

Are you charging devices from your laptop? Are you powering devices like an external webcam, keyboard, speaker, etc?

• Try using your laptop without external accessories to establish baseline power usage. This will let you know how much battery life you can expect from everyday use.

Sometimes, multiple devices, accessories, and settings could affect battery performance. Rule out variables to focus your efforts on the real issue.

Advertised battery life and battery life in practice often vary wildly. The specs page on your new Dell XPS may boast up to 12 hours—you're not likely to see that in typical use. These numbers are acquired in precisely controlled and idealized scenarios. They're trying to sell you a computer and want you to see best-case scenario numbers.

• Check what is using your battery. Navigate to Settings > System > Battery. This gives a breakdown of what is sucking down power. Limit the use of apps that consume lots of energy or come to terms with their impact on battery life.
• You can decrease your screen lock timeout or ensure that your screen is locked when you're done using it. These settings are located in System > Power & Sleep.
• Close Unnecessary Applications and quit any background processes. Even closing some of the extra tabs in your browser can help. To quit background processes:
  • Open Task Manager by right-clicking on the Windows start menu. You can get more information by clicking More details
  • Select any programs to close and click End task in the bottom right.
• If you need extra time, click the battery icon in the system tray and change the slider to the desired level. Remember that "best energy savings" settings will limit the performance of some aspects of your laptop.

Sometimes, your battery management system can drift from reality and report an empty battery when it has plenty of charge. To calibrate the battery on your Dell Laptop:

1. Charge it to 100%, and keep charging it for at least two more hours.
2. Unplug your laptop and use it normally to drain the battery.
3. Save your work when you see the low battery warning.
4. Keep your laptop on until it goes to sleep due to low battery.
5. Wait at least five hours, then charge your laptop uninterrupted to 100%.

It isn't just the apps you intend to run sucking up system resources. So does any nefarious software you may have picked up on your internet travels. This usage can become significant sometimes, so your computer starts burning through noticeable amounts of battery even when you don't seem to be doing anything.

• Open Task Manager to check system utilization. You can access this by right-clicking the Windows Start Menu or pressing Ctrl + Alt + Esc on your keyboard.
  • Check the processes to see if anything here is consuming a large amount of system resources. Some critical thinking and internet research may be needed to determine what's what.
• Download a free, reputable anti-malware program or use the software built into your Windows OS. These tools can scan your machine for malware and alert you to any programs or files that may have found their way onto your machine without your knowledge.
• Beware that some supposed anti-malware programs are malware themselves. Using additional system resources further drains your battery. Research good free options, or use the program preinstalled on your system (look for Windows Defender if you're on Windows 8 or later).

Moving forward, follow best practices for internet safety. This will prevent you from accumulating more malware in the future:

• Use ad-blocking software like uBlock Origin to prevent ads from loading in your browser.
• Don't allow third-party websites to download software from your computer.
• Avoid pirating games or software. Sorry, internet BlackBeards, these are enormous vectors for infection.
• Avoid scam emails and be highly suspicious of any attachments on all emails.
• Keep software up to date.
• Recognize .exe files and NEVER open unknown .exe files. If you find this file type on your computer and don't recognize it, you should delete it immediately.

Even the applications you can tell are installed may drain more battery than you realize. How many applications on your computer don't ever get users? Or did it come installed on your machine, but you never removed it? It's time to do some housekeeping.

• Open Task Manager (press Ctrl + Alt + Esc). Use the Startup tab to disable any unnecessary startup programs. If you're unsure if it's necessary, right-click on the process and select "search online" for more details.
• Open your Start Menu and scroll down the list of applications. Remove anything you don't use. Right-click and select uninstall to display the appropriate menu (or to remove the app if it was installed from the Microsoft Store).
• People are often tempted to keep Dell's software loaded, but most are unneeded. Display or audio tweakers are usually unnecessary, but support software can be helpful.

Batteries are consumable devices, and if you've been using your laptop for many years—or are just a bit unlucky—your battery might be worn out.

• Reseat the battery (or the battery connector )—some Dell XPS laptop models make it easier than others.
• If you haven't already done so, run a battery diagnostic. Dell includes this function in its SupportAssist software. Alternatively, run a power report on your battery. This will give you some hard data about your battery.
• Check for visual signs of battery age, swelling, or leak. Swollen batteries may manifest as difficulty in using the trackpad or the keyboard. As the battery expands, it exerts upward pressure on the underside of these components.
• If your laptop has been in the trenches, you expose your stuff to extreme climates, or if you're just a power user who grinds through batteries, a replacement might be your best bet.

If you can't find a replacement guide for your model of Dell XPS, don't fear—opening the laptop, unplugging the battery connector, and removing the screws holding in the battery is all it takes for most models.