Purchase a better battery.
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My laptop Dell Precision originally lasted about 3.5hrs unplugged….3 yrs later about 1.5 hrs

some batteries are just terrible….

My girlfriend has a toshiba and the battery dies in about 2-3 minutes unplugged.
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depends on what you have running on that battery. if n ot using wireless turn it off that can save you 20 mins or more battery life.
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Yes streaming videos and playing games while the laptop is unplugged will definitely drain the battery faster!

Most laptops can run for at least 1 hr off just the battery. However there are many other factors to consider.

1. What level of energy savings are you using when you disconnect from the wall?
(In XP: Start->ControlPanels->Power Options)
Set the Power schemes to Portable, then select settings that will turn off your HD at a certain time if what you typically do is done in memory.

2. Lower the brightness on your LCD. The brighter the LCD screen, the faster you'll drain the battery. Setting it to 1/2 the max brightness will easily give you 15-30 minutes more.

3. If you are not connecting to the internet via a wireless, turn the wireless off.

Like anything in life, the more you use, the faster it will be used up. If you conserve, you can make the battery last longer. However most typical laptop batteries will last between 1-3hours depending again on use.
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To be honest, that sounds about right. I only get a couple of hours out of mine, and thats just general internet, tunes and a couple of other bits and bobs up an running. So it's usually allways plugged in!
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The Compac battery I use with this computer runs the computer for approximately 3 hours and it is an old laptop. I am quite sure that your battery is defective and you should go and check on purchasing a new one.
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laptop batteries are just the same as any others they weaken with time, you can get them eBay,if you buy abrand name it will last longer but may cost more.
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it could be both for example when you play games it takes a lot of power to supply the games with the right graphics also if the battery is left charged even though its already charged it can destroy the battery, also you can decrease the brightness of you notebook so the battery can last longer
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It depends on the programs you are running and the hardware that is in your computer.

my battery only lasts about 1.5 - 2 hours
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How old is the battery? As a battery ages, the length for which it will hold a charge will go down. If it is below 30 minutes, you probably need to replace the battery.

If you keep a battery plugged in all the time and never run off it, that can shorten its life. It is recommended by most battery manufacturers that you remove the battery and run without it if you are not going to use it frequently.
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15 years in computer IT support

here is the problem…on almost ALL rechargeable batteries you have to wait until it dies down all of the way then plug it back in you shouldnt leave it in overnight when it is already fully charged this is why the battery is dieing to fast the only option is to buy a new battery
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Your problem is that you have left your laptop plugged in…this drains the battery and makes it less effective.
To maintain a decent (i say decent, but there usually still rubbish!) battery life, you should charge it up, then run it down, charge it….etc etc.

When you hammer a laptop with games, videos etc, you should expect at least 45minutes of battery life. Most batterys will give you between 45minutes and 1.5hours from a charge.
It all depends on what your doing, kind of like your mobile phone, the battery drains the more you use it!

You can buy heavy duty, new batterys for laptops, i ended up buying one for my toshiba, i now get a good 1.5-2hrs out of it on a single charge.

hope that helps.

Oh, one last thing, your definetly write about your current usage time, thats not normal and your battery will get worse if you keep it plugged in!!
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built specifically for mobile business professionals, the remanufactured IBM ThinkPad T40 notebook PC offers top-of-the-line functionality at a price that's easy on the wallet. The notebook is highly portable at just under 5 pounds, with an average battery life of up to 7.5 hours
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Yeah games and streaming take a lot of processing power. However, I believe that the root of your problem lies in the power setting of your laptop. You can save more power by adjusting it. To do so:

1) Go to Control Panel
2) Click Performance and Maintenance
3) Click Power Options
4) Click the Power Schemes drop down menu
5) Set to MINIMAL POWER MANAGEMENT.

That ought to do the trick!

Cheers!
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You nailed it. The games and Streaming Video while unplugged are your problem. Well that and the fact that it sounds like the battery has deveoloped a memory.
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I agree with Kenn N. The battery needs to be exercised by being run down & then recharged, keeping in a constant state of being charged will develope a "memory"; f'rinstance, if you recharge a battery when it's only discharged 10%, eventually it will only accept a 10% charge.

Some laptops, indeed most, as far as I recall, can be run on mains without the battery in - that would be the answer for power-hungry apps like games & streaming video.

I'd look for a new battery, give it a FULL charge and in future only use it when out & about. And then run it right down before recharging.
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