Dell D630 Manual

Using a Battery41
4
Using a Battery
Battery Performance
 NOTE: For information about the Dell warranty for your computer, see the Product 
Information Guide or separate paper warranty document that shipped with your 
computer.
For optimal computer performance and to help preserve BIOS settings, operate 
your Dell™ portable computer with the main battery installed at all times. One 
battery is supplied as standard equipment in the battery bay.
 NOTE: Because the battery may not be fully charged, use the...

42Using a Battery
• Using high-brightness display settings, 3D screen savers, or other power-
intensive programs such as complex 3D graphics applications.
• Running the computer in maximum performance mode. See Configuring 
Power Management Settings on page 46 for information about accessing 
Windows Power Options Properties or Dell QuickSet, which you can use 
to configure power management settings.
You can check the battery charge before you insert the battery into the 
computer. You can also set power...

Using a Battery43
Microsoft® Windows® Power Meter
The Windows Power Meter indicates the remaining battery charge. To check 
the Power Meter, double-click the battery meter icon (  or  ) on the 
taskbar. 
If the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, a   icon appears.
Charge Gauge
By either pressing once or pressing and holding the status button on the charge 
gauge on the battery, you can check:
• Battery charge (check by pressing and 
releasing the status button)
• Battery health (check by...

44Using a Battery
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, or install a 
second battery in the media bay. If the battery runs completely out of power, 
hibernate mode begins automatically.
A pop-up window warns you when the battery charge is approximately 90 
percent depleted. If two batteries are installed, the low-battery warning means 
that the combined charge of both...

Using a Battery45
Power Management Modes
Standby and Sleep Mode
Standby mode (sleep mode in Microsoft Windows Vista®) conserves power by 
turning off the display and the hard drive after a predetermined period of 
inactivity (a time-out). When the computer exits standby or sleep mode, it 
returns to the same operating state it was in before entering standby or sleep 
mode.
 NOTICE: If your computer loses AC and battery power while in standby or sleep 
mode, it may lose data.
To enter standby mode in...

46Using a Battery
To manually enter hibernate mode in Windows XP, click Start→ Tu r n  o f f  
computer
, press and hold , and click Hibernate.
For information about the hibernate mode in Windows Vista, search for the 
keyword 
hibernate in Windows Help and Support (click Start→ Help and 
Support
).
Depending on how you set the power management options in the 
Po w e r  
Options Properties
 window or the QuickSet Power Management Wizard, you 
may also use one of the following methods to enter hibernate...

Using a Battery47
Charging the Battery
When you connect the computer to an electrical outlet or install a battery while 
the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the computer checks the 
battery charge and temperature. If necessary, the AC adapter then charges the 
battery and maintains the battery charge.
 NOTE: With Dell™ ExpressCharge™, when the computer is turned off, the AC 
adapter charges a completely discharged battery to 80 percent in about 1 hour and 
to 100 percent in approximately 2...

48Using a Battery
2Ensure that the computer is turned off.
3Slide the two latch releases on the bottom of the computer, and then 
remove the battery from the bay.
To replace the battery, follow the removal procedure in reverse order.
Storing a Battery
Remove the battery when you store your computer for an extended period of 
time. A battery discharges during prolonged storage. After a long storage period, 
recharge the battery fully (see Charging the Battery on page 47) before you use 
it.
Battery...

Using the Keyboard49
5
Using the Keyboard
Numeric Keypad
The numeric keypad functions like the numeric keypad on an external keyboard. 
Each key on the keypad has multiple functions. The keypad numbers and 
symbols are marked in blue on the right of the keypad keys. To type a number or 
symbol, hold down  and press the desired key.
• To enable the keypad, press . The   light indicates that the 
keypad is active.
• To disable the keypad, press  again. 
numeric keypad
9 

50Using the Keyboard
Key Combinations
System Functions
Battery
Display Functions
Power Management
 Opens the Ta s k  M a n a g e r  window.
 Displays the Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter (see Dell™ 
QuickSet Battery Meter on page 42).
 Switches the video image to the next display option. The 
options include the integrated display, an external 
monitor, and both displays simultaneously.
 Scales between wide-screen and standard aspect ratio 
video resolutions.
 and left-arrow key Activates the ambient light...