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 AC adapter to 
connect your new computer to an electrical outlet the first time you use the 
computer. For best results, operate the computer with the AC adapter until the 
battery is fully charged. To view battery charge status, check the Power Meter in 
Power Options (see Accessing Power Options Properties on page 46).
Battery operating time varies depending on operating conditions. You can install 
an optional second battery in the media bay to significantly increase operating 
time.
 NOTE: Battery operating time (the time the battery can hold a charge) decreases 
over time. Depending on how often the battery is used and the conditions under 
which it is used, you may need to purchase a new battery during the life of your 
computer.
 
NOTE: It is recommended that you connect your computer to an electrical outlet 
when writing to a CD or DVD.
Operating time is significantly reduced when you perform operations including, 
but not limited to, the following:
•Using optical drives.
• Using wireless communications devices, PC Cards, media memory cards, 
or USB devices. 
						

							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 management options to alert you when the 
battery charge is low.
 CAUTION: Using an incompatible battery may increase the risk of fire or 
explosion. Replace the battery only with a compatible battery purchased from 
Dell. The battery is designed to work with your Dell computer. Do not use a battery 
from other computers with your computer. 
 
CAUTION: Do not dispose of batteries with household waste. When your battery 
no longer holds a charge, call your local waste disposal or environmental agency 
for advice on disposing of a lithium-ion battery. See Battery Disposal in the 
Product Information Guide.
 
CAUTION: Misuse of the battery may increase the risk of fire or chemical burn. 
Do not puncture, incinerate, disassemble, or expose the battery to temperatures 
above 65°C (149°F). Keep the battery away from children. Handle damaged or 
leaking batteries with extreme care. Damaged batteries may leak and cause 
personal injury or equipment damage. 
Checking the Battery Charge
The Dell QuickSet Battery Meter, the Microsoft Windows Po w e r  M e t e r window 
and battery meter icon (  or  ), the battery charge gauge and health 
gauge, and the low-battery warning provide information on the battery charge.
Dell™ QuickSet Battery Meter
If Dell QuickSet is installed, press  to display the QuickSet Battery 
Meter. The Battery Meter displays status, battery health, charge level, and 
charge completion time for the battery in your computer. 
For more information about QuickSet, right-click the QuickSet icon in the 
taskbar, and click 
Help. 
						

							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 pressing and 
holding the status button)
The battery operating time is largely determined by the number of times it is 
charged. After hundreds of charge and discharge cycles, batteries lose some 
charge capacity—or battery health. That is, a battery can show a status of 
charged but maintain a reduced charge capacity (health). 
Check the Battery Charge
To check the battery charge, press and release the status button on the battery 
charge gauge to illuminate the charge-level lights. Each light represents 
approximately 20 percent of the total battery charge. For example, if the battery 
has 80 percent of its charge remaining, four of the lights are on. If no lights 
appear, the battery has no charge.
Check the Battery Health
 NOTE: You can check battery health in one of two ways: by using the charge gauge 
on the battery as described below and by using the Battery Meter in Dell QuickSet. 
For information about QuickSet, right-click the icon in the taskbar, and click Help.
To check the battery health using the charge gauge, press and hold the status 
button on the battery charge gauge for at least 3 seconds. If no lights appear, the 
battery is in good condition, and more than 80 percent of its original charge 
capacity remains. Each light represents incremental degradation. If five lights 
appear, less than 60 percent of the charge capacity remains, and you should 
consider replacing the battery. See Charge Gauge on page 43 for more 
information about the battery operating time. 
						

							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 batteries is approximately 90 percent 
depleted. The computer enters hibernate mode when the battery charge is at a 
critically low level.
You can change the settings for the battery alarms in QuickSet or the 
Po w e r  
Options Properties
 window. See Configuring Power Management Settings on 
page 46 for information about accessing QuickSet or the 
Po w e r O p t i o ns  
Properties
 window.
Conserving Battery Power
Perform the following actions to conserve battery power:
• Connect the computer to an electrical outlet when possible because 
battery life is largely determined by the number of times the battery is 
used and recharged.
• Place the computer in standby mode or hibernate mode when you leave 
the computer unattended for long periods of time. See Power 
Management Modes on page 45.
• Use the Power Management Wizard or the 
Power Options Properties 
window to select options to optimize your computer’s power usage. These 
options can also be set to change when you press the power button, close 
the display, or press .
 NOTE: See Configuring Power Management Settings on page 46 for information 
on conserving battery power. 
						

							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 Windows XP, click the Start button, click Tu r n  o f f  
computer
, and then click Stand by. 
To enter sleep mode in Windows Vista, click the Windows Vista Start button, 
, and then click 
Sleep.
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:
• Press the power button.
• Close the display.
• Press .
To exit standby or sleep mode, press the power button or open the display, 
depending on how you set the power management options. You cannot make 
the computer exit standby or sleep mode by pressing a key or touching the touch 
pad or track stick.
Hibernate Mode
Hibernate mode conserves power by copying system data to a reserved area on 
the hard drive and then completely turning off the computer. When the 
computer exits hibernate mode, it returns to the same operating state it was in 
before entering hibernate mode.
 NOTICE: You cannot remove devices or undock your computer while your 
computer is in hibernate mode.
Your computer enters hibernate mode if the battery charge level becomes 
critically low. 
						

							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 mode:
• Press the power button.
• Close the display.
• Press .
 NOTE: Some PC Cards may not operate correctly after the computer exits 
hibernate mode. Remove and reinsert the card (see Removing a Card or Blank on 
page 84), or simply restart (reboot) your computer.
To exit hibernate mode, press the power button. The computer may take a short 
time to exit hibernate mode. You cannot make the computer exit hibernate 
mode by pressing a key or touching the touch pad or track stick. For more 
information on hibernate mode, see the documentation that came with your 
operating system.
Configuring Power Management Settings
You can use the QuickSet Power Management Wizard or Windows Power 
Options Properties to configure the power management settings on your 
computer. For more information about QuickSet, right-click the QuickSet icon 
in the taskbar and click 
Help.
Accessing Power Options Properties
Windows XP
Click Start→ Control Panel→ Performance and Maintenance→ Po w e r  
Options
.
Windows Vista
Click Start→ Control Panel→ System and Maintenance→ Po w e r  O p t i o ns. 
						

							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 hours. Charge time is longer with the computer 
turned on. You can leave the battery in the computer for as long as you like. The 
battery’s internal circuitry prevents the battery from overcharging.
If the battery is hot from being used in your computer or being in a hot 
environment, the battery may not charge when you connect the computer to an 
electrical outlet.
The battery is too hot to start charging if the   light flashes alternately green 
and orange. Disconnect the computer from the electrical outlet and allow the 
computer and the battery to cool to room temperature. Then connect the 
computer to an electrical outlet to continue charging the battery.
For information about resolving problems with a battery, see Power Problems 
on page 122.
Replacing the Battery
 CAUTION: Using an incompatible battery may increase the risk of fire or 
explosion. Replace the battery only with a compatible battery purchased from 
Dell. The battery is designed to work with your Dell™ computer. Do not use a 
battery from other computers with your computer. 
 
CAUTION: Before performing these procedures, turn off the computer, disconnect 
the AC adapter from the electrical outlet and the computer, disconnect the modem 
from the wall connector and computer, and remove any other external cables from 
the computer.
 
NOTICE: You must remove all external cables from the computer to avoid possible 
connector damage.
To remove the battery:
1If the computer is connected to a docking device (docked), undock it. See 
the documentation that came with your docking device for instructions. 
						

							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 Errors
To address error codes generated by the battery, refer to Error Messages on 
page 110. 
						

							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 sensor, which controls 
brightness of the display based on light level in the 
current environment.
 and up-arrow key Increases brightness on the integrated display only (not 
on an external monitor).
 and down-arrow key Decreases brightness on the integrated display only (not 
on an external monitor).
 Activates a power management mode. You 
can reprogram this keyboard shortcut to 
activate a different power management mode 
using the Advanced tab in the Po w e r  
Options Properties window (see Accessing 
Power Options Properties on page 46).
 Puts the computer into hibernate mode. Dell 
QuickSet is required (see Dell™ QuickSet 
on page 177).