Toshiba Satellite 2430 2435 Manual

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Monitoring battery power
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Monitoring battery power
The battery light indicates the battery’s current charge. The 
indicator light:
❖Glows green when the battery is fully charged 
❖Glows amber while the battery is being charged
❖Does not glow if the external power source is 
disconnected or if the battery is completely discharged
Determining remaining battery power
NOTE: Wait at least 16 seconds after turning on the computer 
before trying to monitor the remaining battery power. The 
computer needs this time to check the battery’s remaining capacity 
and perform its calculations.
1Click Start, Control Panel, then Performance and 
Maintenance.
2 Double-click the Toshiba Power Management icon.
The current power source and battery power remaining 
section displays the current charge state of the battery. 
The value displays as a percentage of remaining battery 
charge.  
						

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Monitoring battery power
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3Click the Battery Power Meter tab.
Sample Toshiba Power Management Battery Power Meter tab
TECHNICAL NOTE: The computer drains the battery faster at low 
temperatures. Check your remaining charge frequently if you are 
working in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The computer calculates the remaining battery charge based on 
your current rate of power use and other factors such as the age of 
the battery.
Conserving battery power 
How long a fully charged battery lasts when you are using the 
computer depends on a number of factors, such as:
❖How the computer is configured
❖How much you use the display panel instead of an 
external monitor
❖How much you use the hard disk and other drives 
						

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Monitoring battery power
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❖Whether you use any optional devices to which the 
battery supplies power, such as a PC Card
❖Where you are working—since operating time decreases 
at low temperatures
Toshiba’s power-saving options greatly increase the length of 
time you can use the computer before it becomes necessary to 
recharge the battery.
Toshiba has combined these options into preset power usage 
modes. 
What to do when the battery runs low 
When the battery runs low you can:
❖
Plug the computer into an external power source and 
recharge the battery.
❖Put the computer in Hibernate mode and replace the 
battery with a charged spare.
❖Save your work and turn off the computer.
If you don’t manage to do any of these things before the 
battery completely runs out of power, the computer 
automatically enters Hibernate mode and turns itself off. 
Hibernate mode keeps track of where you were so, when you 
turn on the power again, you can continue where you left off. 
The computer stores the information on what you were doing 
until the battery runs out of power. If you have Hibernate 
mode enabled (the default), the computer copies the details of 
your open programs and files to the hard disk before shutting 
down. 
						

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Monitoring battery power
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Setting battery alarms
Your computer can be configured to warn you when the 
battery is running low.
You can set multiple alarms. Each alarm can be set to alert 
you when a specified percentage of remaining battery power 
haw been reached. You can set how the warning occurs: 
sound an alarm, display a message, both, or none. You can 
also set the computer to enter Standby mode or Hibernate 
mode or to completely power down when the alarm goes off.
To set an alarm:
1Click Start, Control Panel, then Performance and 
Maintenance.
2 Double-click the Toshiba Power Management icon.
3Click the Alarm tab and set the alarm, as desired.
Sample Toshiba Power Management Alarm tab 
						

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Mobile Computing
Changing the main battery
5.375 x 8.375 ver 2.3
Changing the main battery 
When your battery power is running low, you have two 
options—connect the computer to an AC power source or 
install a charged battery.
CAUTION: When handling a battery, be careful not to drop it or 
short-circuit its terminals.
Removing the battery from the computer
1Save your work.
2Turn off the computer via the Start menu or place it in 
Hibernate mode according to the instructions in “Using 
Hibernation” on page 92.
3Remove all cables connected to the computer.
4Close the display panel and turn the computer upside 
down with the front side of the computer facing you.
5Push and hold the battery release latch.
Releasing the battery 
						

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Taking care of your battery
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6While still holding the release latch in the open position 
life the battery pack out of the computer.
Removing the battery
WARNING: If the battery is leaking or its case is cracked, put on 
protective gloves to handle it, and discard it immediately following 
the advice in “Disposing of used batteries safely” on page 109.
Taking care of your battery
The following sections offer tips on how to take care of your 
battery and prolong its life.
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. 
						

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Taking care of your battery
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❖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.
❖Do not incinerate a spent battery, as this could cause it to 
explode and release toxic materials.
❖If a battery is leaking or damaged, replace it immediately. 
Use protective gloves when handling a damaged battery.
❖To replace the main battery, use an identical battery that 
you can purchase through toshiba.com.
❖Reverse Polarity should be avoided with all batteries. The 
main battery is designed so that it cannot be installed in 
reverse polarity. 
❖Charge the battery pack only in the computer.
❖When you install the battery pack, you should hear a 
click when it is inserted properly.
❖Do not expose the battery pack to fire. The battery pack 
could explode.
Maximizing battery life
To maximize the life of your battery pack:
❖At least once a month, disconnect the computer from a 
power source and operate it on battery power until the 
battery pack fully discharges. Before doing so, follow the 
steps below:
1Turn off the computer’s power.
2Disconnect the AC adapter and turn on the 
computer’s power. If it does not turn on, go to step 4.
3Operate the computer on battery power for five 
minutes. If the battery pack has at least five minutes 
of operating time, continue operating until the battery 
pack is fully discharged. If the battery light LED  
						

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Taking care of your battery
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flashes or there is some other warning to indicate a 
low battery, go to step 4.
4Connect the AC adapter to the computer and the 
power cord to a power outlet. The DC-IN or AC 
power-light LED should glow green, and the Battery 
LED should glow amber to indicate that the battery 
pack is being charged. If the DC-IN or AC power-
light indicator does not glow, power is not being 
supplied. Check the connections for the AC adapter 
and power cord.
5Charge the battery pack until the Battery LED glows 
green.
❖If you have extra battery packs, rotate their use.
❖If you will not be using the system for an extended 
period, more than one month, remove the battery pack.
❖Disconnect the AC adapter when the battery is fully 
charged. Overcharging makes the battery hot and 
shortens life.
❖If you are not going to use the computer for more than 
eight hours, disconnect the AC adapter.
❖Store spare battery packs in a cool dry place out of direct 
sunlight. 
						

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Disposing of used batteries safely
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Disposing of used batteries safely 
You can recharge a battery many times. When the battery 
needs replacing, the battery light flashes amber shortly after 
you have fully recharged the battery
.
You must discard a battery if it becomes damaged.
CAUTION: The computer’s main battery is a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) 
battery, which can explode if not properly replaced, used, handled, 
or disposed of. Putting spent batteries in the trash is not only 
irresponsible, it may be illegal. Dispose of the battery as required 
by local ordinances or regulations.
Use only batteries recommended by Toshiba.
The materials that came with your computer may include an 
insert regarding the disposal of batteries. If not, check with 
your local government agency for information on where to 
recycle or dispose of old batteries. 
						

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Traveling tips
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Traveling tips
The environmental precautions listed in “Selecting a place to 
work” on page 39, also apply while traveling.
❖Never leave your computer on a sunny ledge or in a place 
where it could get wet or covered in dust.
❖Always travel with the computer in a carrying case. 
Toshiba offers a choice of carrying cases for the 
computer. They all provide plenty of extra space for 
manuals, power cables, and compact discs. Contact your 
authorized Toshiba representative for more information.
TECHNICAL NOTE: When traveling by air, you may be required to 
pass your notebook through airport security equipment. The X-ray 
equipment will not harm your computer.