Why has my laptop battery life suddenly deteriorated

The maximum life was 1.5 hours and suddenly has dropped to a maximum capacity of 20 minutes? I have had the ACER AS07A31 Battery for about a year, do laptop batteries like that deteriorate with time?

Yes, the cells die over time. Unfortunately batteries aren’t covered under extended warranty.

And if you do not plug your computer in while you are are on it almost every time, you could loose battery life. If you do plug your computer in almost every time, cells do die so you should strongly consider to buy a new battery

There is a simple answer to your problem. The Dell Inspiron 2200 Battery for the unit is likely damaged or simply over-used. You will have to purchase a new battery in order for the laptop to work without being constantly plugged in. Normally I would have suggested to check the Power Settings but 10 minutes seems too short even for the most non-energy efficient machines out there.

Even the maximum life of 1.5 hours seems a bit short. Anyway, the battery juice is probably worn out.

Here are some tips to conserve dell battery power in the future:
1. Once a battery is fully charged, you should not leave the charger plugged in.

2. Most chargers and batteries have a 500-time charge and discharge limit and then they start getting weak. So it is best not to keep on plugging the charger in and out.

3. It is best to charge the battery only when it reaches less than 40% of battery power. Charging the battery when it is half full will make the battery weaker.

4. Some also recommend the following: only charge the battery when the laptop is turned off or on standby. When you are able to use the charger, then use the charger without the battery in the laptop. If you can’t use the charger, then use the battery.

5. If not using the battery for a long time, then store it in a cool place, i.e., the refrigerator, using a ziplock bag.

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