Microsoft: Windows 7 Isn't Killing Batteries

News
By Jane McEntegart
published

Microsoft has said that the battery problems currently plaguing a number of Windows 7 users are not caused by the operating system.

Last week Microsoft said the company was investigating whether or not Windows 7 caused laptop battery life to deteriorate. People who have installed Windows 7 (stretching back as far as the RC release last June) say that their computer's battery life has taken a huge hit. One user reported that before Windows 7, he used to get seven hours of battery from his brand new laptop. Once he had installed Windows 7, it dropped to four hours on a full charge and even then, it was an optimistic four hours. Others said their laptop was telling them to replace their battery altogether.

Microsoft yesterday posted to its MSDN blog network and explained that to the best of its knowledge, Windows 7 is not destroying customers' batteries.

"Several press articles this past week have drawn attention to blog and forum postings by users claiming Windows 7 is warning them to “consider replacing your battery” in systems which appeared to be operating satisfactorily before upgrading to Windows 7," Microsoft says. "These articles described posts in the support forums indicating that Windows 7 is not just warning users of failing batteries – as we designed Windows 7 to do this – but also implying Windows 7 is falsely reporting this situation or even worse, causing these batteries to fail."

The company clarifies that this is not an issue with Windows 7:

"To the very best of the collective ecosystem knowledge, Windows 7 is correctly warning batteries that are in fact failing and Windows 7 is neither incorrectly reporting on battery status nor in any way whatsoever causing batteries to reach this state. In every case we have been able to identify the battery being reported on was in fact in need of recommended replacement."

Microsoft goes on to explain how the battery replacement warning works, detailing that Windows 7 has a set threshold of 60 percent degradation (that is the battery is performing at 40 percent of its designed capacity). When your battery reaches this level of degradation, Windows 7 will suggest you replace your battery.

The company reiterates that this is a feature exclusive to Windows 7, so folks running Vista or XP could have thought their battery was fine, when in reality it was deteriorating the whole time.

Read the unabridged post here.

Jane McEntegart
66 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ashrafpasha
    I am with microsoft on that. I have seen that in XP Vista etc.. Battery shows 100% and drops to 10% and then shuts down sometimes. This is battery issue not OS.
    Reply
  • maigo
    There's always something with windows
    Reply
  • thackstonns
    I call Shinanagins on this one. Here is the thing I had a sony Viao running xp and replaced the battery about a month before I installed the rc of windows 7. On the rc everything was fine. Got good battery life the whole time. Wipe install windows 7 home premium, reboot, computer tells me the battery needs replaced. I put the old dead battery in, it lasts about 40 minutes, but no warning saying I need to replace that one. (which is way less than 60% battery life). I bet every battery they tested needs replaced. Cause widows 7 destroys them. Tried the new battery in another Viao. It wont last 15minutes now.
    I chalked it up to a bad battery until I read that its happening to a lot of users besides just me.
    Reply
  • brett1042002
    Sounds like another pebcak error.
    Reply
  • ravewulf
    The company reiterates that this is a feature exclusive to Windows 7, so folks running Vista or XP could have thought their battery was fine, when in reality it was deteriorating the whole time.

    This seems to be the key point
    Reply
  • intelliclint
    Nice feature. I would say that users complaining about Windows 7 battery life after upgrading have a battery that is likely over a year old. It is not unusual for a battery to start showing signs of degradation after that time period. Their may be other factors as well though as some manufactures include their own power schemes that are no longer present after the upgrade.
    Reply
  • Pyroflea
    thackstonnsI call Shinanagins on this one. Here is the thing I had a sony Viao running xp and replaced the battery about a month before I installed the rc of windows 7. On the rc everything was fine. Got good battery life the whole time. Wipe install windows 7 home premium, reboot, computer tells me the battery needs replaced. I put the old dead battery in, it lasts about 40 minutes, but no warning saying I need to replace that one. (which is way less than 60% battery life). I bet every battery they tested needs replaced. Cause widows 7 destroys them. Tried the new battery in another Viao. It wont last 15minutes now. I chalked it up to a bad battery until I read that its happening to a lot of users besides just me.
    Want to explain to me how this software is destroying a power supply?
    Reply
  • Miharu
    Sound like if you buy a new computer, the battery could be under 40% because the battery sleep in the box for 1 year. Win7 do right but he should perhaps give the option "ignore battery degradation" (perhaps not the manufacturer will just check this setting by default).

    Bad settings in the battery or damn old NEW battery, laptop manufactures have one more setting to check before sell you a NEW LAPTOP with a crappy a OLD NEW battery...
    Reply
  • Dawgsoverrebs
    (I call Shinanagins on this one. Here is the thing I had a sony Viao running xp and replaced the battery about a month before I installed the rc of windows 7. On the rc everything was fine. Got good battery life the whole time. Wipe install windows 7 home premium, reboot, computer tells me the battery needs replaced. I put the old dead battery in, it lasts about 40 minutes, but no warning saying I need to replace that one. (which is way less than 60% battery life). I bet every battery they tested needs replaced. Cause widows 7 destroys them. Tried the new battery in another Viao. It wont last 15minutes now.
    I chalked it up to a bad battery until I read that its happening to a lot of users besides just me.)

    or maybe the battery you bought was bad to begin with and u didn't notice on xp
    Reply
  • zorky9
    clean installed windows 7 home premium 64 over a 32-bit vista home premium on an HP dv6700t. no problems with the battery. been using it since october. then again i've always taken good care of the battery with regular charge-drain cycles.
    Reply