1. Charge the battery! Consider keeping it plugged in for 12 hours before you unplug.

Tip! Over time, you may find that you have to recharge your Dell VHR5P battery more often to get the expected level of performance. If that's the case, it's time to replace your battery. Look for lithium ion (Li-Ion) replacement batteries for the greatest longevity.

2. Switch on the optimized battery or power feature. You'll find this option - sometimes referred to as max Dell VHR5P battery battery mode - in your laptop system's built-in power management control panel. You can select the option to reduce the amount of time your inactive laptop stays on before powering itself down and going to sleep.

Tip! Turning off power-draining facilities like backlights can preserve quite a bit of Dell VHR5P laptop battery life.

3. Check to see if your laptop has the optimum amount of RAM. You can do this by right mouse clicking on My Computer. The amount of RAM you have will appear under your System Information. RAM enables your system to run program instructions using the computer's memory instead of its hard disk drive (HDD), where it stores data. Refreshing the RAM requires less power than spinning the hard drive, so having the correct amount of RAM means less drain on your Dell VHR5P battery.

Tip! Consider 2 GB or more RAM for the best performance!

4. Remove the battery and clean the metal contacts. Wipe them with alcohol, ideally every two months, to ensure that the power transfer between the laptop and its battery is as efficient as possible. Allow the Dell VHR5P battery to dry thoroughly before replacing it!

5. Unplug any laptop accessories you aren't using. Even if they're not in use, accessories drain power from the Sony Laptop battery .

Tips! Turn your wireless local area network (WLAN) switch off if you don't need a wireless connection - a button or LED on your laptop usually lights up to indicate wireless activities.

Use your laptop in the best possible lighting conditions. In brighter conditions, you won't need to set your laptop screen to maximize brightness so you can save additional Sony Laptop battery life.

6. Defragment the hard drive so your system operates as efficiently as possible. The built-in defragmenting utility included with Windows®-based operating systems decreases the time your system must spend searching for files by rearranging file fragments, so they are closer together on the hard drive. Less time searching means less spinning for the hard drive and less use of Dell VHR5P battery power.

Tip! Defragment your hard drive at least every two months!