Steps to maximize the life of your battery

Manage battery power more effectively in Windows
Make sure your battery gives the power you need, when you need it. Power Options in your Control Panel allow you to adjust the power management features of your notebook PC.
Tips for conserving battery power on notebook PCs
 You can manually change the power consumption of your notebook PC and conserve battery power.

• Reduce the brightness of the screen to the minimum readable level. Use the function keys on the top of your keyboard to adjust the brightness.
• Remove peripherals when not in use. External hard drives, CD-ROMs, Zip drives, PC cards, and other peripheral devices can draw power from your battery even when they are not in active use. Disconnect them when you have finished using them.
• Turn off the Wireless On-Off button when it is not in use. If your notebook has one, press the Wireless On-Off button so that the light turns off.

Battery care practices
 Battery cells suffer gradual, irreversible capacity loss over time. Such aging occurs more rapidly as temperature and discharge loads increase. Here are some suggested ways to minimize the capacity loss for your battery.

• Store Li-Ion batteries between 20°C and 25°C (68°F and 77°F) with 30% to 50% charge.
• Do not leave batteries exposed to high temperatures for extended periods. Prolonged exposure to heat (for example, inside a hot car) will accelerate the deterioration of Li-Ion cells.
• Remove the battery if the notebook will be stored (turned off and not plugged into AC power) for more than 2 weeks.
• Remove the battery if the notebook will be plugged into AC power continuously (via a wall adapter or docking station) for more than 2 weeks.

Note: Recommendations for battery use and storage are covered in the HP User Guides for each model.

Calibrate the notebook PC battery
Short discharges and recharges do not fully synchronize the battery's fuel gauge with the battery's state-of-charge. This can result in the amount of power available in one cycle being less than expected or the battery meter being inaccurate.
Under normal usage, batteries should be calibrated a minimum ofonce every 3 months. Use the following links for more information on calibrating your battery

• Calibrating the Notebook Battery in Microsoft Windows 98, ME, XP, and 2000
• Calibrating the Notebook Battery (Windows Vista and Windows 7)

(Source: http://h20239.www2.hp.com/techcenter/battery/Battery_max.htm)