Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' review
Batteries are laptops' Achilles' heels. Many mobile users have been let down by their battery meters, too, which can misjudge or misrepresent how much charge is actually left in your battery. The shortcomings of the built-in Windows meter lead to free tools like BatteryCare. It's a simple utility that displays your laptop battery's status and capacity and the time remaining in its discharge cycle. It monitors and displays CPU and HDD temperatures, too.
BatteryCare has a small but attractive interface that offers a lot more information than the built-in Windows tool, or many other battery meters we've seen, for that matter, with tabs for Basic and Detailed Information; the latter includes entries for battery model, designed capacity, wear level, and more. A system tray icon lets users display and hide the interface and access not only the program's options but also Power Settings and Power Plans. Hovering the cursor over the icon called up a semitransparent window showing battery status and charge but also the temperature of our CPU and primary hard disk drive. BatteryCare has a lot of settings for a simple tool, especially in the Notifications section, which includes not only full, low, and critical battery level warnings but also a configurable remaining time warning and a unique option to configure a warning to replace the battery after a certain number of discharge cycles, which can head off trouble before it catches up to you "in the field." The Power Plans section included selections for running on batteries and plugged in to AC power, as well as an automatic option. The Advanced section showed usage statistics as well as an option of particular interest to Vista users: the ability to run at startup in Administrator mode, which enables temperature monitoring and service pausing even when the bothersome User Account Control is active.
If you rely on your laptop's batteries, we highly recommend a good battery meter like BatteryCare. Even if your laptop stays tethered to a wall wart, though, it can help you ensure that your battery is ready to go, when and if you need it.
Publisher's Description
From Filipe Lourenso:
BatteryCare is software created to optimize the usage and performance of the modern laptop's battery. It monitors the battery's discharge cycles and helps increasing it's autonomy and improving its lifetime. Provides detailed battery information and monitors the battery discharge cycles. It includes CPU and Hard Disk temperature monitoring. Advanced features like automatically disabling in battery mode Windows Aero theme, demanding services, and the Windows Sidebar or Gadgets. It also contains a reliable statistical battery time calculation method.
What's new in this version: Version 0.9.10 includes audio notifications option and updated Intel CPU Tjmax values.
More Products to Consider
-
Tune up and maintain your PC, clean registry easily. -
Clean up junk files and invalid Registry entries. -
Take full control over RAR and ZIP archives, along with unpacki... -
Fix, speed up, maintain, and protect your PC. -
Update PC drivers automatically using cloud technology. -
Take full control over RAR and ZIP archives, along with unpacki... -
Move, resize, copy, explore, and recover hard disk drive partit... -
Manage your paid projects without advanced scheduling. - Copy files and manage your files on PC.
-
Configure and manage disk partitions, move, resize, copy and re... -
Distinguish and capture text on your screen. -
Find and fix incorrect or obsolete information in the Windows r... -
Manage and synchronize files automatically between multiple com... -
Keep your PC in tiptop shape and at peak performance. -
Manage and view your favorite photos. -
View free physical memory on system tray and on screen. -
Download and update all your Windows drivers, back them up and ... -
Monitor hard disk drives in real time. -
Zip and unzip files instantly, protect them by encryption, or b... -
Monitor real time processor usage and analyze on your system tr... -
Defragment your disks and improve computer performance and stab... -
Organize your video series collection. -
Stay alerted about the flash drive connoted to the PC during th... -
Scan junk files and delete these junk files in Windows system.
-
All versions:
3.5 starsout of 46 votes
-
Current version:
0 stars Be the first to review this product -
My rating:
Write review
-
"Contains LinkSelection malware"
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.12.1
Pros
None - contains malware.
Cons
As highlighted by dhamon303 - I wish I had read that review before I download - this contains malware. Shame on you, CNET - I thought I could trust downloads from you?!
-
"Do Not Download!"
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.12.1
Pros
None... comes with virus
Cons
I downloaded this to check my battery performance and along with it came multiple malware virus that has affected my laptop. It comes with white smoke malware which effects your registry and browser jack: conduit and delta... I'm still trying to remove it
-
"Fine battery-app"
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.12.1
Pros
Has a nice way of showing how long the battery will last for, as well as how much there is left on the battery (in percentage). Other than that, it is just as good as the windows app.
Cons
None that I have come across so far.
-
"installs a couple of viruses along with crapware."
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.12.1
Pros
I dont't know. I uninstalled the app as soon as I found the viruses.
Cons
The setup routine offers to install some other software that I didn't ask for. I declined the offer and got a pair of viruses.
Summary
As it happened I was running a quick mse scan as I installed the program. After refusing a couple of additional programs and clicking the minimum of remaining checkboxes I tried running the program but nothing seemed to happpen. The mse scan finished and I checked the results. There were two viruses quarantined with date and time coinciding the the installation of the progam. Perhaps hastilly, I immediaately removed the viruses. Now I don't remember what they were so I can't check the complete removal procedure. Instead I'm going to have to run full scans until I am happy that the machine is clean. Either the program or the site is contaminated.
-
"It kind of is a good tool"
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.11
Pros
It does what is says it would do.
Cons
Slowed down my computer a bit.
Summary
Can't really say if this is a useful to have or not. I like my computer fast, that is for sure.
-
"does what it supposes to do"
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.9.1
Pros
easy to use ...
Cons
none ...
if there are they are so small I don't even mention themSummary
a good download
-
"Ideal app if you want to care your laptop's battery"
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.8.11
Pros
It has a counter which allow you to establish how often a calibration process has to be done. it could be each 20, 25, 30 or 40 discharge cycles, you just have to set ir.
Cons
I haven't found any cons... I've just downloaded it 1 hour ago
-
"Results really surprised me!"
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.8.11
Pros
Easy to use and understand.
Cons
Wise move to read how to improve life of battery to get most out of app
Summary
Great product. Fried my last battery don't plan on doing it again
-
"Good tool. Helps to know estimated time left"
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.8.11
Pros
Easy to use and set options.
Cons
Using UAC bypass causes error message to appear occasionally when multiple users are logged on.
-
"Don't like want to remove."
Version: BatteryCare 0.9.8.11
Pros
None that I can find.
Cons
no controle program runs its self cannot turn off or on. Will sht down program while loading cannot extend time or anything Else.
Summary
If I could turn it off I would uninstall it but since I cannot turn it off I am
Stuck with it
Add Your Review
Submit your reply
E-mail this review
Report offensive content
Previous Versions:
