IBM Thinkpad batteries, like any other computers, tend to lose their ability over time. It becomes necessary to get a replacement battery if it cannot hold a full charge. There are many local as well as online stores where you can find a replacement battery for your Thinkpad. But before actually purchasing a new power cell, you need to understand certain basic factors.

The standby time of the Thinkpad batteries get short over time. The life of these power devices is calculated in accordance to the number of its charge cycles. The power of battery gradually reduces with the number of charge cycles. Sometimes you will also find that the running time of the batteries is not as long as marked at the description. This is because the running time is actually based on the present running watts of your laptop. In order to reduce the running watts of your Thinkpad laptop you can use the power management solution. It is better not to use any external USB devices or other similar equipment as well as close the Bluetooth and wireless LAN when you are not using them. Apart from that, avoid using CPU intensive calculation procedures so as to extend the running time of your power device.

The battery power is usually higher than the designed capacity while these new batteries are fully charged. If you stop charging before it reaches the designed capacity, the battery will show that it is not 100% charged. However, fully charged power of Thinkpad batteries will gradually decrease with number of charge cycles accumulated.

In case you are not likely to use your Thinkpad batteries for a long time, it is better to get them charged to 60% and put them a plastic bag and store in a cool place. Always remember to discharge and charge it after every six months.

You can remove Thinkpad batteries safely by following these steps:

• First shut down your laptop and also remove the plug from the jack of your computer so as to disconnect the AC adapter. Also close the screen of your computer.
• Turn the laptop upside down and place it on a flat surface and search for the battery compartment. It is usually located at the back of the laptop near the front edge. There will be either one sliding latch or two sliding latches on the battery cover, depending on your particular model. Remove the sliding latches.
• Lift the battery pack gently and note down the model number printed on it so as to get an exact replacement.