wi-fi adapter still transmitting?

SumeragiSubaru,

When the adapter is turned off, it should not ne transmitting a signal.

Are you shutting down the computer or letting it sleep/hibernate? Sleep/hibernate would still use power to remember everything for quick access. Shutdown would use enough power for maybe the systems clock.

Rick

Batteries wear out eventually even if they are never used. When the computer is off it doesn't transmit any signal. The wireless is not wearing down your battery when the computer is off. If you suspect your battery is weak or dying, you can remove it and use just the adapter cable plugged into an electric outlet. That will work until you replace the battery.

If you are out of warranty, get your help in these forums for free. You will have to pay for out of warranty support.

I would like to know the specific model number of the laptop itself, the Express Service Tag code, or even the part number of the battery, but all of the above advice is excellent and should be considered.

Laptop batteries typically cost in the ~$60 and up range via various vendors.  If the laptop is three or more years old then it is possible the Lithium battery is simply not holding its charge the way it originally did.  There is also a PC Wizard utility program that will allow a user to see more detailed information on a battery than is typically shown, however downloading any third-party software is completely at the risk of the computer owner.

Monitoring your battery's capacity and noting the charge remaining level at the following intervals may tell you something about the rate at which it is draining.  Providing the option to enable the Power icon in the SysTray (a Windows feature) is enabled.

30 minutes

60 minutes

90 minutes

120 minutes

Or perhaps even more frequent intervals; such as 15 minute time slices.  Simply hover the Power icon and write down the percentage (%) of power remaining.  If a sharp decline in power remaining is noted at a certain point, than this will confirm any suspicions regarding the battery's lifespan.  The decline rate should be a flat line over time (e.g. 75%, 50%, 25%, etc) as opposed to reading which drop off steeply (e.g. 75%, 35%, 'Warning: Plug in now', etc).

I hope this additional information is useful to you.

Best wishes!