How to Perform a Battery Calibration Cycle on a Dell Laptop

Summary: This process can help resolve problems where the laptop battery discharges quickly or the battery percentage drops suddenly (example: 20% charge to 6% in a short timeframe.)

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Instructions

Battery Calibration Cycle

It is recommended to perform up to three battery calibration cycles to ensure that the laptop’s battery has been fully calibrated.

  1. Start by plugging in the laptop’s AC Adapter to the wall outlet and the laptop. Ensure that the laptop has begun charging once the AC adapter is plugged in.
    AC Adapter Plugged Into a Dell Laptop
    Note: Your AC Adapter might be a USB Type C or a Barrel style connector.
  2. Allow the laptop to charge up to 100%. While the laptop is charging, you may use it.
    Windows Battery Status 100%
     
  3. Unplug the AC adapter from the laptop and allow the battery to discharge. The laptop can be used during this time.
    AC Adapter Un-Plugged From a Dell Laptop
     
  4. Once the laptop’s battery has reached 6% or less, plug the AC adapter back in, and allow the laptop to charge up to 100%.
    Windows Battery Status 6%
     
  5. Once the laptop has been charged up to 100%, this completes one battery calibration cycle.

For more information about Dell battery usage and troubleshooting, see these Dell Knowledge Base articles:

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Affected Products

G Series, Alienware, Dell Laptops, Dell Plus, Dell Pro, Dell Pro Max, Dell Pro Plus, Dell Pro Premium, Inspiron, Latitude, Dell Pro Rugged, Vostro, XPS, Legacy Laptop Models, Mobile Workstations, Dell Pro Max 16 XE MC16250
Article Properties
Article Number: 000205559
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 24 Jul 2025
Version:  7
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