Windows 10 update brings an important battery fix for some HP laptops

Windows 10 is providing a boost for the battery longevity of HP laptops, courtesy of an optional update which is available to machines which support it.

As Bleeping Computer spotted, KB4583263 is an optional update for HP business notebooks. It enables a feature called HP Battery Health Manager, if it’s disabled (in BIOS) on the laptop, and ensures that it’s switched on with HP’s recommended setting (‘Let HP Manage My Battery Charging’).

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This feature, which is present with most HP business laptops, changes the way the notebook is charged over time to optimize the longevity and overall health of the battery.

HP explains that the implemented battery health management measures tackle certain detrimental factors, mitigating the effects of being in a “high state-of-charge.”

Note that the KB4583263 update will not change the BIOS of an HP notebook in any way. In other words, it won’t introduce Battery Health Manager as an update, but simply switch it on with notebooks where it’s available (and currently disabled).

Battery swelling

You don’t have to go this route, and this is an optional update for Windows 10 after all, but HP recommends that the battery management capability isn’t disabled: “Disabling HP Battery Health Manager results in accelerated battery swelling and chemical aging of the notebook battery and is not recommended.”

HP notes that it recently improved the feature’s algorithms for optimizing charging, and this broader rollout is taking place because you really shouldn’t be without those benefits if you own a supported notebook.

If you later decide you don’t want the feature – for whatever reason – it is possible to disable it again. All you need to do is go into the BIOS settings for Battery Health Manager and select the option to ‘Maximize my battery duration’, following HP’s instructions here. Although as noted above HP doesn’t recommend this, and it could shorten your battery’s effective lifespan in the longer-term.

Naturally, you will get better battery life in the short-term – as in more hours away from a power socket – but seemingly at a cost which isn’t worth it going by HP’s advice.

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