Verified answer

keep it plugged into the power when you can,i think the battery may be similar the the ones in a mobile with over use it kills it you can try getting in touch with where you bought it and they may be able to advise you and maybe change it if they think its faulty

All batteries have a natural life cycle. The normal expected for a ni-cad is 300 charges. You will shorten that life if you leave it on the charger for long periods of time. The built-in chargers do not turn off even when the battery is full. They continue to feed a trickle charge which is not good. If you get at least two years out of a battery, you are really doing good. The newer Li-Ion are not really that much better. Be aware that when you are on the internet, you are using the network card and if you do not allow the system to turn it off when not in use, it still draws a lot of power sitting idle. With the screen brightness set to a higher level, it will really eat power. If you are listening to music, try setting the monitor to turn off after a short time. Some HP's have a reconditioner program for the battery pack. Check the makers web site. If all this does not help, replace it.

Your battery's lifetime degrades depending on how many times you charge it. Also when you are using the mains and the battery is full you should take the battery out as there is also a memory effect to consider.

Memory effect is when the battery cells crystalise at a certain level (say half full) and going forward when the battery gets used and reaches this level, it will think that it is empty. Memory effect occurs when your recharge the battery when it is not fully used, eg halff full and then you charge it again.

you should only recharge the battery when the power meter is almost empty, this extends battery life. Not doing so shortens battery life. It kinda makes your battery think 50% charged is100%. Also, if your in a place with an electrical outlet, take the battery out and power your laptop by the ac adapter to maintain battery life

It sounds like your battery is faulty, have you been letting the battery run down before recharging? If it's fairly new it should still be under warranty, check with HP or the place where you bought it.

Those batteries degrade over time. They won't hold the same charge forever. The longer you own it, the less charge the battery will hold. Replace the battery and you will be fine.

Batteries do get worse over time, thats why people buy new ones.

On average you get about 300 charges off one battery then they recommend changing them (i.e. about every year or so), and thats where laptops get costly (cos batteries are quite expensive for them).

The battery is of poor quality.

Something could be wrong with the fan on the laptop- it could be overheating and shutting down.