new laptop should I shut down or ...

keep it on and/or plugged into the charge when I am not using it?

I am not sure how to treat this battery. Is it OK to keep it charging whenever I am not using it? Should I charge it while on or off? I get worried about it overheating on me. How do I not ruin the battery?

Thanks!!

 

I would always follow manufacturer's recommendations (primarily to keep warranty in place).

The following articles should provide some good basic information ....
Laptop Battery Basics - when used as a portable.
Laptop Battery Basics - when used as a desktop.

 

"Remember that when you have removed the battery from a laptop while using with an electrical outlet "“ the automatic battery backup is no longer functional. Make sure to plug your laptop into an uninterrupted power source (UPS) not directly into an outlet or surge protector." where in my house would I have a UPS ??? I would think I should be plugged into a power surge and with any computer??

 

When battery is IN laptop AND you plug into wall outlet.
With this configuration and your house electric shuts off, laptop's internal BATTERY will immediately take over, preventing computer from crashing.

When battery is OUT of laptop AND you plug into wall outlet.
With this configuration and your house electric shuts off, your computer will crash.
UNLESS
You have laptop plugged into a UPS (uninterruptedly power source). This device contains batteries and special switches. You plugged this device into wall outlet and plug any computer into device (UPS). If house electric goes off, this device will supply electric to computer, preventing a crash. UPS's are nice to have, but are not required. If you live in an area with electrial supply issues (quality or availability) they are an wise investment.

 

• Wikipedia: Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

You can find them at just about any store that sells computers.

My UPS has software that is supposed to shut down my computer gracefully and automatically when I have 5 minutes of UPS battery power left. I have never tested that though.

 

There have some articles about laptop battery, maybe they're helpful for you.
http://www.e-battery.org/faq/

 

I clicked this and something is wrong... user has one post... should I worry about this???

 

Hi missy77,
The website works fine for me. There seems to be some good information.

Try this page:
http://www.e-battery.org/faq/category.php?id=4

You might be interested in the FAQ "If I remove the battery & run from a power source will it lengthen battery life? "

The website's server may have been down when you tried. If you have another browser, try using that (I'm using Firefox). The website seems basic, so I don't think it is trying to run anything like Java applets and there are no popups.

Matt