From Catherine Roseberry,
Your Guide to Mobile Office Technology.
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From a reader "We did not get a user manual when we got our laptop recently. To recharge a battery... a) Do we just plug it in to a wall socket…with computer on…or off? b) Can we use computer while charging? c) Do we have computer off when charging?

A. a)You do plug it into a wall socket but please be sure to use a surge protector between the wall outlet and your power adapter. Recharging a laptop battery without a surge protector is a quick and easy way to damage the laptop.
b)You can use the laptop while it is charging, there is no problem working that way.
c)If you aren't going to be using the laptop when you want to recharge the battery, then turn it off. There's no need to leave it running if it isn't being used.