A shorter working day on battery deserves a record of what changed, not an immediate parts order based on one percentage. Windows 11 can generate a report containing battery usage and estimated capacity information.

If the case is bulging or the battery has visibly expanded, stop using the device. Microsoft advises immediate cessation of use for an expanded battery and warns against pressure or puncturing. A report is not a reason to continue a physical safety problem.

Generate and locate the report

Search for Command Prompt, right-click it and choose Run as administrator if you are authorised. Enter powercfg /batteryreport and press Enter. Windows displays the location of the resulting HTML file.

Open that location in File Explorer and double-click the report. Microsoft suggests beginning with Installed battery, Recent usage and Battery usage. Keep a dated copy so later observations can be compared with the same recorded starting point.

Read the headings and units carefully. Estimated capacity and recent activity are useful context, but they are not interchangeable with a guaranteed number of hours for your next workload.

Connect the history to actual use

Write down what the computer was doing during the period that concerned you: ordinary documents, a long video call, a demanding application or time left unused. Note whether the charger was connected and whether there were unexpected shutdowns.

Look for the corresponding period in the report. If the recorded pattern does not match your recollection, retain that uncertainty instead of forcing a conclusion from one value.

Compare future reports only with an understanding of the workload and settings involved. Do not deliberately drain the battery to zero to create a dramatic test, or repeatedly reproduce sudden shutdowns.

For an assessment, provide the report with the laptop model, charger details and concrete symptoms through a private support route. Useful evidence can guide the next check while leaving battery condition, charging input and other power-related faults as separate questions.

Sources: Microsoft Windows battery report.