How to run Windows 11’s built-in battery health report

Windows 11 includes a built-in battery health report that lets users check a laptop battery's condition, and it can be accessed without specialist skills. To run the report, open PowerShell and enter: powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:\battery-report.html". The command creates an HTML file in the C: folder; open that file in a browser to view details such as the battery name, chemistry, lifecycle position and recent charging data.

The report lists key metrics including design capacity (the battery's original energy in mWh) and full charge capacity (the current capacity in mWh). The gap between those figures indicates degradation; for many small to mid-range batteries (45Wh, 48Wh, 60Wh or 65Wh), a 15% reduction is likely noticeable and a 20% loss is generally considered grounds for replacement, though the article notes this is not a hard rule.

It also shows cycle count, which records how many times 100% of the battery's capacity has been used. The article says most consumer laptop batteries are designed to last around 500 cycles and that capacity loss of about 20% commonly appears around that point. How quickly a battery reaches that point depends on usage habits and heat exposure; the piece advises avoiding overheating and putting a running laptop in a bag.

The report includes recent battery life estimates compared with how long the battery would have lasted when new, and large differences can indicate significant degradation.

Key Topics

Tech, Powershell, Battery Health, Cycle Count, Lithium-ion, Laptop Battery