The results of that investigation seem to suggest, at least to Microsoft, that Windows 7 is working exactly the way it was designed, and that reported battery issues are simply accurate–meaning the battery does have issues or is dying–or that users are simply confused or alarmed because Windows 7 has better power management–including new alerts related to battery life that users are not familiar with.

There are still users who insist the issue runs deeper than that, though, and Microsoft is interested in hearing from those users to continue exploring the issue to determine what, if anything, the problem might be.

In keeping with that “green” mindset, Windows 7 includes a variety of power management features to ensure your computer system consumes as little energy as possible, especially when it is just sitting there not really doing anything.

What? You don’t care about being “green”? Let’s try a different tack. Even if you could care less about the Earth, or you at least don’t feel that whether or not you recycle your Coke can actually matters to the planet, there is a self-serving angle to look at. If you learn about Windows 7 power management and how to configure and use it, you can squeeze more life out of the battery so you can get in a few extra games of solitaire on your next cross-country flight.

Check out this video walkthrough of Windows 7 power management features from Microsoft’s Springboard Series: Power Management in Windows 7.