Microsoft and Intel working on Windows 10 battery issue fix and a zero day patch

Intel and Microsoft are working to fix a bug that cuts the battery life of laptops using Windows 10 by up to 10%, to make the new OS offer the same battery performance as Windows 8.1.

"Intel and Microsoft are working to optimise drivers for battery performance on Windows 10 across Intel platforms. While we are working on technical optimisations, we have seen very minor hits to battery life but even the upper end of what we have seen is below 10%. Do know that we expect battery life on Windows 10 systems to be nearly the same as on Windows 8.1 systems once the final Windows 10 drivers have been updated and released," said an Intel spokesperson in an email issued to the PCWorld.

The official roll-out of Windows 10 is scheduled for 29 July, shortly after which the shipment of Intel's Skylake chips are expected.

As bugs are highly likely with the combination of new software and hardware, Microsoft, app developers and Microsoft's hardware partners, including Intel, are finalising drivers and fixing other minor problems.

The report further quotes anonymous sources who claims that a 'zero day' software update will be issued for Windows 10 through Windows Update, and Microsoft apps, including Mail and the Xbox app, will have to be updated using Windows Store.

While the zero-day patch is expected to bundle a firmware update for Intel-powered PCs, a Microsoft spokesperson said, "A benefit of delivering Windows 10 as a service means we continue to offer ongoing innovations and security updates, continuously improving Windows 10."

'Cortana affects battery life'

Meanwhile, PC manufacturers are concerned about the power consumption of Microsoft's personal digital assistant Cortana, saying that the "Hey Cortana" feature will affect the battery life.

When other apps show no CPU usage when idle, Hey Cortana uses 6% of a Core i5-powered HP Spectre X360.