Compaq Armada 1700 Reference Manual page 54

When the computer does not contain a charged battery pack, save
your work and turn off the computer before disconnecting it from
external power.
When a charged battery pack is in the computer, you do not need
to turn off the computer before disconnecting it from external
power. The computer automatically switches to battery power.
If the computer will be unused and disconnected from
external power for an extended period of time, remove the battery
pack(s). This reduces the discharge rate and extends battery life.
The computer comes equipped with a collection of power
management features that allow you to extend battery operating
time or conserve AC power.
You can use power management to monitor most of the computer
components, such as the hard drive, processor, and display. When
these components are inactive for specified periods of time (called
timeouts), you can use power management settings to shut them
down temporarily. This will conserve battery or AC power.
Most power management settings are located under Power
Properties (Click Start Æ Control Panel Æ double-click Power Æ
Power Properties). These setting options allow you to configure
the way your system uses battery and AC power.