1) Open the Control Panel.

2) Click the Power Management icon.

3) On the "Power Schemes" tab, make certain the "Portable/Laptop" option is selected.

4) Once selected, click Apply.

5) Click the "APM" tab (Advanced Power Management).

6) Enable APM. This will allow a battery life icon to be created on the task bar.

Outcome

A battery life icon will be created on the Windows task bar.