Laptop battery - dead?

30-05-2006, 20:44

When I dug out my old laptop yesterday it was fine when it operated connected to the mains, but when I took the power socket out, the laptop switched off. I thought that maybe it wasn't charged enough, so I left it on charge for about 8 hours and tried to turn it on without power, but it didn't work. I thought that perhaps there was a problem with the actual laptop not the battery and maybe it wasn't detecting it, but it wasn't, because whenever the laptop was off and I had the battery and mains connected to it, the 'battery charging' light was on, and whenever I removed the battery this light went out.
When I start the laptop and go on Windows and go on power options, it detects the battery whenever I insert it, and it says power level at 3% and charging, but it never changes, even after a few hours.

By the way I haven't used the laptop and battery for about 12 months.
Has the battery gone?

Stuart · 30-05-2006, 20:49

Sounds like it.

Tightscot · 30-05-2006, 21:27

Thought i'd just add that when using your laptop you should NOT use it with the power lead and battery both connected - this kills the battery over a shorter period of time than normal due to the constant 'trickle charging'

Thought it was a load of rubbish when i heard it but then my second battery failed - after 4 months.

Apparently you should use it on the mains to charge only - disconnect the battery if you want to use it regularly whilst plugged in.

HTH

30-05-2006, 22:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tightscot

Thought i'd just add that when using your laptop you should NOT use it with the power lead and battery both connected - this kills the battery over a shorter period of time than normal due to the constant 'trickle charging'

Thought it was a load of rubbish when i heard it but then my second battery failed - after 4 months.

Apparently you should use it on the mains to charge only - disconnect the battery if you want to use it regularly whilst plugged in.

HTH

Thanks for this.

nffc · 30-05-2006, 22:18

Check for battery recalibration options in the Bios. It may be it's just confused though i suspect it's dead.

It would help if you told us what lappy it was.

progers · 31-05-2006, 08:35

Assuming your laptop has a NiCad battery, they develop a memory effect; if you always have the laptop plugged in when you use it, you are only using the battery in a charge state from 95% to 100%. After a period of time, the battery "remembers" that so from fully charged to fully discharged is effectively only 5% of its capability. Not using it for 12 months will probably have killed it completely.

For future reference, with any NiCad powered items, use them until almost fully discharged, then fully charge them. Best still, buy items with NiMh batteries, thay have no memory effect!

Tightscot · 31-05-2006, 08:50

Also this may be worth looking into when you get a replacement...

If you've installed Windows XP Service Pack 2 on your portable computer, you may find that the battery goes down more quickly than you expected after you unplug the AC power. This can happen because the computer isn't able to go into the ACPI processor idle state because of a component of the USB 2.0 driver. There's an update that you can download and apply to fix the problem. To find out more and get the update, see KB article 918005 at http://www.wxpnews.com/7D7HLN/060530-Battery_Drain

tw67 · 02-06-2006, 01:17

know for a fact ibm R40 laptops do exactly the same if you use an linferior ac power supply, output of 4A will show battery charging but battery % wont rise, solution is to use 4.5 A supply and will charge as usual, take it your using original ac adapter

Xaccers · 02-06-2006, 01:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by progers

Assuming your laptop has a NiCad battery, they develop a memory effect; if you always have the laptop plugged in when you use it, you are only using the battery in a charge state from 95% to 100%. After a period of time, the battery "remembers" that so from fully charged to fully discharged is effectively only 5% of its capability. Not using it for 12 months will probably have killed it completely.

For future reference, with any NiCad powered items, use them until almost fully discharged, then fully charge them. Best still, buy items with NiMh batteries, thay have no memory effect!

If the laptop is old enough to have a NiCd battery then the battery is certainly dead!

Most likely it's a li-ion (lithium ion)
In which case, as you've not used it for about a year, the voltage has probably dropped below 3v per cell and knackered them.

Remember, li-ion like to be kept charged.
NiCd have memory effect (though it takes loads of charges to bring this into play), though you should really discharge before every charge
NiMH don't have memory effect, so like Li-ion can have their charge topped up without any ill effects, and like NiCd's can be discharged and re-charged.

Li-ion batteries however start to fail from the moment they are made, through oxidation inside them.
They are also damaged by the heat of the laptop.
So there is no point buying a spare battery at the same time as new laptop to use when the first one fails, because it will be nearly as degraded.

check ebay to see if you can buy a new battery, or just run it off the mains.

Graham M · 02-06-2006, 02:30

also check www.laptopbits.co.uk

enjoymarcus · 02-06-2006, 02:36

I have had my ibook for about 9 months, and while when i first got it i would get 5 hours battery life, it has dropped to 4 hours. I always use it with battery and mains both plugged in.

Maybe its just the crappy hardware you guys are using? Get a mac, you'll never go back

Graham M · 02-06-2006, 02:36

Yeah but I cant play Half Life 2 on a Mac can I? huh?

enjoymarcus · 02-06-2006, 13:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeph

Yeah but I cant play Half Life 2 on a Mac can I? huh?

Yep, you can get dual boot on an apple mac, with windows and mac os...