Laptop Battery Troubleshooting
Posted on August 29th, 2010 in News | Comments Off
If you are having trouble with your laptop battery because it will not charge, it is not necessarily time to buy a new battery yet. There are several reasons behind why this could be happening, and here you will learn useful laptop battery troubleshooting when you battery refuses to charge. Before you begin troubleshooting your notebook computer, make sure the outlet is not the problem. Try a few outlets to see if the problem still exists. If so, continue on to these laptop battery troubleshooting tips.

Is the AC adapter bad? Detach the battery from the laptop and turn on the computer with only the power plug connected. If the laptop does not respond, secure another AC adapter and try again. If the problem persists, your motherboard may have a fried circuit. A computer technician can help you further.
Is the battery defective? If the computer turns on with the second AC adaptor, you know this is not the cause of the problem. Replace the battery and see if the problem is resolved.
Is it a software-related issue? If a replaced battery does not solve your problem, the next laptop battery troubleshooting tip is to explore the possibility that the software is malfunctioning. If the battery status is not being displayed correctly, the software could be causing the problem rather than the battery.
Is there a “hiccup” in the system? To power reset the system, or ensure that the motherboard is denied all power, unplug the machine and remove the battery. Hold down the power button for a full minute. Next, reattach the battery and AC adapter and attempt to restart the computer again.
Does the laptop need to be recalibrated? When a new battery is installed, it may fail to charge to a full 100% anymore. If your battery stops charging itself at about 97%, you need this laptop battery troubleshooting tip. Begin the recalibration process by preventing the computer from going to sleep when the battery is low. If your operating system is XP, go to the Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options and set the power scheme to “Always On.”
- Where it says “Alarms,” uncheck the boxes by “Critical battery alarm” and “Low battery alarm.”
- Where it says “Hibernate,” uncheck the box by “Enable hibernation.”
- When finished, click “Apply.”
Now the computer can fully drain the battery and when you charge it again, it should reach 100%. It may take two or three times to completely reach 100%.