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 Laptop Battery Not Charging

By Bobby George

If you find that your laptop battery is not lasting as long as it should on battery power, you may be experiencing one of two problems. One problem may be that your laptop is not configured correctly for maximum battery life. If this is the case you may need to read about Getting the Most from your Laptop Battery. If you take steps to maximize your battery life and still find your laptop battery life lacking in longevity, you may also need to check and see if the battery is being charged properly.

It is important to realize that most laptops will not show a 100% charge on the battery while the laptop is being used. To truly charge the laptop battery to 100% and ensure full capacity, it is usually necessary to turn off the laptop and charge it via the AC adapter for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer. If you keep the laptop plugged into AC power the majority of the time, this may also cause incorrect battery charging by the computer. If this occurs, you should run the battery all the way down and charge it all the way to full power to recalibrate the battery. These would be the first steps to take toward making sure your battery is charging correctly. It is also useful to note that the computer software installed by the manufacturer (the BIOS) may show incorrect information about the battery if it is an out of date version. Most manufacturers provide periodic updates to the BIOS software to keep up with various software installations and operating system changes that may occur. So, the second step toward checking the battery would be to make sure you have the latest BIOS version by visiting the laptop manufacturer's website.

Once these steps have been taken, you should be receiving a 100% charge. If not, the next step would be to have the AC adapter checked and replaced if necessary. Most electronics retailers have means of checking the output of an AC adapter and ruling whether it matches the recommended output that the manufacturer prints on the adapter itself. If the adapter has been damaged or shorted out, there is a good chance you will need to buy a replacement. money can be saved in this situation by purchasing from a third party manufacturer, although care should be taken that the new adapter matches the specifications of the original adapter.

It is also worth noting that a battery with a poor connection may cause a computer to immediately power down if it is jostled or moved in a certain way. While this may seem like a dead battery, the problem may actually lie in the battery bay of the computer itself. If you believe this may be the case, the best course of action is to take the computer and battery to a repair center.

Finally, even if a battery is charging up to 100%, the battery life may be drastically reduced simply due to the age of the battery. In this case, the battery can seldom be refurbished or recalibrated and it will probably have to be replaced. Just like AC adapters, third party batteries will save a lot of money in this case and are a great option as long as they meet the OEM specifications.