My Sony Vaio packed up whilst I was using it and would not reboot even though it was plugged into the mains but the battery light was flashing. Would a dead battery cause this to happen even though it was plugged into the mains
Possibly. How old is it? Depending on usage patterns, you might only get 2-3 years out of a battery.
I've tried "both" sources for replacement laptop batteries: eBay, which sells the cheap ones, and Batteries Plus, which sells "good" ones (e.g. Ray-O-Vac). Some of the cheap ones lasted little more than a year in my old Dell 1505. I gave it to my niece a couple years ago, and AFAIK the Ray-O-Vac is still going strong.
I would not run a laptop without its battery long term though. Correct me if I'm wrong Brett, but my understanding is that the battery in a laptop serves THREE purposes:
1. Runs the laptop away from AC (duh...),
2. Filters incoming AC power better than any capacitors/coils in a PSU,
3. Pulls incoming voltage down to the proper level for the laptop; it's higher than the laptop needs, in order to charge the battery.
I would not run a laptop without its battery long term though. Correct me if I'm wrong Brett, but my understanding is that the battery in a laptop serves THREE purposes:
1. Runs the laptop away from AC (duh...),
2. Filters incoming AC power better than any capacitors/coils in a PSU,
3. Pulls incoming voltage down to the proper level for the laptop; it's higher than the laptop needs, in order to charge the battery.
Hi
1...Lol
2 & 3 are fine if the country has a good reliable (non fluctuating) electrical supply... like in the UK , where a UPS is almost unheard of...
But if you NEED A UPS ...then battery IN can help with problems...
I see you are very busy at moment Well done for having time to answer