Laptop Battery Not Charging

Shadeslayer110

Estimable
Mar 13, 2014
16
0
4,560
Hi,
So, recently my mom's laptop's battery has stopped charging. The only way to use it is by plugging in the charger. The battery does not charge and remains at 0%, no matter how long the computer has been connected with the charger. I replaced her battery only last year, as she was having the same problem with her default one. Now that it has happened again, I think that there is a problem with the laptop itself, and not the battery. Is there any way for me to see if the laptop is the problem? If so, is there any safe way to fix this problem? There is a lot of important stuff on the laptop, and I don't want it to be lost. The laptop is a Dell Vostro, but I don't know the exact model. Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
The power brick is not a charger; that circuitry is within the laptop.
Laptop batteries do not last forever.
If your replacement battery was not an official Dell battery, it could be the cause.
Some laptop makers detect non official batteries and refuse to charge.
Do not worry about losing files on the hard drive. Even if the laptop failed, you can mount the drive in a pc and recover files.
Regardless, you need some sort of an external backup plan for the files of interest.
A external usb powered drive would be appropriate.

If the replacement battery was not an official dell unit, go ahead and pay a premium for an official dell replacement.

Otherwise, consider sending it to dell for repair.( after you have backed up your files)


pcgaming98

Honorable
Jan 24, 2014
55
0
10,610
You sure she isn't keeping the batteries plugged in 24/7, which is killing the cells in the battery and rendering them unchargable? Or does she happen to have a third party charger? Universal charger of some sort, or one not manufactured by Dell?
 

Shadeslayer110

Estimable
Mar 13, 2014
16
0
4,560


No, she doesn't keep the battery charger in at all times. The battery charger itself is Dell as well.
 

Shadeslayer110

Estimable
Mar 13, 2014
16
0
4,560


I think it was power saving mode. Either that or performance mode, but the brightness was not max, that is for certain.
 

geofelt

Distinguished
The power brick is not a charger; that circuitry is within the laptop.
Laptop batteries do not last forever.
If your replacement battery was not an official Dell battery, it could be the cause.
Some laptop makers detect non official batteries and refuse to charge.
Do not worry about losing files on the hard drive. Even if the laptop failed, you can mount the drive in a pc and recover files.
Regardless, you need some sort of an external backup plan for the files of interest.
A external usb powered drive would be appropriate.

If the replacement battery was not an official dell unit, go ahead and pay a premium for an official dell replacement.

Otherwise, consider sending it to dell for repair.( after you have backed up your files)


 
Solution