BleepingComputer.com: Charging Laptop Battery

Hi,

I have a second hand Advent 7066M laptop PC with an SMP MS1006 battery which I would like to charge. I've been unable to find any instructions online other than to charge it for 12 hours with the laptop turned off, so I tried just leaving it plugged in for 12 hours without turning it on, but this made no difference. Please can someone tell me how to charge the battery?

Thanks,
Joe

Hello Joe, what comes to my mind is the possibility that this battery has past its charging cycle.

That you know of, is this the original battery that came with the laptop when it was new?

Bruce.

Hello Bruce,

As far as I know this is the orginal battery. Do you think I need to buy a new one?

Thanks,
Joe

Does the laptop function properly when plugged in?

I don't know specifically about the Advent you have, but most laptops have a utility program that tests the battery and adjusts the capacity meter (% charge and minutes remaining) according to the test results.

Since the laptop is second hand, I'm assuming you don't really know the history of the battery. A lifetime of 3-4 years is not unreasonable, YMMV. Heavy use and improper care can shorten this lifetime dramatically.

Laptop battery prices can vary by 2-3X or more for equivalent batteries depending on where you shop and who the manufacturer is, so it can pay to shop around.

Regards,
Bill

There's a utility called Power Meter. Here's what it says:

"Current power source: Batteries
Total battery power remaining: 100%
Total time remaining: 0 min"

joebeaven, on 02 March 2011 - 08:47 AM, said:

I am not sure if that is a glitch or not, but that utility is claiming your battery is at 100% charge, but it is also indicating you have zero minutes remaining.

Reading your opening post above, you did not provide information as to if the battery is charging at all, you only asked how do you charge the battery.

Usually when a laptop is plugged into an AC adapter, a small amount of current is sent to the battery charging circuitry, if the battery is low, the circuit closes and sends current to the battery until it is fully charged, then the circuit opens and the charging stops.

It is rare, but there are a few laptops out there that use a separate adapter for charging the battery, but most laptops charge the battery while it is in use and powered up by the AC to DC power adapter.

The battery at this point is isolated from consumption by a circuit board that only allows current to flow to the battery.
The circuit that flows the battery current to the motherboard is switched off at this point, so there is no drain on the battery.

If your battery is not charging, it's either your battery is no longer accepting a charge and needs to be replaced or the charging circuit is faulty.

This post has been edited by MrBruce1959: 03 March 2011 - 11:49 AM

I tried leaving the laptop plugged in but not switched on for 12 hours and the battery didn't charge which is why I wrote my first post.

I'll try purchasing a new battery.

Thank you for your help.

This battery should do.

I've installed the new battery now, but I still can't get it to charge. The only difference is what Power Meter reports. Here's what it says now:

"Current power source: Batteries
Total battery power remaining: 0%
Total time remaining: 0 min"

If it still isn't charging with a new battery, it sounds like something is wrong on the motherboard side of things. If you have a multimeter, you can test the little metal prongs that poke out of the back of the laptop (and connect the battery to the board itself). In most laptops I've seen, there are big grounding prongs, which should have no current. But the small ones in between should have currents, perhaps with the exception of one (if they left in an optional ground).

The way to test with a multimeter would be to use the black test lead and stick it against a screw on the underside of the laptop -- make sure the multimeter is set to test DC voltage. Take the red, hot end, and gently touch each of the back prongs on the laptop that would normally connect into the battery. Write down each of the voltages you get from touching each prong and post them here, along with the DC output of your laptop's power supply (usually on the power brick via a sticker). If you're not getting any voltages on any of those prongs, that is definitely a way to verify the motherboard is having a problem charging your battery.

I haven't got a multimeter. I'll have to see if I can find someone with one. Is there anything else I can do?