Laptop Battery 100% to 0%

[joker_927]

I just got my laptop back from the service department at Compaq and they fixed the HD. I plugged in the AC adapter installed windows, and then tunred it off and let it charge. I changed for about 24 hours.

I just turned it on today, and was movies files via a usb flash drive ( i got 1 x 4MB file moved) then the computer says "Going into hibernation". It shut itself off.

t wouldn't turn on afterwards. I plugged it into the wall and the batter said 0% and charging. What on earth happened to the 97% it had about 1 minute ago?

Is this a fluke or a forshadowing of a battery failure?

[mike_sanfil]

Ya, I used to have an old laptop, and after the battery got so old, it just wouldn't hold a charge anymore.

[Buzioid]

How old is your laptop?

[joker_927]

bought in 00 i think.

800mhz pIII

[Richard Cranium]

What type of battery is it ?

If it's a Nickle Cadmium, cycle it a couple dozen times.
See if the time to discharged from hot gets longer.

I use a small light bulb soldered to a couple of wires.
Strip back the insulation on the bare ends and prop them on the battery and allow the light to drain the battery completely.

As soon as it's dead, give it a full charge.
Then drop it in the fruit section of the cooler and wait a half hour or so.
Give it a full charge and repeat the process.

Some can be given a new life this way.

Nickle Cadmium batteries build a "memory" and will not have a long run cycle if the charging is not done correctly.

Gluck
Doc

[joker_927]

It said Lion or Li Lon or something with a L for the type of battery.

[rpertusio]

If it is Li-Ion (Lithium Ion), you do not want to put it in the freezer (which will destroy it.)

There is very little you can do to save an old LiIon battery (3-4 years is a very long time for a Li-Ion battery!)

I found a link (posted by someone else) that gives more information:
How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries. Click the [next page] to view Recovery Rate information. (Note: these are more preventative steps you can take on a new Li-Ion battery)

I would recommend buying a new battery, or simply never use the battery at all.

- rp

[joker_927]

Since it's still under warrenty, it will probably just send it back. It's seems to be working fine right now, it may have been a fluke.

The "new technological" Li-Ion batteries only last 3-4 years? seems kind of pointless.

[rpertusio]

Most batteries (from computer manufacturers) are NOT covered under warranty past 1 year.

The 'benefits' of Lithium Ion batteries.. is that they have twice the density of NiCad batteries, and they don't discharge by themselves very much. (NiCad batteries will gradually discharge over time more than LiIon batteries do.)

- rp

[joker_927]

How much will a new battey usually cost? Ballpark?