"Plugged in not charging"

[Zamfir]

A laptop of mine suddenly decied not to charge anymore over 45% of the battery, after that the windows battery sign says "plugged in, not charging". Anyone have experience with this problem?

Googling around tells me it's a somewhat common but not fully understood problem that started with Windows Vista (I'm on win7). Uninstalling the battery in the device manager (with the battery taken out) solves the problem for some, but it doesn't work for me. Buying a new battery apparently doesn't solve the problem for others, so I am a bit hesitant to shell out for one.

I guess I could reinstall winXP, but that feels bad for a battery problem. And Linuxes burn through the battery so fast that it would hardly save me time...

[yewbie]

Does your laptop allow you to view your battery charge amount from inside of your bios?
If so you can get into your bios let it charge and see if it also stops at 45%.

If it doesn't its definatly a windows problem, if it does... Its some hardware issue with your laptop or battery.

[Zamfir]

Yeah, I am trying that. But the BIOS is password-protected, and I have to figure out how to get passed that. In the olden days you could take out the CMOS battery, but I suspect it's all in flash memory now.

[yewbie]

Laptop's also have cmos batteries, some are just significantly harder to get to...
If its easy it will be either in the same location as your ram, or your harddrive, or under your keyboard.
Otherwise you will have to talk apart a significant amount of your laptop :/

[Zamfir]

Sure, but if the settings are on flash memory, removing the battery won't reset the password...

[yewbie]

Sure, but if the settings are on flash memory, removing the battery won't reset the password...

If there is a battery its only there for saving the bios information, I don't think I have actually seen a actual laptop that doesn't use standard CMOS battery / bios settings reset.

Netbooks on the other hand those could have anything.

[sircrayons]

How about booting from the live CD/DVD of your choice and verifying the same thing does or does not happen?

[EdgarJPublius]

Most laptops have some sort of capability to test the battery itself for problems.

Mine for example has a test button on the battery that lights up LEDs corresponding to the cells (green LED=good cell, unlit or red LED = bad cell)
I believe there is also a software utility in windows that can perform a battery diagnostic, but I can't remember how to access it.

[legopelle]

Yeah, I am trying that. But the BIOS is password-protected, and I have to figure out how to get passed that. In the olden days you could take out the CMOS battery, but I suspect it's all in flash memory now.

Maybe I shouldn't be asking this, but why are your own computer password protected?

[hintss]

Yeah, I am trying that. But the BIOS is password-protected, and I have to figure out how to get passed that. In the olden days you could take out the CMOS battery, but I suspect it's all in flash memory now.

Maybe I shouldn't be asking this, but why are your own computer password protected?

he might've bought it used from a guy that forgot the password?

[Zamfir]

Yeah, I am trying that. But the BIOS is password-protected, and I have to figure out how to get passed that. In the olden days you could take out the CMOS battery, but I suspect it's all in flash memory now.

Maybe I shouldn't be asking this, but why are your own computer password protected?

he might've bought it used from a guy that forgot the password?

Well, almost. I bought it from someone whose aunt had won it a company sweepstake. It's the standard model the company used internally, so possibly the company's IT department just put a password on the BIOS to prevent employees from messing around, without realizing it would go to the sweepstake. I'd have to go back to this guy who I don't even know that well, who has to go to his computer-illiterate aunt who has to ask her IT department for the password on the computer they gave away a few years ago.

I've been on holiday, so I didn't try much new.