There is still a common misconception about new batteries. No need to throw it away if your laptop won’t charge.
Possible causes
Generally speaking, there are several components that can fail that are responsible for charging a laptop, so the most important thing is to pinpoint the exact source of the failure. The most common in case your machine won’t charge is that there is some kind of hardware fault with the laptop or the battery is dead. However, there are other possible causes of such a failure as well.
- If the charging cable is damaged, the laptop won’t charge properly, so it’s worth checking that first. This can only be determined and tested by a professional and should never be done without special skills at home.
- The socket can also be faulty, in which case the charger will not connect.
- The battery can fail or just be too old. Then it is worth replacing it.
- If the internal circuitry fails, which is rare but surely can happen, you should contact a specialist, as it could be caused by a motherboard fault.
Home repair
If you are confident enough, you can give it a try at home. With a device that allows you to remove the battery, take it out and hold the power button down for around 30 seconds. Then put the battery back in, resetting the power. In some cases, though not too often, this may solve the problem. For some laptops, such as Acer, this ‘battery reset’ is even easier, because on the bottom of these notebooks there is a small battery symbol with a small hole next to it – you have to press it with a pin or a paperclip for 30 seconds, and it will reset the battery.
Still many people get one thing wrong. It is a common misconception that newly purchased rechargeable devices need to be fully discharged and charged in a few cycles. But experts say this isn’t necessary actually – hasn’t been for a while – and can even cause damage.
Modern batteries should not be fully discharged. This is not that great for laptop or phone batteries. The more you drain your device, possibly even booting it up a few times in the process, the more likely you are to reduce the maximum life of its battery. And that’s the thing to watch out for most. It’s also worth knowing that the limit is about 20%. After that it’s worth plugging the device into a charger. The optimal charge is 20-80%. Above 80%, charging is very slow due to the physical characteristics of the battery.
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Tips for laptop owners
If you’re looking for a powerful, fast and durable laptop, it’s worth taking into account the capacity (mAh or Wh), which shows how much power the machine can store. Power (W) is an indication of the laptop’s consumption – the higher it is, the shorter the laptop will last. And the number of battery cycles indicates how many times it can be drained and recharged before it finally fails or dies.
In addition to all these factors, uptime is also important. It’s an indication of how long it takes for it to fully deplete. Modern batteries mostly only vary in capacity. Obviously the higher the capacity, the more power it can hold, but it’s more complex than that. Battery life also depends on the consumption figures, thus if you have a more modern, efficient device in addition to a bigger battery, the life of that battery will be longer.
Another common mistake is to buy a dock for your laptop, without taking into account that the existing laptop charger will no longer be powerful enough for the device and that dock. Or the other way round, the charger for the laptop dock may be too powerful when plugged directly into the laptop.
There are also more modern devices among second-hand laptops that can last longer with lower and more balanced power consumption. Of course, a 10+ yo laptop is no longer as efficient as a fresh model, but, as everyone knows, they are also much cheaper.
And finally, one more important piece of advice. Changing the charger or battery to an inappropriate one can lead to device failure, so only do this if you are sure of compatibility.
Conclusion
For the battery of your laptop to have a longer life, and for the device itself to charge properly, you need to take into account a significant number of factors. However, sometimes the problems with charging are such that you can’t avoid calling a specialist. It is particularly easy to get professional laptop repair in Brooklyn. However, no matter the location, it is important not to complicate the problem if you’re not sure what to do yourself.
If uptime is reduced but the device is otherwise fast enough for the job, then a new battery is recommended. We all want a sustainable future one way or another. Thus, it is important to use the devices that have already been produced as long as they stay adequate. Then everything will be great both in terms of productivity and sustainability.
