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Toshiba Netbook Battery Recharging Failure

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  • 04-12-2013 4:17am
    #1
    Black Swan
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 47,226 CMod ✭✭✭✭


    My old netbook (not my new laptop), all of a sudden stopped recharging its battery tonight when I booted up. Message: "51% available (plugged in, not charging)." It's never been dropped or bumped, and pretty much babied looking like new (although about 3-4 years old). My power cord and adapter looks clean and new too, and has never been stepped upon. Have not changed any battery settings. Always plugged in with Belkin surge protector. I update daily.

    Specs: Toshiba NB305, Intel Atom 1.67 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 32 bit, 250 HDD, Windows 7 Starter, with KIS 2013.

    I've never experienced this before, so I am clueless. Don't know if it's a hardware or software problem (or some new, exotic virus). I know that the battery starts degrading about 1.5 years, and it used to hold an 11 hour charge, now about 8 hours depending upon apps used during a session.

    Oh... When I first plug it in, it starts recharging, but then stops. If I unplug and then repeat the plug in, it starts recharging, but stops seconds later, with the same message quoted above. It makes no difference if the Belkin is used or not.

    Is there some diagnostic I can run, or some command? Should I reset the battery? Please give me your expert advice. Thanks!


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    #2
    Black Swan
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 47,226 CMod ✭✭✭✭Black Swan


    Apparently this problem is rare, but has occurred across many brands of laptops using Windows 7.

    Rather than proceed with the detailed step-by-step approach suggested by the above link, which included a lot of clicking and uninstalling, I first tried a reset approach.

    This is what I (in reality*) did, step-by-step:
    1. Log off/shut down
    2. Disconnect power cord
    3. Remove battery
    4. Go to market and buy ice cream (took couple hours)
    5. Reinstall battery
    6. Stick netbook in backpack and forget about it until next day
    7. Plug-in power cord
    8. Turn on/boot-up
    9. Now it's recharging battery like normal
    Not really sure why this worked. Earlier I tried log-off/shut-down, remove power cord, remove battery, count to 10, reinstall battery, plug in power cord, turn-on/boot-up, and for a few seconds it recharged before stopping and giving me the plugged-in, not recharging message.

    *Note: Of course there are more professional, efficient, and less fun ways to do a battery reset to solve this problem.


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