Laptop Not Charging

Question

I have a Dell XPS L401X that is a few years old and a few days ago when my laptop died and I went to plug it in to charge it no longer charges. When I plug it in the charging indicator light (both in front of and behind the screen) will flash periodically (on for about a second then off for 5) and continues this slow flash but will not hold a charge at all. The blue light on the end of the charger still lights up so I don't think that is broken. My only thought is that possibly the battery may need to be replaced. I am not sure how long the batteries are supposed to last (mine is around 2-3 years old). Don't have the money for a new laptop but I figured if its just a dead battery I can buy a replacement for that I just didn't want to go buy one if it may be something else. Any ideas why it won't charge??

DELL-Amogh G · Accepted Answer

Hi Christian Berg,

I would suggest you to drain the residual power from the laptop:

Disconnect any external peripherals (flash drives, printers, external hard drives) from the computer
Then remove the adapter
Remove the battery
Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds
Reconnect the battery and the adapter

You may check the status of ac adapter in BIOS, follow the steps below:

Restart or turn on your computer
As soon as the Dell™ logo appears, tap until the message Entering Setup appears
‘AC Adapter’ will be listed under the ‘Main’ tab.

If the AC Adapter is determined in BIOS, you can update the system BIOS. You may download and install the latest BIOS from the link below:

http://dell.to/13kwtUE.

Note: Before updating BIOS please ensure that:
*Battery is 10%> or >10% charged
*Battery charger should be connected
*No external devices (flash drives, printers, external hard drives) should be connected.
*All other programs should be closed and documents saved

You may check the battery health from ‘Dell Battery Meter’. The Battery Meter is used to check the status, life and health of the battery. To launch the Battery Meter:

Click ‘Start’
Click ‘Control Panel’
Click ‘Power Options’ under ‘Hardware and Sound’
Click ‘Dell Battery Meter’

If the issue is with the battery and you are residing in the US, you may contact dell spares at 1-800-372-3355 or you can get it from a local store.

ejn63 · Answer

First thing to check is that the BIOS setup (F2 at powerup) recognizes the AC adapter -- it should be listed on the main page. If it shows unknown, there's a problem with the adapter or mainboard.

If it is listed, it's likely the battery has reached the end of its lifespan. Lithium ion battery packs are generally good for 2-3 years or 300-500 charge cycles - whichever comes first.

Christian Berg · Answer

Does the button on the bottom of the battery have anything to do with disabling its use?

Locked Topics – Laptops General

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