Broken battery?

Hi Joost,

This error message show up if there is an issue with the system board or the charging port. I would suggest you to try the following steps.

Please check if the charging port on the laptop is loose. Connect an alternate AC Adapter to see if that works fine with the system. Alternatively, try the steps mentioned below:

*Check the AC Adapter in BIOS; check the ‘AC Adapter type’ status if it shows ‘Unknown/  Not Detected / 65W / 90W / 130W'.
*If you get the status as 'Unknown / Not Detected' then reset BIOS to defaults:

• Restart the computer, tap 'F2' key on Dell logo 4-5 times
• This will take you to the main screen of BIOS
• Press ‘F9’ key once, highlight ‘Yes’, press ‘Enter’
• Press ‘F10’ key once, highlight ‘Yes’, press ‘Enter’

Also, check the Battery Health Meter:

• Right click on the battery icon on the taskbar
• Choose ‘Dell Health Meter’
• Click on ‘Battery Health’ tab
• Examine the information shown in the window

Please reply if you have any questions.

Hi,

In the BIOS, the battery is 'Unknown'. I reset the BIOS settings to factory default, but that didn't solve anything.

I don't have the Dell health meter installed (did a reinstall of W7 almost a year ago, and didn't reinstall the Dell tools).

Joost

Hello Appu,

- Bios is already at A09

- Installed the tools. According to DBM the battery is fine (tab Battery health says 'Your battery is performing normally'). In the battery status page I see that the battery status is 'Idle'.

Joost

Hi Joost,

Thank you for the response. If the battery is 10%> or >10% charged, please try to update the BIOS from the following link http://dell.to/13N4iPD.

Note: Before updating BIOS please ensure that:
*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.

Once, BIOS is updated, try installing Dell Quickset on your computer and then check the Battery Health Meter. Here is the link http://dell.to/13qG2yN.

You may also try to wiggle the AC Adapter and check if it works.

Please reply if you have any questions.

Hi Joost,

Please confirm if AC Adapter type or the Battery is shown as Unknown in BIOS. 

If it is the AC Adapter, I would suggest you to try connecting an alternate AC Adapter and check.

If the issue persists, the issue might be the DC-in port or the motherboard and may require replacement. I would suggest you to replace the DC-in port first. The part# for the DC-in port is NU327 (may vary from region to region).

If your system is in warranty, you may provide the service tag of the computer and the name as it appears on the account via private message (click my username and then click Start Conversation).
If your system is out of warranty, you may contact our Out of Warranty Dept on 1-800-288-4410 (applicable for USA).
if you are in a different region, you may have to contact the Sales team for your region.

Please reply if you have any questions. 

Hello Appu,

The adapter is shown as 'Unknown' in the BIOS. The laptop is out of warranty, that's why I wanted to check in the forum to make sure it's the battery itself. I have two left hands, so I don't want to mess with internal parts of the laptop.

If it's impossible to determine whether a battery replacement would fix the problem, then I'll have to live with only using the laptop connected to the power supply. I have a different laptop for travelling anyway, this laptop is the only Windows machine in my house, so I mainly use it for gaming.

Hi Joost,

The battery looks good as Battery Health Meter shows 'Your battery is performing normally'. Had it been an issue with the battery, you may have received an error message suggesting you to replace the battery.

Checking with an alternate AC Adapter might help. Otherwise, the issue is either with the DC-in port or the motherboard. Since, DC-in port is an inexpensive commodity, you may try to replace it first.

I understand you are not comfortable replacing parts on your own. You may contact the Out of Warranty dept for your region. They would be able to provide you with appropriate options. You may click on the link http://dell.to/ZkL7Jm -> choose your country from the top left hand side -> click on 'Contact us' to get the contact information.

Please reply if you have any questions.