Hello. The laptop shows absolutely no signs of life when I plug it in with my AC. I do not have a spare AC, but there is a usb-c port. I tried plugging in a charger there (which has worked before) and still, no signs of life. The AC adapter shows a green light when it is plugged in, even when not plugged into a laptop. However, upon plugging it into my laptop, the green light stays, and still, no signs of life on the laptop. Although, the laptop will be warm still if i leave it plugged in (not sure why). I am sure that both my usb-c adapter and AC charger that came with the laptop work. However, I am not sure if it is the charging jack or the charginc circut on the motherboard, because even the usb-c port would not work, which I dont think is connected to the charging circut. My origional question was how do i use it without a battery, and even after removing the battery, it wouldnt turn on, so I thought I missed a extra step, like removing a battery chip in the board?
Yes, you may use it without a battery. And if the battery failed (which is likely, as that model is six years old) you should remove it, since an old battery can swell and/or leak and damage your laptop.
There is likely a fault with at least one of three items:
the AC adapter
the charging jack
the charging circuit on the motherboard
It's a process of elimination to figure out where the problem lies, or at least where it doesn't lie. For example, if your AC adapter is recognized and works on another Dell laptop, then the problem is likely your charging jack or charging circuit.
Check if the light is lit at the plug end of the AC adaptor. And see if that light remains lit when you plug it into the laptop's jack.
Hold F2 while booting, to enter BIOS. See if the AC adaptor is recognized (obviously you cannot do this until you can power up the laptop).
Try another genuine Dell AC adapter of at least the same wattage/amperage. If that second Dell AC adapter works, then the fault is likely with your AC adapter.
If it doesn't work, then the fault is likely with the jack or the circuit. The jack is a relatively inexpensive item that is not difficult to replace for someone experienced in working on laptops.
If a good AC adapter and a new jack won't work, then the fault is likely with the charging circuit on the motherboard, which would normally require replacement of the motherboard.
Try a reset:
Disconnect all peripherals: printers; USB devices; media cards; USB hubs and extenders; etc.
Disconnect the AC adapter.
Disconnect the battery.
Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds to discharge any residual electricity.
My origional question was how do i use it without a battery,
I answered that. You may use your laptop without a battery. However, you need to be able to deliver power to the system, which currently is not working.
I am also sure that the charging jack/charging circut still work, because last night, they worked, and my laptop had a full charge.
Last night is in the past. The point is that right now something is not working, and signs so far suggest a motherboard failure.
You did not say whether you followed my reset steps. Do that and report back here. And try your AC adapter on another Dell laptop if you can, to see it that laptop's BIOS recognizes your adapter.
You can also replace the coin-cell battery. Perform steps 1-4 of my reset sequence, then remove the coin-cell battery and replace it with a new one (they are inexpensive). Then connect AC adapter and try to boot.
Whenever touching components or working inside a computer, wear a grounded wrist strap, also called anti-static wrist strap, ESD wrist strap, or ground bracelet. It's a cheap and sensible precaution. Rest the laptop on an anti-static mat or at least a reasonable alternative such as corrugated cardboard. (If you didn't do that, it's conceivable that a static discharge damaged something when you removed the battery.)
My laptop is charging but the battery is decreasing over time, what is the possible broken parts? and can I use my laptop even if I don't remove the battery, when my laptop is zero percent?
I had the same issue turns out the reason my battery wouldn't charge or drained was because my charger plug was bad so wouldn't work with the plug I purchased a new plug and a new battery on Amazon had it delivered overnight and now I can use it plugged in with no battery or I can charge the battery when plugged in I learned that it's best not to keep the battery in when you're plugged in because the battery can get hot and become weaker over time
thedeafenguy
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3 Posts
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February 19th, 2023 10:00
Hello. The laptop shows absolutely no signs of life when I plug it in with my AC. I do not have a spare AC, but there is a usb-c port. I tried plugging in a charger there (which has worked before) and still, no signs of life. The AC adapter shows a green light when it is plugged in, even when not plugged into a laptop. However, upon plugging it into my laptop, the green light stays, and still, no signs of life on the laptop. Although, the laptop will be warm still if i leave it plugged in (not sure why). I am sure that both my usb-c adapter and AC charger that came with the laptop work. However, I am not sure if it is the charging jack or the charginc circut on the motherboard, because even the usb-c port would not work, which I dont think is connected to the charging circut. My origional question was how do i use it without a battery, and even after removing the battery, it wouldnt turn on, so I thought I missed a extra step, like removing a battery chip in the board?
filbert
4 Operator
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1.8K Posts
2
February 19th, 2023 10:00
Yes, you may use it without a battery. And if the battery failed (which is likely, as that model is six years old) you should remove it, since an old battery can swell and/or leak and damage your laptop.
There is likely a fault with at least one of three items:
It's a process of elimination to figure out where the problem lies, or at least where it doesn't lie. For example, if your AC adapter is recognized and works on another Dell laptop, then the problem is likely your charging jack or charging circuit.
Check if the light is lit at the plug end of the AC adaptor. And see if that light remains lit when you plug it into the laptop's jack.
Hold F2 while booting, to enter BIOS. See if the AC adaptor is recognized (obviously you cannot do this until you can power up the laptop).
Try another genuine Dell AC adapter of at least the same wattage/amperage. If that second Dell AC adapter works, then the fault is likely with your AC adapter.
If it doesn't work, then the fault is likely with the jack or the circuit. The jack is a relatively inexpensive item that is not difficult to replace for someone experienced in working on laptops.
If a good AC adapter and a new jack won't work, then the fault is likely with the charging circuit on the motherboard, which would normally require replacement of the motherboard.
Try a reset:
thedeafenguy
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February 19th, 2023 10:00
I am also sure that the charging jack/charging circut still work, because last night, they worked, and my laptop had a full charge.
filbert
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1.8K Posts
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February 19th, 2023 11:00
I answered that. You may use your laptop without a battery. However, you need to be able to deliver power to the system, which currently is not working.
It must still involve the charging circuit on the motherboard that controls charge to battery and regulates power to the system.
Last night is in the past. The point is that right now something is not working, and signs so far suggest a motherboard failure.
You did not say whether you followed my reset steps. Do that and report back here. And try your AC adapter on another Dell laptop if you can, to see it that laptop's BIOS recognizes your adapter.
You can also replace the coin-cell battery. Perform steps 1-4 of my reset sequence, then remove the coin-cell battery and replace it with a new one (they are inexpensive). Then connect AC adapter and try to boot.
Whenever touching components or working inside a computer, wear a grounded wrist strap, also called anti-static wrist strap, ESD wrist strap, or ground bracelet. It's a cheap and sensible precaution. Rest the laptop on an anti-static mat or at least a reasonable alternative such as corrugated cardboard. (If you didn't do that, it's conceivable that a static discharge damaged something when you removed the battery.)
plant.plaant
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June 25th, 2024 20:39
@filbert "Last night is in the past" is golden lmao
Erndale
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March 10th, 2025 13:45
My laptop is charging but the battery is decreasing over time, what is the possible broken parts? and can I use my laptop even if I don't remove the battery, when my laptop is zero percent?
Lovelc
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1 Message
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July 4th, 2025 16:09
I had the same issue turns out the reason my battery wouldn't charge or drained was because my charger plug was bad so wouldn't work with the plug I purchased a new plug and a new battery on Amazon had it delivered overnight and now I can use it plugged in with no battery or I can charge the battery when plugged in I learned that it's best not to keep the battery in when you're plugged in because the battery can get hot and become weaker over time