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How to Check Battery Health Status on Dell Laptops

Summary: This article provides information about how to check the battery health status on a Dell laptop. Find information about using different methods to perform a battery health check on your Dell laptop. ...

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Article Content


Instructions

Check Your Laptop Battery Health

Duration: 02:34
When available, closed caption (subtitles) language settings can be chosen using the Settings or CC icon on this video player.


Learn how to check the battery health status in BIOS, SupportAssist or ePSA Preboot System Assessment diagnostics, or Dell utilities such as Dell Power Manager or Dell Command | Power Manager.


NOTE: Like most laptops, Dell laptops use lithium-ion batteries, which can swell due to battery age, the number of charge cycles, or exposure to high heat. While a swollen pack does not represent a safety concern, damaged or swollen components should not be used. If you have an issue with a battery pack swelling, Dell Technologies recommends discontinuing using the battery and replacing it with a Dell-authorized battery. For more information, see the Dell knowledge base article Swollen Battery Information and Guidance.

Checking the health of the battery is an important step in troubleshooting battery-related issues and helps identify if an aging battery requires a replacement.

BIOS information may differ between Dell computers, see the following figures for two different types of BIOS that may be applicable for your Dell computer.

NOTE: If the battery health is blank or unavailable, the battery may not be detected or there is a fatal error with the battery. Reseat the battery if necessary (laptop with removable battery only).
NOTE: The BIOS interface on your Dell laptop may vary. For help with getting into the BIOS, see the documentation of your Dell laptop.

Method 1

  1. Turn on the computer and tap F2 key at the Dell logo screen.
  2. On the left pane, under General, select Battery Information.
  3. Verify the battery health information as illustrated (Figure 1).

Screenshot of battery health status in the BIOS
Figure 1: Screenshot of battery health status in the BIOS

Method 2

  1. Power on the computer and tap F2 key at the Dell logo screen.
  2. Select the Advanced tab.
  3. Verify the battery health information as illustrated (Figure 2).

Animated screenshot of battery health status in BIOS
Figure 2: Animated screenshot of battery health status in BIOS

Method 3

  1. Turn on the computer and tap F2 key at the Dell logo screen.
  2. On the left pane, select Overview.
  3. On the right side, look under Battery and confirm the Health (Figure 3).

Screenshot of battery health status in the BIOS
Figure 3: Screenshot of battery health status in the BIOS

SupportAssist, ePSA, or PSA preboot computer assessment diagnostic test can help identify a potential battery failure and, if there is a component failure, report an error code. When you have an ePSA code, you can submit the Service Tag, ePSA error and validation code at the SupportAssist Pre-Boot System Performance Check page, to learn how to proceed.

NOTE: ePSA Preboot System Assessment tests only the primary computer battery. The battery is tested by displaying its percentage of full charge and overall health.
  1. Power on the computer and tap F12 key at the Dell logo screen.
  2. In the One Time Boot Menu, select Diagnostics, and press the Enter key.
  3. In the Preboot diagnostics, respond to the user prompts appropriately.
  4. Review the test results for battery (Figure 4). If the battery test fails, you can submit the Service Tag, ePSA error and validation code at the SupportAssist Pre-Boot System Performance Check page.
    NOTE:
    • Dell also offers an online diagnostics test, go to the Online Battery Diagnostics page.
    • The test starts automatically.
    • You may be prompted to install or update the SupportAssist program, if so, follow the prompts.

Animated screenshot of battery health status in ePSA Preboot System Assessment diagnostics
Figure 4: Animated screenshot of battery health status in ePSA Preboot System Assessment diagnostics

Table 1: SupportAssist or ePSA preboot diagnostic test error codes
Error code Error message Troubleshooting steps
ePSA 2000-0131 ePSA: Battery - The battery is not installed.
  1. Ensure that the battery is installed correctly.
  2. Reseat the battery.
  3. Check for debris or damaged contacts.
For laptops with a nonremovable battery, contact Dell Technical Support for repair options.
ePSA 2000-0132 ePSA: Battery -The battery is reaching the end of its usable life. The battery charges but may experience shorter operating hours.
  1. Reseat the battery.
  2. See the Dell knowledge base article How to improve the performance of a Dell laptop battery.
  3. See the Dell knowledge base article How to Troubleshoot Dell Laptop Battery Issues.
  4. Consider battery replacement for longer operating hours using a battery.
ePSA 2000-0133 ePSA: Battery - The battery cannot provide sufficient power.
  1. Check contacts, power plug, and cables.
  2. Reseat the battery.
  3. See the Dell knowledge base article How to Troubleshoot Dell Laptop Battery Issues.
  4. Consider replacing the battery.

Dell Power Manager and Dell Command | Power Manager applications help you maximize the laptop battery life by configuring how the battery should be maintained based on your personal preferences.

  • Dell Power Manager - supported on Dell Inspiron, Vostro, and XPS laptops running exclusively on Windows 10, and requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1 to be installed on the computer.
  • Dell Command | Power Manager software provides simplified and efficient power management capabilities for Dell laptops and tablets running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 operating system. Dell Command | Power Manager is supported on select Dell Latitude and Dell Precision laptops.

Battery Health is indicated using the heart icon and four circular icons. The number of circular icons that are filled indicates battery health.

Screenshot of battery health indicator in Dell Power Manager
Figure 5: Screenshot of battery health indicator in Dell Power Manager

NOTE: Battery health information is available only if a Dell battery is attached to your laptop.
Table 2: DCM compared with DPM battery states
Status Health state Operational status Primary status DPM Health state
Replacement Needed 30 = Non-recoverable error 7 = Non-recoverable Error 3 = Error Poor
Caution 2 25 = Critical failure 6 = Error 3 = Error Fair
Caution 1 10 = Degraded or Warning 5 = Predictive failure 2 = Degraded Good
Normal 5 = OK 2 = OK 1 = OK Excellent
Unknown - battery not present 0 = Unknown 0 = Unknown 0 = Unknown Unknown

Table 3: Battery health indicator codes
Code Description
Example of battery operating at maximum capacity Excellent—Battery is operating at maximum capacity.
Example of good amount of battery charge Good—Battery can charge normally; however, you may notice reduced operating time because long-term battery life is decreasing.
Example of fair amount of battery charge Fair—Battery can charge normally; however, it is near the end of its usable life. It is recommended that you purchase a new battery soon.
Example of poor battery charge Poor—Battery no longer provides sufficient power. It is recommended that you replace this battery.
Example of no charge indicator The battery no longer operates, or battery status cannot be determined. It is recommended that you replace the battery.

Dell XPS laptops and Dell Precision mobile workstations come with battery charge indicators on the left or right side (Figure 6). Pressing the charge status button indicates the amount of battery charge remaining.

Each LED light indicates a 20% battery charge.

NOTE: To learn if your Dell laptop has a battery LED indicator, see the documentation of your Dell laptop.
NOTE: Battery charge indicators are available on select Dell XPS laptops and Dell Precision mobile workstations.

Illustration of battery charge indicator on Dell XPS and Dell Precision mobile workstation
Figure 6: Illustration of battery charge indicator on Dell XPS and Dell Precision mobile workstation

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Battery Power Go to our Battery and Power site for additional resources and information.

Out of Warranty support Out of warranty? No problem. Browse to the Dell.com/support website and enter your Dell Service Tag and view our offers.

NOTE: Offers are only available for US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, and China personal computer customers. Server and Storage are not applicable.

Article Properties


Affected Product

G Series, Alienware, Inspiron, Latitude, Vostro, XPS, Legacy Laptop Models, Mobile Workstations

Last Published Date

31 Jan 2024

Version

23

Article Type

How To