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Question

Bizzare Power Issue

Oct 3, 2015 9:04PM PDT

I am having a strange issue with my laptop, and I have not been able to find anyone with a similar problem. So here it goes: When the battery is in the laptop, the computer does not realize that it is plugged in. I plug it in, but it does not realize that it is plugged in and shows battery only. When I disconnect that battery, however, it works just fine. It works perfectly with the battery removed, but with the battery connected the laptop doesn't realize that it's plugged in. What might this be?

Thanks.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
I don't see make, model, age.
Oct 3, 2015 9:41PM PDT

While you may be looking for same, I have seen similar with old batteries and failures in motherboards and chargers. But here we are without details. If the battery is over 2 years I pop in a new battery. Folk wish batteries last longer all the time.

How about some details?

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clarification
Oct 4, 2015 2:22PM PDT

Thanks for the reply. The laptop is a 2012 HP EliteBook 8560p, 15.6 inch with quad-core i7 and Windows 7 Professional.

I purchased it refurbished back in July, and it came with a one-year warranty on all parts, so price is not a concern. I just need to know what needs replaced.

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It's either battery, charger or motherboard.
Oct 4, 2015 2:44PM PDT

I don't suspect cables because of the symptoms. But why are you fixing it? It looks to be in warranty.

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reason for fixing
Oct 4, 2015 2:59PM PDT

The parts are under warranty, but I need to know what is wrong with the computer so that I know which part(s) to order.

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That's why shops have it all over us.
Oct 4, 2015 3:14PM PDT

The PCs don't usually and in fact don't have onboard diagnostics. So we rely on past experiences to guess what's most likely then swap that part.

I noted the battery if over a few years old, but you didn't write how old so that leaves us with charger and motherboard (where the charging circuit is.)

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battery
Oct 4, 2015 4:41PM PDT

The battery is the original battery from 2012. However, prior to this problem the battery held a charge just fine, lasting as long as advertised.

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It's a common response.
Oct 4, 2015 4:59PM PDT

All owners don't want it to be the battery but it's rated 300 cycles and well past it's expected life span. Unless you have a battery tester or another other same model, you know to swap it. (I take it you do PC and laptop repairs.)

There are only 3 parts. How you diagnose is your call. At the shop I swap parts if there is nothing to tell me which. Batteries and chargers are cheap so those get swapped first.

Now let's say you are new to all this. You might ask why there isn't a diagnostic system. Good question. The PC industry has fallen short on that one by miles.

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update
Oct 4, 2015 7:31PM PDT

Update: The computer will no longer run off the power cord either, so it isn't the battery.

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Usually mainboard or charger.
Oct 4, 2015 7:44PM PDT

You have more history (first hand) so you can make the call easier than me. If it's some charger other than by HP, that's a clue.

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ok
Oct 5, 2015 12:34PM PDT

Thanks for the information. I am afraid to open up the case for fear of violating the warranty; I am waiting on a reply from the company to see if this is okay. I will post back when I have more information.

Thanks again.

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(NT) Is the wall plug dead?
Oct 4, 2015 7:46PM PDT
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PS. It has been battery in the past.
Oct 4, 2015 7:48PM PDT

I've come across old laptops where the battery is gone. It puts a higher load on the power supply or charging circuit and the owner doesn't notice it or take the advice to avoid/replace old batteries. They can lose boards and chargers over that issue. It takes special gear to sniff it out but for the work, the counter charge is more than a new battery so we set a rule that if the battery is over 2 years old, we want it replaced. And if we change a motherboard and it's an old battery there will be no warranty on the work after it leaves the shop. This has caused some hard feelings but we must protect ourselves.

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fixed it
Oct 5, 2015 4:40PM PDT

Turns out it was the AC adapter cord. I got hold of another AC adapter, and the computer works perfectly; all issues resolved. I'm not sure how the power cord could cause all of that, but switching the cord took care of it.

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Remember I'm not there.
Oct 5, 2015 4:46PM PDT

While a good find this is why I want the maker's charger. I've lost count of issues with replacement models.

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Answer
Not sure if this is the same but
Oct 5, 2015 12:46PM PDT

Dell has a tool that calibrates your battery when you leave it plugged in for so many consecutive hours. What it does is says plugged in not charging and it similates you running without it plugged in. This increases the battery life.

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Ouch ouch ouch!
Oct 5, 2015 2:14PM PDT

While I like to see a calibration done once in a while I think that's something I don't want to do more than once a year. These batteries are 300 cycle rated. While we can dive into what that means, we don't increase the battery life by calibration. These function ate up at least one of those 300 cycles.