These batteries are good for about 500 charges or 18 months. They either develop bad attributes or don't hold much of a charge.
Did you replace the battery?
Your machine is not alone in the battery issue. So don't feel like it's a "Gateway" issue.
Bob
I have been having a problem with my Gateway SD400 for over one year now. Of course the trouble started just after the 1 year warranty. Being that I never had ONE issue with our Gateway desktops, I did not purchase the extended warranty on this laptop. Yes...foolish, considering the repair costs on a laptop. I had NO idea.
One day, I was baking in the kitchen and using a recipe off of my laptop....on battery power. After finishing I came and plugged the power adaptor back in and settled in to cruise the web. The power started flickering between the adaptor and the battery power...then......a burning smell.
I contacted Gateway tech support and I was told that the "energy" used to charge a battery is great, hence the burning smell. OK, I bought it. Then it kept happening...and it was getting so bad that it mainly stayed on battery power - not keeping the connection with the adaptor long enough to recharge the battery. I called back and got another tech guy who told me it was my power adaptor, that it had gone bad and it was running too hot. Ok. I ordered a new one from him while on the phone. It came, I plugged it in...same problem. I called the same tech guy back who said SORRY NO REFUNDS but that if I would ship the laptop at MY expense, they would do a diagnostics on it for $75. Not.
I then called around to local electronic places and decided on a small independent place because the tech guy seemed knowledgable. He said my adaptor pin/plug at the back of my laptop was very loose and that's why the power adaptor wasn't keeping a solid connection. He charged me $250 to solder the pin back into place. Ugh. But at least the problem was fixed!
For about 25 days that is! Again, I unplug my laptop from the adaptor (99% of the time I use my adaptor) and run it off of the battery for about 10 minutes. The same trouble started all over again!!!!
This guy had a 30 day warranty on his work, so he fixed it.....free. This time he lectured me on being very careful with the wire of the adaptor, that I don't trip over it etc. I didn't!!
Now...this time just AFTER the 30 days.....it happens again, this time after putting it on battery power for my DD to use for a few minutes. I bring it back and paid another $250.
Now.....it's happening again and DH will NOT sink another penny into the laptop. Can anyone help me????? I love my laptop!
I STILL feel something is up with the battery. Does it run too hot and melt the solder, making this connection loose???? Can I solder it MYSELF?
Totally frustrated....hoping someone can help me or at least steer me in the right direction.
TIA
Cheryl
PS I was asked at another forum if the laptop worked after removing the battery, it did not. But after removing the battery...it didn't feel hot either. I'm just baffled. It's getting worse by the day and within a couple of days it will be a worthless piece of junk... ![]()

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