Member Avatar for Ganoosh

I have a compaq presario v5000 series and it wont start anymore I have a new ac adapter for it an i know it works but is there a sure fire way to know if it is the battery that needs replacement or is there a way to fix this problem.......when i have the battery in and the ac adapter on the lightning sign blinks when holding down the power button please someone help me with thsi issue and let me know if i have to fork out 150$ for a new battery thank you

  • 2 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 119 Views
  • 1 Day Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Ganoosh

Dani AI

Generated

A concise troubleshooting plan for (and thanks to for the prompt): the behavior described most commonly comes from one of three areas — the battery pack, the DC jack/adapter connection, or the laptop’s charging/power circuitry. Work methodically through the list below; each step narrows the fault and avoids unnecessary parts purchases.

Start simple and safe:

  • Confirm the adapter’s labelled DC output and check it with a multimeter at the barrel connector. If the measured voltage does not match the label, the adapter is suspect.
  • Power-reset the system: remove both battery and adapter, hold the power button 20–30 seconds, then reconnect adapter only and try to start.
  • Try to power the machine with the battery removed (adapter only) and also try with only the battery (no adapter) if possible. Those two quick checks usually tell whether the battery or external power is the issue.

If those don’t help, inspect and test:

  • Look for a loose, wobbly, or heat-damaged DC jack — a cracked jack often causes intermittent charging or no charge despite a working adapter.
  • Measure the battery pack’s main terminals (check the label for nominal pack voltage — typical laptop packs are around 11–15 V depending on cell count). If the pack voltage is far below nominal or the pack is swollen/overheated, it should be replaced and not charged.
  • Remove/reseat memory modules and try one stick at a time; sometimes a bad RAM prevents power-on but still shows activity LEDs.

Notes and next steps:

  • If the adapter and battery test good but the laptop still won’t start, the motherboard charging/power circuitry may be faulty and will need board-level repair or replacement.
  • Do not attempt to charge or reuse visibly damaged/swollen batteries; dispose of them per local rules.
  • If uncomfortable doing these checks, a local repair shop can run the same tests quickly and avoid buying an unnecessary battery.
Member Avatar for Ganoosh

something else i forgot before this prblem happened the laptop would shutoff I think due to battery overheating

Member Avatar for hardball

does the pc work when it is running off the adapter?

Member Avatar for Ganoosh

does the pc work when it is running off the adapter?

No it does not i think it needs the battery as a power-up or its the connector for the startup proccess

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.