Member Avatar for mtrivers

I just received an Inspiron 8000 from my father in law. He said it has never run on battery power. He believed he through out the battery with the packaging. He did not of course. it has a battery in the primary bay. It is the right bay. bios sees it as 100% charging. The left bay has 3.5 floppy drive and bios sees no battery installed on left bay. windows me sees #1 battery not installed #2 battery 100% charging. If you unplug AC it shuts down instantly. the battery has a test button which lights all 5 led green. before i spend money for a new battery what else can I do. Shouldn't windows see the only battery and call it #1. if I un plug the battery in bios it sees it not installed and then when I put it back it imidiately sees 100% charging.
thanks for any help.

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Dani AI

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Quick, focused checklist and explanation to follow and build on 's observation about old batteries losing usable capacity.

Most failures come from three things: the cells themselves, the AC adapter/charging circuit, or the battery's internal electronics (the "smart" board). Work through these steps in order to isolate the fault before buying a replacement.

  • Visually inspect the pack and contacts: look for swelling, corrosion, loose terminals or damage to the latch. Any physical damage = replace and recycle safely.
  • Verify the AC adapter first: use a multimeter on DC range and measure the adapter tip to sleeve. If the adapter voltage is out of spec, the battery will not charge.
  • Measure the battery pack voltage at its terminals (or read the printed nominal voltage on the label). If the open-circuit voltage is significantly below the label rating the cells are likely dead. If you do not have a meter, try the battery in a known-good same-model laptop or test a known-good adapter in this laptop.
  • If the pack shows near-nominal voltage but the laptop still dies instantly on AC removal, suspect very low capacity (cells present but no usable amp-hours) or a failed smart board. A pack can show “full” via internal electronics even when the cells cannot supply current.
  • For older NiMH/NiCd packs, a controlled charge/discharge cycle (full charge, full discharge to shutdown, repeat 2–3 times) can sometimes restore usable capacity; avoid deep discharge for Li-ion packs. Use caution and supervise the process.

If diagnostics point to a bad pack, replace with the exact Dell part number stamped on the battery and source from a reputable seller. Dispose of the old battery at an electronics recycling center. If uncertain about any step (measuring voltages or opening packs), have a technician perform the checks to avoid damage or injury.

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Member Avatar for Xlphos

Is this a old laptop? My laptop about 3 years old has a dead battery, if I remove the power lead it goes of almost instantly. Batteries lose their zero point if they are constantly recharged with some charge already in it.

Member Avatar for mtrivers

yes it is an old laptop and the battery is old but the led indicators on the battery show it is fully charged. I have heard of "recalibrating" batteries but not sure how.

Member Avatar for Xlphos

Yes it will show as 100% so does mine because it can hold very little charge.

I don't know how to recalibrate batteries, but I did unplug the battery leave it for a few days for it to lose some charge and it did last a little longer, but nothing worthwhile.

Member Avatar for mtrivers

Yes it will show as 100% so does mine because it can hold very little charge.

I don't know how to recalibrate batteries, but I did unplug the battery leave it for a few days for it to lose some charge and it did last a little longer, but nothing worthwhile.

Thanks I will probably order a new battery. it is over due in calendar time. and if it is not bad I will have 2.

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