Member Avatar for amandastaff87

my Dell insprion 1501 was showing a messag everytime i turned it on "Battery nor recognised, system will be unsable to charge battery" However, i pressed enter, ignored this messgae and it was fine. the other day i turned it on, had the same message and this time it didnt charge up. The led on the Adapter is still green. someone told be to run a bios from the dell Website (A16 i think), in the process of running this bios my computer shut down and wont turn back on? any solutions? Do i buy a new adapter and Battery? or is it the motherboard? or entirly different issue?


i get now lights or noise from teh Computer at all
Thanks Amanda

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Short summary and practical next steps tied to the thread: reported an interrupted A16 BIOS flash and a completely dead Inspiron 1501; suggested professional help and correctly warned that an interrupted BIOS flash can leave a machine unbootable. The situation needs two separate lines of investigation — (A) confirm the power subsystem is delivering proper voltage, and (B) only if the system shows any signs of life, attempt BIOS recovery before considering board-level repairs.

Start with the power checks (safe, inexpensive diagnostics). Confirm the adapter really supplies ~19.5V (the Inspiron 1501 uses a 65W, 19.5V adapter) — test with a multimeter at the barrel tip or swap in a known-good Dell 19.5V/65W adapter. (Retail listings for the PA‑12 / PA‑2E family document this spec.) (notebookparts.com) If the adapter is correct but there are still no LEDs or activity, inspect the DC jack and look for loose/burnt connections; a shorted charging circuit or a blown power/component fuse on the board will cause total silence and requires board-level repair.

If the laptop shows any keyboard lights, LED behaviour or fan activity when AC is connected, try Dell’s documented USB BIOS recovery workflow: download the BIOS package on another PC, extract the recovery image and place the renamed BIOS_IMG.rcv on a FAT32 USB stick, then trigger recovery (hold CTRL+ESC while connecting AC) as Dell describes. This can revive many corrupted BIOS images but depends on the model and on seeing at least some power/LED activity. (dell.com)

If there is zero activity after the adapter check, or BIOS recovery won’t start, the likely outcomes are (a) a failed power/charging circuit or DC jack, or (b) irreversible BIOS corruption that needs SPI EEPROM reprogramming or motherboard replacement — repairs that are typically done by a repair shop or a specialist because they involve board-level tooling or chip reprogramming. The Dell community contains several reports of 1501 units made unusable by interrupted flashes; weigh repair cost vs replacing the board or the machine. (dell.com)

Recommended short checklist: (1) measure or swap the adapter; (2) inspect DC jack and connectors; (3) if any activity, prepare USB BIOS recovery per Dell KB; (4) if still dead, consult a repair shop for board-level diagnosis.

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Member Avatar for Rik_

It sounds like you will have to take it to a professional for diagnosis to me!

Member Avatar for mnswede

NOTE: If when running the BIOS update you had any interruption of power, you may have turned your laptop into a door stop. Doing a BIOS update or upgrade is a touchy thing. If it doesn't go well or doesn't complete, you can hose your motherboard.

Try taking the battery out of the computer and press the power button. Obviously, if you interrupt power without a battery, it will shut down, but this will tell you if your battery is messing with your ability to power up. If it DOES power up, then it may be time for a new battery.

Laptop batteries can be expensive, unless you know how to search and find the right one online. There will be a model number on the battery's label. Look for that and plug that into a google "shopping" search. Don't buy the cheapest one available, but you don't have to overspend.

Good Luck... -mnswede

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