Member Avatar for dvr

hi
I have a dell t7400. during boot it says
"your battery is either charging, bad or missing, and you have VDs configured
for write-back mode. Because the batteryis not currently usable, these VDs
wil actually run in write-through mode untilthe battery is fully charged or
replaced if it is bad or missing."

the computer has been running for a week straight and still says the same.
any ideas?

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Dani AI

Generated

Short expert summary and practical next steps.

The boot warning shown in the thread is the RAID controller telling you its cache cannot be protected by a backup device (battery or capacitor), so it falls back to a safer mode that reduces write performance. correctly discovered the simplest cause: the controller in that Precision T7400 was shipped without the optional battery module. That explains why the message persisted even after the machine ran for days.

Quick checklist to verify and fix:

  • Power down, unplug and open the case; visually confirm whether the RAID card has a rectangular battery pack or a small capacitor module attached.
  • Note the controller model (printed on the card or visible in the RAID BIOS/firmware) so you can look up compatible BBU/cache modules or replacement parts.
  • Enter the RAID controller utility at boot or use the vendor storage-management tool in the OS to read BBU/charge/health status. The utility will show whether a BBU is present, charging, degraded, or failed.
  • If a BBU is present but unusable, allow several hours with the system powered on for an initial charge and re-check status; if it never becomes usable replace the module.
  • If no BBU is installed and you need write-back performance, obtain and install the exact backup module for the controller; otherwise leave VDs in write-through or accept the performance trade-off.

Cautions and extra notes:

  • Do not force-enable write-back without a working BBU — that increases the risk of data loss on a sudden power loss.
  • BBUs age and should be treated as a consumable; check health regularly and replace when flagged.
  • Using a UPS and keeping regular backups mitigates risk if you stay in write-through mode.

This approach explains ’s outcome and gives others a step-by-step way to confirm the cause and choose the safest fix.

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Member Avatar for dvr

hi
I have a dell t7400. during boot it says
"your battery is either charging, bad or missing, and you have VDs configured
for write-back mode. Because the batteryis not currently usable, these VDs
wil actually run in write-through mode untilthe battery is fully charged or
replaced if it is bad or missing."

the computer has been running for a week straight and still says the same.
any ideas?

found the answer on dells site.
my cards dont have batteries.:$ should of opened the case first.

Member Avatar for jingda

Can you show me the link you get from the dell websites? Thanks:)

Member Avatar for dvr

Can you show me the link you get from the dell websites? Thanks:)

Sorry I cant find the link. but if you open your PC and look at the card and if you see no battery that is why, if you see a battery replace it.
best help I can give you.

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