Question :”our online shop has a client that complains that their hp laptop doesn’t charge. Is there anyway to pinpoint whether its the laptop battery or the laptop, without having to buy an extra battery to test with?

The unit is a hp laptop. I’ll find out the specific model number when they bring the unit it later today or tommorrow.”

Customer You can see the follow soultion and choose the right method.

Solution 1:”

Well, for one, if you are good with a multi meter you can check to see if the contacts are working and charging. Check the hp probook 4520s battery, the contacts of the unit and the contacts of the battery—make sure the pins have ample spring or resistance enough to make good contact (they get worn).

You can see if the unit runs w/out the hp laptop battery just on AC.

Our custmoer you should confirm how old the unit is and if they leave the battery in every time they hook up to the wall as well—in this case the battery probably had all the life cycles it had available used up—especially if the unit has some age and/or wear or both. Some computer systems cycle through the battery even when the AC is used if the battery is not dislodged—this is still a wear on the battery and cycles it through what ever life it had—they only have so many.

More than likely it is a bad battery—or used up: More than likely if it runs on laptop AC adapter without the battery installed or with the battery installed and the battery just tests out with little or no current then it’s just an old battery.

There is more but you get the idea. check for known issues with the unit as well.

Regardless, I think it safe to hazard a guess that the hp prbook 4320s battery is just dead if the criteria above have been met.

Other than that, yep, you can try another battery.”
Solution 2:”

Hey, Dude…you know how you reread something and some after thought thing happens and some little piece of your memory suddenly jolts you with some bit of forgotten trivia?

Okay, I’m rereading what I posted you about the hp AC Adapter: Then, I remembered a long term client of mine named Nestor. (Yea, Spanish)

Anyway, his problems were EXACTLY like yours. Same issue with the battery, low power indications, ect, ect.. This was an HP as well—I may be able to get the model number for it later if it is important to you.

I thought it was a bad AC adapter too just as you do.

But guess what? Instead of buying the adapter, and because his system had some wear and age as far as the HP EliteBook 6930p battery goes, I had him buy the battery first because he said the battery would not last as long as it used to—I talked with him about life cycles of a battery and thus we agreed to get the battery replacement if for no other reason than to have a back up battery since he used it on battery often.

Here is the thing: The new hp compaq 6735b battery came in. We charged it in the system. I just let it sit there for half a day. I went back to it and it worked: EVERY thing worked.

So, in this case the battery not being functional and the system not working that way meant that the laptop batteries had to be in place for power to cycle correctly. Go figure.

I know, it throws a wrench in what could be simple but I did think to let you know I had remembered that situation.