Troubleshooting Power and Battery Problems

Troubleshooting Power and Battery Problems
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In this document:
If the computer turns off immediately after it turns on
If the computer keeps beeping
If the battery doesn't charge
If a secondary battery doesn't charge
If the computer has a short operating time
If the Time Remaining for the battery is not correct
If the computer doesn't suspend to Standby mode as expected
If the computer doesn’t automatically hibernate as expected
If the computer turns off immediately after it turns on

Battery power is probably extremely low. Plug in the AC adapter or insert a charged battery.

If the computer keeps beeping

The computer beeps for 15 seconds when battery power is low. Save work, shut down Windows immediately, and insert a charged battery or plug in the AC adapter.

If the battery doesn't charge

Make sure the AC adapter is fully plugged into the power source and the computer, and that the light on the adapter is on.
If using a power strip, remove the AC adapter from the power strip and plug it directly into a wall outlet.
Make sure the battery is fully installed and locked in place.
Move the computer away from any nearby heat source. Unplug the AC adapter and allow the battery to cool down. If the battery gets too hot, it will not charge properly.
If available, try another battery and AC adapter.

If a secondary battery doesn't charge

The computer’s secondary battery won't charge until the main battery is fully charged.
Make sure the AC adapter is fully plugged into the power source and the computer, and that the light on the adapter is on.
Make sure the secondary battery is correctly installed and locked in place.

If the computer has a short operating time

Try conserving power using any of the suggestions listed below:
Plug in the AC adapter, especially while using a drive in the module bay or any external connections such as a PC Card or a modem.
Set the display brightness to the lowest comfortable level (Fn+F1).
Put the computer in Standby mode whenever it is not being used for a short while: press the blue sleep button for approximately one second or click Start, (Windows 95) or , Shut Down, (Windows 98 and 2000).
Put the computer in Hibernate mode whenever there is a need to save the current session but the computer will not be used for several hours. To do this press Fn+F12.
Set the automatic timeout settings to emphasize saving power. If the computer has a dual-speed processor, use the lower speed on battery power (the default settings conserve battery power).
If using an I/O PC Card, a PC Card having an external connection such as a network card, remove it when it is not being used. Some I/O cards use significant power even while they're inactive.
If working with an application that uses the serial port or an I/O PC Card, exit the application when finished using it.
Install a secondary battery.
If the main battery is rated at 11.1 volts (check its label), purchase a replacement main battery, which is rated at 14.8 volts.
If running an application that has an automatic save feature (such as MS Word), disable this feature or increase the specified save time to reduce hard disk access.
If the operating time has gradually become shorter and the battery is more than a year or two old, the battery may need replacing.
Heavy modem use can affect battery operating time.

If the Time Remaining for the battery is not correct

The Time Remaining is an estimate, not a precise value, and is based on the rate at which the computer is using power at the moment. This value therefore depends on the current task, and assumes that the power will continue to be used at the same rate until the battery runs out. So, check the Time Remaining while the computer is performing a task requiring a good deal of power (such as reading from a CD or DVD), the value will probably show less time remaining than it really has, since you will probably later switch to tasks that require less power.

If the computer doesn't suspend to Standby mode as expected

If using a connection to another computer, the computer won’t suspend if the connection is active.
If the computer is performing an operation, it normally waits for the operation to finish before suspending.
For Windows 95, if a CD-ROM drive is present, make sure auto insert notification is disabled (the default factory setting). This is not required for Windows 98 or 2000.
In Windows 95 or 98, view the CD-ROM drive properties in Device Manager.

If the computer doesn’t automatically hibernate as expected

For Windows 2000, make sure hibernate support is enabled. From Control Panel, open Power, then click the Hibernate tab.
Also, check the Power Schemes tab. Make sure the Hibernate timeouts for both AC power and battery power are not set to Never.
For Windows 95 or 98, check the Hibernate timeout in BIOS Setup.