When the battery won't charge or the battery life is too short

Warning! Before Disassembling Laptop always remove battery. See the expanded text below the flowcharts for explanation of each step.

Laptop battery technology has come a long way from the early NiCad packs that had to be carefully managed. Otherwise their charge capacity would rapidly diminish to the point where an hour of unplugged operation was a fond memory. Some manufacturers did a better job managing NiCad battery life than others, but the only reason for nostalgia about those times was that the battery packs could often be rebuilt by the ambitious do-it-yourselfer.

Problem with laptop power cord, jack, charging or AC/DC adapter

Warning! Before Disassembling Laptop always remove battery. See the expanded text below the flowcharts for explanation of each step.

Because laptops are designed to be portable and function on battery power, they are engineered to run on the DC (Direct Current) power that batteries provide. But all of the power distribution networks in the modern world utilize AC (Alternating Current) because it's a more efficient and economical way to move electricity long distances.This means that laptops are shipped with an AC adapter that plugs into a regular outlet and converts that AC power into the proper DC voltage for the laptop.

Laptop Power Supply Problem

Laptops are typically powered by an internal rechargeable battery that is charged using an external power supply, which outputs a DC voltage typically in the range of 7.2–14.8 volts. The power supply is usually external, and connected to the laptop through a AC connector cable. It can charge the battery and power the laptop simultaneously; when the battery is fully charged, the laptop continues to run on power supplied by the external power supply. The charger adds about 400 grams (1 lb) to the overall "transport weight" of the notebook.