Laptop Battery No Longer Works After Re-Install Of OS

DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
edited October 2011 in Science & Tech
The laptop is a bit old, it's an HP NX9010 512mb. The battery was working perfectly before. I re-installed the OS (which happens to be XP Pro) and the battery stopped working, the battery doesn't hold a charge anymore. I bought a new battery and it too didn't work. So I bought a second generic battery and it wasn't recognized at all. The (2) OEM batteries are recognized by the computer but not the generic and none of them work. I tried to calibrate both the OEM batteries but still, nothing.

I figured if I updated the bios and what not that I could get at least one of the batteries in working order but unfortunately, no.

Is there anything that I could be missing? Maybe something I'm doing wrong or not doing at all? :confused2

Comments

  • PirateNinjaPirateNinja Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    ok let me try again:

    Did you check to see if somehow, someway, one of the pins in the laptop that touches the contacts on the battery hasn't been damaged?
    I know physical damage has nothing to do with a fresh os install, but maybe the os install is just a correlation.

    Also this:
    http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=321850&prodNameId=321852&swEnvOID=1098&swLang=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=ob-22771-1
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    Hmmm.... I can mention that if the computer came with XP Pro and has a driver CD or DVD with it, it is possible that the "drivers" include a power management chip file set or BIOS power management interrogator software custom-made by HP. The power management functions can be set up to shut down a computer. HP supplies custom software. If the driver CD is seperate, the XP Pro CD may install Microsoft drivers and power management software only-- this software may not be getting the correct info as to battery charge state, and be wanting to shut down the laptop due to what it thinks is a discharged battery.
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited September 2011
    Straight_Man wrote:
    Hmmm.... I can mention that if the computer came with XP Pro and has a driver CD or DVD with it, it is possible that the "drivers" include a power management chip file set or BIOS power management interrogator software custom-made by HP. The power management functions can be set up to shut down a computer. HP supplies custom software. If the driver CD is seperate, the XP Pro CD may install Microsoft drivers and power management software only-- this software may not be getting the correct info as to battery charge state, and be wanting to shut down the laptop due to what it thinks is a discharged battery.

    It did come with XP Pro originally. The disc I used is not original to the laptop and I don't have restore disc or anything. I downloaded all of the drivers from the website but still nothing.

    Also even if one of the pins was damaged on the laptop, I figure it wouldn't recognize any battery. It just recognizes the OEM battery, not the generic one and still neither work anyway
  • PirateNinjaPirateNinja Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    DumNDuMMer wrote:
    It did come with XP Pro originally. The disc I used is not original to the laptop and I don't have restore disc or anything. I downloaded all of the drivers from the website but still nothing.

    Also even if one of the pins was damaged on the laptop, I figure it wouldn't recognize any battery. It just recognizes the OEM battery, not the generic one and still neither work anyway

    Just to be sure, you tried the software in the link I mentioned as well? It's not a driver, more what straight_man also suggested.

    I don't know enough to know if one pin is used to charge while others are used to read data. It was just a guess.

    My only other thought is to remove whatever battery is in there, unplug it, and press and hold the power for about 60 seconds to totally drain the thing. Then put a battery back in, plug it in, fire away and cross your fingers...but I think you already tried that.
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited September 2011
    PirateNinja wrote:
    Just to be sure, you tried the software in the link I mentioned as well? It's not a driver, more what straight_man also suggested.

    I don't know enough to know if one pin is used to charge while others are used to read data. It was just a guess.

    My only other thought is to remove whatever battery is in there, unplug it, and press and hold the power for about 60 seconds to totally drain the thing. Then put a battery back in, plug it in, fire away and cross your fingers...but I think you already tried that.

    I had already tried the download on that link and unfortunately for my luck, nothing...

    As far as the other option goes, I actually haven't tried that option of unplugging it because if I do, the laptop shuts off. The batteries are dead, all 3 to be exact. Prior to the re-install both OEM batteries worked. The used one for 30 mins, the 2nd one for about 2.5 hrs. Now, I'm stuck:confused:
  • PirateNinjaPirateNinja Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    DumNDuMMer wrote:
    I actually haven't tried that option of unplugging it because if I do, the laptop shuts off. The batteries are dead, all 3 to be exact. Prior to the re-install both OEM batteries worked. The used one for 30 mins, the 2nd one for about 2.5 hrs. Now, I'm stuck:confused:

    I didn't mean to suggest you unplug it whiles it on. I mean you should

    1. Shut down Windows
    2. Remove whatever battery is currently in there
    3. Hold the power button for 60 seconds
    4. Put battery back in
    5. Plug back in
    6. Turn on and see what happens

    Did you download and install that software I linked in the first post?
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited September 2011
    PirateNinja wrote:
    I didn't mean to suggest you unplug it whiles it on. I mean you should

    1. Shut down Windows
    2. Remove whatever battery is currently in there
    3. Hold the power button for 60 seconds
    4. Put battery back in
    5. Plug back in
    6. Turn on and see what happens

    Did you download and install that software I linked in the first post?

    Tried the steps already, and nothing. The software from that link I had already tried. I recall there being an icon telling me the battery was charging or fully charged even when it wasn't (at least on the old battery anyway) and now I can't find a way to get that working back again like before.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    OK, thanks for the info. That helped immesurably. The batteries are very probably NI-Cad batteries. NI-CAD batteries need to be fully discharged every six months and then brought to full charge with 24 hours of charge time with the laptop off as far as the power button goes. If this discharge/charge cycle is not followed a chemical reaction gradually happens that will cause the battery to accept less and less of a charge. The stuff in windows and in the power management chip works this way-- if the battery's resistance to charge is high enough, the power management chip goes to a trrickle charge. The software drivers for PM and software detect a signal that the charging has gone to only a trickle and take that as meaning that the battery is chargted.

    Further, almost all new batteries are shipped almost to all-the-way to just a tiny bit charged-- if they are shipped interstate this is now required by law due to explosion or fire hazard and haz-maat hazard in the trucks during the summer. Thusly, new batteries need to be charged the same way as with the 6-month cycle.
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited September 2011
    I believe I'm having a n00b freeze, but would I have to then purchase a new battery? At least an OEM? Because I already purchased a new "generic" battery and it didn't work (it wasn't even recognized). I went with the generic battery because it was cheap. I just wanted to know if OEM was the better option to begin with, if so, to invest on the OEM battery. I just don't want to end up buying the new battery and it not work too.

    Also, I still believe there is "something" that I'm missing.
    Even though the OEM battery doesn't work, it is recognized, yet that icon that used to tell me it was fully charged is no longer there which makes me think there's something that keeps slipping past by me.

    I know I should just junk it and get a new one but it's not an option at the moment.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    OK, lets simplify:

    1. Turn computer (laptop) off at power switch/button.
    2. Make sure battery is in correctly.
    3. Plug in the power cord to the laptop and make sure the other end is in the wall outlet.
    4. Let that mess (with laptop apparently off) sit for 24 hours.
    5. THEN try to use laptop.

    HP, Dell ,Lenovo, and many other "makers" rig power circuitry so that it charges LOTS faster when their laptops are apparently NOT powered up. They put in power circuitry that will only trickle charge battery when the laptop is on-- meaning 2 weeks to a month or more to charge battery if it is charged with laptop apparently on all the time. Expect 2.5-3 hours of run-time from battery alone after it is fully charged.

    HP batteries which are recogrnized are probably ok except for needing a charge. Generic batteries will need to be charged BEFORE calibration.
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited September 2011
    Straight_Man wrote:
    OK, lets simplify:

    1. Turn computer (laptop) off at power switch/button.
    2. Make sure battery is in correctly.
    3. Plug in the power cord to the laptop and make sure the other end is in the wall outlet.
    4. Let that mess (with laptop apparently off) sit for 24 hours.
    5. THEN try to use laptop.

    HP, Dell ,Lenovo, and many other "makers" rig power circuitry so that it charges LOTS faster when their laptops are apparently NOT powered up. They put in power circuitry that will only trickle charge battery when the laptop is on-- meaning 2 weeks to a month or more to charge battery if it is charged with laptop apparently on all the time. Expect 2.5-3 hours of run-time from battery alone after it is fully charged.

    HP batteries which are recogrnized are probably ok except for needing a charge. Generic batteries will need to be charged BEFORE calibration.

    I did all those steps and again, nothing. I left it charging overnight, came home, tried to turn it on but the battery was dead.

    I don't know if it might help to say I bought the laptop several years ago at the fleamarket from an asian man who apparently, installed a copy of XP Pro (with a different key) then changed the key to be the same as the COA sticker at the bottom which is XP Pro and installed some updates from the HP website. Why do I assume this? Because after I bought it, there was a Key Changer in the Documents folder along with some downloaded updates the guy didn't bother to delete.

    The point is that the battery was at least working whether it be 5 minutes or 30 minutes. Now, it's not because I can't seem to figure out what's wrong with this thing.
  • PirateNinjaPirateNinja Icrontian
    edited September 2011
    The only things I can think of that you have left to do are:

    1. Buy a brand new battery, and just return it if it does not work
    or
    2. Get the original recovery media from HP or third party distributor (like restoredisks.com) which may have an XP setup with the working software for the batteries you already have
    and
    3. check the output voltage on your ac adapter with a multimeter / or try all the previous post's suggestions with a new ac adapter that works with that model
  • DumNDuMMerDumNDuMMer New
    edited October 2011
    I tried option 2 and apparently it worked but the hp oem battery is still dead and the generic is still not recognized. The OEM battery at least shows up as charging now (unlike before) but doesn't hold a charge so I'm going to have to buy a new one. So I guess now I will "have" to try option 1.

    That damn charging icon reappeared after the restore disks went into the laptop.

    Thanks for all the help!
  • PirateNinjaPirateNinja Icrontian
    edited October 2011
    You're welcome and thank you for updating us :)
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