You have a laptop that appears to charge properly when connected to AC power. The battery charger indicator light shows that it is charging for hours before changing to green “full charge” indicator light. However, once the laptop is removed from AC power the system stays running for only a few minutes before powering down while in use. What is the most likely reason for this issue?
A) The AC power adapter is faulty
B) The ACPI settings in the BIOS are incorrectly configured
C) The battery is faulty
D) The power system inside of the laptop is faulty
The answer: C) The battery is faulty
Since the laptop works properly from the AC power and runs just a bit before powering down on battery power, we can assume that the AC power adapter and the power system inside of the laptop is probably not the issue. The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) settings can assist with optimizing the power use of the laptop, but those settings wouldn’t power down the system after only a few minutes of use.
The most likely cause of this issue is a practically-dead battery that can’t hold a charge more than a few minutes. In almost all of these cases, replacing the battery returns the system to normal off-power use.
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Want to know more? Watch “Laptop and Portable Technologies.” Although laptop and portable devices often provide similar functionality to desktop PCs, there are some important differences to consider for the CompTIA A+ exam requirements. In this video we’ll discuss some of these differences such as form factors, expansion slots, input devices, and power. |