Question from Tim: I have what is surely an easy question to answer, Rick.
Is it safe to run a laptop without a battery installed?
I’ve heard conflicting answers and I’d really love to have your opinion on the matter.
Q&A: Does my laptop need a new battery?
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Question from Corrine V.: I have a 5 year old HP laptop that won’t work anymore unless it’s plugged into a wall socket.
The battery charge indicator is stuck on 2% charge and it won’t charge any higher than that.
I thought laptop batteries were supposed to last longer than this.
Do you think I need to buy a new battery or could the charger maybe be bad?
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Q&A: Did I damage my brand new laptop’s battery by using it before it was fully charged?
Question from Freida N.: Hi Rick. I hope you can answer a question for me.
I recently ordered a new laptop (#ad). When it arrived I took it out of the box and immediately started using it like I normally do.
This morning I read an article that said you’re supposed to charge the battery in a new laptop for at least 8 hours before you start using the laptop.
But I didn’t do that. I just went ahead and plugged the power cord into the wall and started using it immediately.
The battery seemed to charge ok and it now says it’s 100% charged, but do you think I might have damaged it in any way by not charging it for 8 hours before turning on the machine.
Now I’m afraid to unplug the charger because the battery might be bad. What do you think?
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Q&A: Where can I get a good deal on a replacement battery for my Toshiba laptop?
Question from Missy: The battery in my Toshiba Satellite C655D-S520 laptop has gone bad. Where can I get a good deal on a replacement battery?
I checked with Best Buy and Office Depot and they can order one for me but they want a small fortune for it!
I’ll be happy to consider a third-party laptop battery instead of one from Toshiba as long as it’s reliable and safe (as in it won’t burn my house down or damage my laptop!).
Rick’s answer: Hi Missy. As with most things electronic, I always buy my laptop batteries at Amazon because of their excellent selection, great prices and outstanding customer service. [Read more…]