Re: Old batteries - or ... ?
On Fri, 20 Sep 2002, Karl E. Jorgensen wrote:
> System info: [DH]ell Inspiron 4000, BIOS A16, kernel 2.4.18 with apm,
> Li-ion batteries
Shite! I wish I saw this earlier!
This is my laptop, and it developed a bad battery in December last year. I
replcaced it under waranty, and went on the BIOS upgrading cycle. Every
new BIOS fixed bugs with the charger, but caused new ones. But A21 seems
to have fixed all of my problems, and has not caused any new ones. I am
using APM, it works just fine!
The problem with all earlier BIOSs is that they didn't know how to charge
the battery, and keep it charged, if you kept the system online all the
time, with never removing the power or turning it off. After 2 weeks or
so, my battery always started losing charge, even when the thing was
plugged in. This eventually killed the battery.
The battery is a smart battery, and it calibrates it charging time, rate,
etc, in combination with the BIOS. There is a utility from the DELL
website somewhere (sorry, can't remember where) that will recalibrate the
battery. Perhaps search google or dell.com for "battery calibrate inspiron
4000"?
--
TimC -- http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/staff/tconnors/
"As an adolescent I aspired to lasting fame, I craved factual certainty,
and I thirsted for a meaningful vision of human life -- so I became a
scientist. This is like becoming an archbishop so you can meet girls."
-- Matt Cartmill
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