Guide To Replacement Of A Laptop Battery

Have you ever been faced with a problem in replacing your laptop’s battery? The advent of the laptop computer has brought about the benefit of portability in computing power but along with that comes the problem of maintaining laptop battery life.

It is now possible to do computer work almost anywhere imaginable since the dimensions and weight of the laptop computer has greatly improved convenience to a point wherein it is sometimes even more practical to bring a laptop rather than hardcopy paraphernalia like notebooks and executive diaries.

One critical factor that enhanced the practicality of a laptop computer was the standard inclusion of the rechargeable battery that allows continuous use even if the laptop is not plugged into the power outlet. Laptop battery life is said to be the main point of owning a laptop especially if you are a mobile user.

However, like any battery, even the rechargeable type, the reality is that it loses its capability to continue storing power over a period of time. Fortunately, it will not be necessary to junk your laptop when this happens, since replacement of laptop battery is all that is needed, whether it is the replacement of the entire battery unit, or its components that have worn out. You do not even have to go back to the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to get a replacement since there are several alternative providers of replacement batteries (branded and generic) that you can choose from.

Where can you find the laptop battery? This simple thing can be a real problem for many non-technical people. Well, regardless of the brand of your laptop computer, the laptop battery is almost always located on its underside. It is normally clearly marked either with the word “battery” or something similar, or a symbol thereof (which is normally a small elongated rectangle with a small rectangle on one end with the “+” symbol next to it and a “-“ symbol on the other end).

This battery pack is firmly secured either by a small screw (or a few strategically placed screws), slider(s) or some other means. This information is readily available in the User’s Manual that normally comes with the laptop computer. One important universal tip: Make sure you turn off your laptop computer before attempting to take out the battery. Failing to do so may result to loss of data if you were working on something. Worse, this could cause damage to the operating system or other software.

The predominant laptop battery problem is really one that has to do with its natural loss of storage capability over time. One way to fix this problem (if you are the type who loves to disassemble things and tinkering with the components that do not work) is to open up the battery casing and replace, or attempt to repair, the worn-out parts (either the individual cells, circuit board, or thermocouple – these are the basic components of any laptop battery). This is not advised, however, since it is very possible that you could do something really wrong and, as a result, possibly cause damage to the laptop computer itself.

The more practical (and recommended) approach is to purchase a replacement laptop battery, of which suppliers abound, both from brick-and-mortar establishments, as well as on-line. You just have to know the part number of the battery, which is normally found on the battery pack itself, and do a search on the Internet using your favorite search engine or call your local computer dealer.

If you are buying from a computer dealer, it is always a good practice to bring your laptop computer so that the replacement battery can be tested right there to determine whether it is working, or to identify if, indeed, it is the battery that has a problem.

Laptop Manual