Laptop battery problem

[Cannon Fodder]

Here is a new one for me. I am working on a Gateway M460ES with the secondary battery installed. The system is appearing like it is not using the secondary battery. Under Windows it doesn't appear to charge the battery and the other night when I was using it it powered down when the main battery died but the Secondary had 85% according to windows. I'm currently running Gateway's Smart Battery utility on the battery but I see not progress like I did the primary. It started out with an available power of 86% then after 2 hrs went to 88% and has been there ever since. Now as I have typed this it has dropped to 87%. :shrug: When the primary was tested it completely discharged it and charged with progress. This thing is just setting here looking stupid. I'm wondering if an internal switch isn't allowing a load or charge be placed on the battery.

Any idears?

[wax]

Hmmm, take out the main battery and see if the pc chargers the secondary.

[Cannon Fodder]

That's how I have it now, no change for a couple of hours. The status LED on the battery says 100% charge even though I know they are not accurate it has some amount of power in it.

[Cannon Fodder]

Another note I left it plugged up for 2 nights in a row and it was still showing the charging indicator (pink light) in the morning.

[wax]

It sounds like it could be a bad battery then.

[Cannon Fodder]

That's what I'm starting to wonder, bleh this thing is less than a year old.

[wax]

That's what I'm starting to wonder, bleh this thing is less than a year old.

Yep, notebook batteries don't last very long. :(

[BerettaMike]

Will it power up on just the second battery? How long does it last on it?

[Cannon Fodder]

No, I can power it up on the main battery but pull it and it dies. The second it to be used in conjunction with the main, but I think something is keeping it from discharging. :shrug:

[BerettaMike]

Have you tried it in Bios as well?

[Cannon Fodder]

Yep, the battery calibrator thing runs through BIOS.