topic Re: Laptop Replacement Batteries in Electronics

Laptop Replacement Batteries

jellyBEAN — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 14:44:51 GMT

I've had my HP laptop for about 6 years now. The original battery did pretty well, but in the past year I did have to replace it. It's impossible to find the original HP batteries for replacement. You have to replace w/a duplicate.

The last battery I ordered off Amazon and it worked well for a few months, but is already dying and quite possibly dead. How long ago did I order it? I'd say within the year but I don't really remember, but regardless I've got to get another one. The one I ordered was a cheapo no name. They really run the gamut as far as price goes.

Does anyone have a brand they recommend? I see Ninja batteries get a fairly good review. So many no name brands anywhere from $20 up to $90. Big difference. I don't know why my batteries run out so easily. Not sure whether to leave the computer plugged in all the time. I usually put it to sleep and unplug to save battery life. But I have been having it on all night sometimes to help me sleep (not good I know).

Any recommendations?

Re: Laptop Replacement Batteries

hopi — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 14:52:38 GMT

Did you talk to the Geeks at Best Buy?

Re: Laptop Replacement Batteries

Desertdi — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 14:59:32 GMT

I've never had a computer that lasted that long........

Re: Laptop Replacement Batteries

Still Raining — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 15:03:56 GMT

They are expensive. You could just keep it plugged in.

Better to take it a sign that all good things come to a end and get a whole new one.

Once at work they took my desktop's top off and dusted inside. I almost died, who knew!

Re: Laptop Replacement Batteries

jellyBEAN — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 15:16:33 GMT

@hopi wrote:
Did you talk to the Geeks at Best Buy?

No, I don't live near one. Nearest one is about 30 mi. away. If I go into the City though (which is not often) that is an idea.

Re: Laptop Replacement Batteries

jellyBEAN — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 15:20:10 GMT

@Still Raining wrote:
They are expensive. You could just keep it plugged in.

Better to take it a sign that all good things come to a end and get a whole new one.

Once at work they took my desktop's top off and dusted inside. I almost died, who knew!

Yeah, I thought about getting a new one, but I really don't want to. I'm not tech savvy and I hate change. I dread the thought of having to set up a new one w/my printer and firefox and all that stuff. I get very flustered and aggravated when I don't know how to do things I want to do. But, I do know that it is inevitable I will need a new one at some point. Just wasn't ready right now.

Re: Laptop Replacement Batteries

Still Raining — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 15:29:47 GMT

@jellyBEAN wrote:
@Still Raining wrote:
They are expensive. You could just keep it plugged in.

Better to take it a sign that all good things come to a end and get a whole new one.

Once at work they took my desktop's top off and dusted inside. I almost died, who knew!
Yeah, I thought about getting a new one, but I really don't want to. I'm not tech savvy and I hate change. I dread the thought of having to set up a new one w/my printer and firefox and all that stuff. I get very flustered and aggravated when I don't know how to do things I want to do. But, I do know that it is inevitable I will need a new one at some point. Just wasn't ready right now.

I hear you. Right now I have a printer tucked away on the floor of a closet because we aren't on speaking terms.

Re: Laptop Replacement Batteries

pattypeep — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 15:30:04 GMT

@jellyBEAN I have an HP and I recently purchased a new battery from Amazon.

Re: Laptop Replacement Batteries

gardenman — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 11:38:16 GMT

Your best bet is to read the reviews on the batteries and go from there. If you replace your laptop you'll discover that many new laptops have non-replaceable batteries. (Well, not easily replaceable anyway.) They're often glued to the case of the computer and the computer needs to be disassembled to even reach them. If you like everything else about your old computer, just replacing the battery is best.

You'll want to read the reviews with a critical eye. A reviewer who just got the battery and plugged it in and it worked doesn't really tell you a lot other than the battery fits and works okay initially. The one star reviews where their computer was broken and they changed the battery and it's still broken also tells you nothing. Chances are the battery wasn't the problem. With anything with a rechargeable battery you'll get the occasional idiot who will insist the replacement battery caught fire/exploded and could have burned their house down. That same poster will typically post the same review on every battery or battery powered device sold. You can safely ignore them. What you'll ideally find is someone who bought the battery a year or two ago and who's updated the review to tell you how it's performing today.

Re: laptop Replacement Batteries

patbz — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 15:58:30 GMT

@Still Raining : I love 3.5 hrs from a big city but even I have choices of computer techs who run their own businesses in my town of 12,000. Look under " computer/ cellphone repair". I've used one of these guys 3-4 times ( great service, inexpensive and fixed my problem every time).

Re: laptop Replacement Batteries

Still Raining — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 23:55:55 GMT

@patbz wrote:
@Still Raining : I love 3.5 hrs from a big city but even I have choices of computer techs who run their own businesses in my town of 12,000. Look under " computer/ cellphone repair". I've used one of these guys 3-4 times ( great service, inexpensive and fixed my problem every time).

Thanks, I have a local place and a friend at Intel. Ha.

I just need to face up to springing for a nice laser.

Spent most of the time lately over at the hospital, but soon...

Re: laptop Replacement Batteries

Icegoddess — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 00:02:46 GMT

I needed one for my Toshiba (Windows 7) machine. I guess since it was so old, we had to order one through Staples, but they were able to get one for me. My main computer is a MacBook Pro and I hope if I need a new battery they will be able to replace it for me. There's no battery compartment.

Re: laptop Replacement Batteries

glb613 — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 10:38:52 GMT

@Icegoddess wrote:
I needed one for my Toshiba (Windows 7) machine. I guess since it was so old, we had to order one through Staples, but they were able to get one for me. My main computer is a MacBook Pro and I hope if I need a new battery they will be able to replace it for me. There's no battery compartment.

Good luck with that. You'll be lucky if anyone can open the case without damaging it.

Re: laptop Replacement Batteries

gardenman — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 12:36:21 GMT

@Icegoddess wrote:
I needed one for my Toshiba (Windows 7) machine. I guess since it was so old, we had to order one through Staples, but they were able to get one for me. My main computer is a MacBook Pro and I hope if I need a new battery they will be able to replace it for me. There's no battery compartment.

Apple doesn't make their computers especially user friendy for servicing. It can be done, but they make it a lot harder than it needs to be. They're overly fond of soldering in their SSDs and memory so you're pretty much stuck with whatever you originally bought. They glue the batteries in place and force you to largely disassemble the whole computer to get to it. And once you get to it, removing it from the glue is challenging.

The newer Dells and Microsoft's offerings are trending the opposite way with designs that make servicing easier. Both companies are using standard m.2 drives and making them pretty accessible along with memory sticks that are user changeable. While they do glue their batteries in place, at least some of them now use the Command Stick type adhesive with the tab you pull to release the adhesive. Apple could make consumer's lives a lot easier if they adopted a similar approach.