Only runs while plugged in to charger. Replaced battery, pinhole reset battery

nocharge
nocharge Member Posts: 13

Tinkerer
in Aspire Laptops
Suggestions on fixing my Acer Aspire V13 touch (V-3-372T-5051) Computer quit running off battery alone, worked when plugged in. I tried the battery reset (pinhole in bottom of case) and then a new battery, still won't run unless plugged into AC power. There are two tiny lights to the right of the microphone, first oneis lit solid blue, the second with the battery icon is blinking amber. If I unplug the laptop to power they both go off and computer shuts down. 
Thanks for any insight.

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Answers

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    With the charger plugged in and the laptop booted up, go to the elevated command prompt.  Enter 'powercfg /batteryreport'. Then return to the desktop. Open file explorer. Then search for' battery-report.html' in the c:\windows\system32\ sub-folder. Double-click to open it in the browser. Compare design capacity with charging history. It's not unusual to get a bad new battery from some vendors. Post screenshot if possible. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    JackE,
    Thanks for your reply.  I think I am following your instructions correctly, when I look in the c:\windows\system32\sub-folder  I do not find ANY thing with the words "battery". The first line with the letter b is: be-By then next line, bg-BG, next line bn-BD, next line, bn-IN, next line Boot, next line, bs-Latn-BA, next line,Bthprops, next line ca-ES  
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    You must put enter an asterisk *,  after battery*. Or enter the whole filename battery-report.html

    Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    JackE
    Can you make sense of this battery post. I replaced the battery April 9th 2019.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    >>> Computer quit running off battery alone, worked when plugged in.>>>
    >>>Can you make sense of this battery post. I replaced the battery April 9th 2019.>>>

    Yes, the battery at 4% is below critical charge. This is consistent with the flashing amber charging light and immediate shutdown when the charger is unplugged. The charger seems OK. So that leaves either the  new battery's own internal charge regulator or the mainboard's charge circuit which also causes a flashing amber charging light.

    Do you recall anything unusual that might've  happened when this issue started? Any Windows updates or BIOS updates that might've been applied. Or did it just seem to happen out of the blue for no discernable reason at all?

    Jack E/NJ   


    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    Jack E,
    None that I remember it just happened out of the blue.

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    If you disconnect the battery from the mainboard, does it still run OK on the charger alone? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    Jack E,
    I just disconnected and removed the battery entirely from the computer,once I plugged in the AC power it starts up and runs normally, no change other than the amber light is not illuminated at all, before it was blinking amber. The blue light is solid as before.
    I recycled the old battery so I don't have it if you were going to suggest some diagnostics using it. Thanks for staying with me on this. I posted my problem at bleepingcomputer.com as well and so far 178 views and not one reply. 
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    With the machine turned off -- with the battery connected --- and with the charger plugged in --- let the machine set overnight to see if the blinking amber battery light become solid amber or blue after about 8 hrs. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    Jack E,
    Last night I reinstalled the battery, plugged in the AC charger and did not start it up. When I did this last night the amber light came on continuously. I left it like that all night and in the morning it was the same, solid amber light. I pressed the on button and the blue light comes on and the amber goes to slow blinking. Battery is at 3% same as when I left it last night. If you think a bad battery is real possibility I'm game to order a new one and try it. 
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    With the charger plugged in, open Device Manager. Click 'batteries' folder. Uninstall every device driver in the folder. Don't re-install anything. Exit
    Device Manager. Then open Control Panel. Search 'button'. Click 'change what the power buttons do ' in the left pane. Then click 'change settings that are current unavailable '. Scroll down and uncheck the box for fast startup if it isn't already. Shut down. Turn the machine back on. Is the amber battery light still blinking? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    JAck E
    There are two items under "batteries" 
     First item: Microsoft AC adapter, second line item: Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery.
    Each has a driver I can uninstall. Should I uninstall both?  Won't I lose my only power option (AC) even temporarily if I uninstall the first one, "Microsoft AC adapter" ?

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    Uninstall both and anything else that might be lurking around in the batteries folder. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    Jack E,
    I uninstalled both line items,unchecked fast startup and shut machine down. Shut down it was slowly blinking amber light, hit start button to start up and the same slow amber blinking light.
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    Check Device Manager again. Does the batteries folder have the AC adapter and method battery drivers back again? Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    Jack E,
    Yes, under "batteries" there are two line items as before and they both say, " This device is working properly"

  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    Well, as noted earlier, this sorta confirms that it's either the new battery's own internal charge regulator or the mainboard's battery circuits. Unless someone else chimes in with better suggestions, the only practical way to determine which without test equipment is to replace the cheapest suspect, the battery again. If still no joy, I think the only remaining practical choice is to either live with the laptop as is or try a risky mainboard solder-reflow which often is a last resort method for trying to resolve problems like this. Jack E/NJ  

    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    Jack E,
    OK! Well , I will get a new battery ordered, most likely from ifixit rather than Amazon for a switch unless you have better recommendation. I will let you know once I receive and install it. As far as the resoldering goes, would it be tiny cracks in the solder that lose the connection?, and if so do you know what area that would be on the motherboard? Part of my job is using stereo microscopes so I could visually inspect the board for that if that is what you were talking about if I new what area on the motherboard to look. 
  • JackE
    JackE ACE Posts: 44,868 Trailblazer
    >>>would it be tiny cracks in the solder that lose the connection?>>>

    Exactly! But a lot of failed solder traces & interconnects have dimensions that are smaller than the old IBM XT mainboards. And there are a lot more of them. Not easy. Tedious to try to spot even with a good scope. So it's more practical to bake the whole stripped board on an aluminum foil cookie sheet for about 15 minutes at 425-450*F in a pre-heated toaster oven. Jack E/NJ

    Jack E/NJ

  • nocharge
    nocharge Member Posts: 13

    Tinkerer
    Jack E,
    All very interesting! Thank you for your time and expertise. I just sent the battery back to see if they will accept a return, so it may be a week till I get a new battery in it.  I will let you know how this proceeds. This conversation on the Acer site will be accessible in a week I would think? 

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