computer battery problem...

[battles1550]

I have a Toshiba laptop (my third) that used to run without the
battery pack. The computer is probably 10 years old. I use it in my
vehicle to look at maps and also run a timer program that keeps track
of where you are on any interstate freeway in the US. The computer is
continuously plugged into a 120 volt power converter. Just a few days
ago it started shutting down with a low battery message (I think that
is what it is saying - it shuts down too fast to read the message)
whenever the monitor is out of the screen saver for more than about a
minute. Since the computer will usually run without the battery pack
installed, it seems that there may be an internal battery that has gone
bad - just guessing here. The computer shuts down as above even with
the battery pack installed and the battery charger plugged in.
Obviously, the monitor is draining too much juice, causing the computer
to croak.

This same thing happened to my 1st Toshiba laptop.

Any suggestion on how this can be repaired will be appreciated!

Thanks - John

 

[paulmd]

I have a Toshiba laptop (my third) that used to run without the
battery pack. The computer is probably 10 years old. I use it in my
vehicle to look at maps and also run a timer program that keeps track
of where you are on any interstate freeway in the US. The computer is
continuously plugged into a 120 volt power converter. Just a few days
ago it started shutting down with a low battery message (I think that
is what it is saying - it shuts down too fast to read the message)
whenever the monitor is out of the screen saver for more than about a
minute. Since the computer will usually run without the battery pack
installed, it seems that there may be an internal battery that has gone
bad - just guessing here. The computer shuts down as above even with
the battery pack installed and the battery charger plugged in.
Obviously, the monitor is draining too much juice, causing the computer
to croak.

This same thing happened to my 1st Toshiba laptop.

Any suggestion on how this can be repaired will be appreciated!

Thanks - John

It's hard to find someone to repair these legacy machines. Unless
you're really willing to pay more than replacement. However, it's not
very difficult to find a same model (or similar) laptop, and slap your
hard drive in to it.

At the age of the laptop, finding a working battery will be difficult.
Or at any rate expensive.

Another thing that happens to old laptops is the bios (aka CMOS aka
reserve) battery is dead. Very common. Shouldn't cause shut down
issues, usually just forgets the time, and a few non default settings,
and may make you enter the setup program.

 

[battles1550]

Thanks for replying. Yes, Toshiba can supply a new battery for only
$450.00. What a deal. And then it may not even fix the problem.

 

[paulmd]

Thanks for replying. Yes, Toshiba can supply a new battery for only
$450.00. What a deal. And then it may not even fix the problem.

Good god! I thought it would be $150, at the VERY most.

Those are US Dollars, aren't they?

You can get a new laptop for that price. Not a high end one, but a new
one.

 

[Sjouke Burry]

Good god! I thought it would be $150, at the VERY most.

Those are US Dollars, aren't they?

You can get a new laptop for that price. Not a high end one, but a new
one.

Look around for a shop which makes replacement batteries.
You can send your old batteries to them.
In my toshiba there were 3 batteries, the main one, then a
smaller one for memory retension while hibernating, and
last a very small one for bios retention.
Dead all three of them.
(And the small ones carefully hidden between things).
A year or so ago I found a shop here in the Netherlands
willing to make copies for a reasonable price.
I have retired in the meantime, so I cant check
my work files