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    Laptop shuts down unless plugged in

    Discussion in 'Alienware 14 and M14x' started by KenZy, Jun 14, 2014.

  1. KenZy

    KenZy Newbie

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    Hi,

    I've had an Alienware M14x R1 for a couple of years now, however recently its begun to shut down unless it's plugged and simply won't start up again. The system shows that the battery is still connected and fully charged so I'm not too sure whats going on.
    Any suggestions?

    Running Windows 8.1
     
    KenZy, Jun 14, 2014
    #1
  2. simonmpoulton

    simonmpoulton Notebook Deity

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    Sounds like the battery has died - batteries can fail and will still show 100% Charged Ok.
     
    simonmpoulton, Jun 16, 2014
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  3. Alienware-Wasserman

    Alienware-Wasserman Company Representative

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    I'd run a Battery Test with the Alienautopsy tool. It will identify for sure if your battery needs replacement.
     
    Alienware-Wasserman, Jun 16, 2014
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  4. KenZy

    KenZy Newbie

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    I ran a test using the Alienautopsy tool (double checked by scanning the battery twice) and everything passed.
     
    KenZy, Jun 16, 2014
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  5. simonmpoulton

    simonmpoulton Notebook Deity

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    As I stated - if the battery has failed then it can easily report that everything is fine but be incapable of powering the machine. Diagnostics will pass in this instance.
     
    simonmpoulton, Jun 16, 2014
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  6. Tweak155

    Tweak155 Notebook Evangelist

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    Definitely sounds like a dead battery. You can try holding the power button with no battery or power connected to the laptop for 30 seconds to possibly clear some sort of glitch, but it is a long shot. Since you have nothing better to try, I'd do it just to do it.
     
    Tweak155, Jun 17, 2014
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  7. KenZy

    KenZy Newbie

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    Nuts, so there's no other possible explanation?
    And is replacement the only solution to a dead battery?
     
    KenZy, Jun 18, 2014
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  8. J.Dre

    J.Dre Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    It's unlikely that it is unrelated to the battery. The only other things that would explain this would be the adapter or motherboard. The adapter may not be supplying enough power to charge the battery, or the motherboard may be faulty.

    And yes, replacing a dead battery is the only solution to a dead battery.

    Do you have the latest system BIOS installed? You can see if everything is detected in the BIOS as well, as another check.
     
    J.Dre, Jun 18, 2014
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  9. Alienware-Wasserman

    Alienware-Wasserman Company Representative

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    Well, as previously stated if it isn't a problem with the battery - it might be an issue with the motherboard. My first advise right now would be to test out a different battery.
     
    Alienware-Wasserman, Jun 18, 2014
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  10. KenZy

    KenZy Newbie

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    Okay so I'm running the latest BIOS for an M14x R1 (v. A08) but all of a sudden the battery is working again. Anyone got an explanation for whats happening?
     
    KenZy, Jun 19, 2014
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  11. J.Dre

    J.Dre Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    BIOS is a chip located on all motherboards that contain instructions and setup for how your system should boot and how it operates. It includes instructions on how to load basic computer hardware and includes a test referred to as a POST (Power on Self Test) that helps verify the computer meets requirements to boot up properly.

    Basically, because you upgraded to Windows 8.1, your PC wasn't booting properly and loading all necessary hardware because it had an old BIOS.

    Glad it's resolved! :thumbsup:
     
    J.Dre, Jun 19, 2014
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  12. KenZy

    KenZy Newbie

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    Oh sorry for the confusing, I didn't update my BIOS, it was already the latest version, however now my battery seems to be working again randomly. I'm not sure if the problem is solved completely or if it'll act up again in the future. Any ideas?
     
    KenZy, Jun 20, 2014
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  13. Alienware-Wasserman

    Alienware-Wasserman Company Representative

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    Re-Flashing the BIOS might have done that. Who knows. But at least it's working, right?
     
    Alienware-Wasserman, Jun 20, 2014
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  14. KenZy

    KenZy Newbie

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    I didn't reflash. The only thing I did was a scan.....but i'll update if something else happens
     
    KenZy, Jun 20, 2014
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  15. Rymesis

    Rymesis Notebook Consultant

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    I had this happen to my M14x R2 do this suddenly.
    Updated BIOs and drivers, no change.
    The fix was removing the bottom cover and disconnecting/reconnecting the battery where it connects to the motherboard.
     
    Rymesis, Jul 2, 2014
    #15
  16. J.Dre

    J.Dre Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    You basically reset the BIOS, in a way. But hey, at least it's working... That's all that matters.
     
    J.Dre, Jul 3, 2014
    #16