Sony Viao Laptop Battery ..dead?

Doublespresso

My Sony Vaio VGN C1S/W Laptop which is just over 1.5 years old, simply dies when I unplug the power supply. Normally it would switch to battery use but now it just dies.

I've only just used this Laptop occasionally and it seems odd that the battery would be dead so soon, unless I'm missing something... (I tired taking the battery out and in again but it's still the same)

How can I check if the battery is still good or if it is indead dead, can I get it reconditioned? Replacement batteries seem rather expensive..

Any advice appreciated.

macman

The battery light will indicate if it is taking a charge or not, or check the window that shows you if it is charging when connected to the mains.
Check the output from the battery with a multimeter after attempting to charge it.
If you need to run on battery then a new one is the only solution, however if you source it from a third party supplier it will be much cheaper than going via Sony.

Leanne1973

Lithium Ion batteries do degrade over time, has the capacity (battery runtime) been reducing over time or did it just suddenly stop working?

Doublespresso

macman wrote: »

The battery light will indicate if it is taking a charge or not, or check the window that shows you if it is charging when connected to the mains.
Check the output from the battery with a multimeter after attempting to charge it.
If you need to run on battery then a new one is the only solution, however if you source it from a third party supplier it will be much cheaper than going via Sony.

The battery light flashes when plugged in. How can I verify that it is taking charge? What window do I look for for?

Doublespresso

Leanne1973 wrote: »

Lithium Ion batteries do degrade over time, has the capacity (battery runtime) been reducing over time or did it just suddenly stop working?

As far as I can tell it suddenly stopped, but that is not a certain thing as I normally used it plugged in but I'm now thinking of using it on the move.

macman

Doublespresso wrote: »

The battery light flashes when plugged in. How can I verify that it is taking charge? What window do I look for for?

Your manual will tell you what the light means.
There is a battery level monitor on all laptops, you just toggle the relevant keys. e.g on a Dell it's something like Fn+F3. Or go through the Start menus.
Again, look in your manual, all the info you need will be there.