Battery Not Being Charged ("plugged in, not charging")

[LiliumSnow]

So I've had this laptop (Toshiba Satellite C650-01V) since 2010 I think (I had it since I started university), and around early this month I've been having problems with my battery: it's not being charged. There's a message that says "plugged in, not charging", and I've tried multiple ways in trying to fix it. Each day it would lose 1% of power (It would be at 90%, then 89% the next day). At the moment, it's at 5%. At the bottom of my laptop is a little light that I'm assuming indicates how much power my laptop has or something (it has a symbol of a battery and a plug beside it). When I have my laptop plugged in with the AC-adapter it's green; when it's unplugged, it turns orange and starts flashing. I have no idea if it was green or orange when my battery was still fully-charged.
I remember I had to replace my AC-adapter last summer because my old one was damaged; but I don't think it has anything to do with that because it's been working fine until this month.

-I've tried the "shut down, unplugged AC, remove battery, replug, start-up, uninstall control method battery, shut down, unplug AC, put battery back, replug AC and start-up" method, but it didn't work.
-I tried disabling Toshiba Power Saver, but that didn't effect anything.
-I read somewhere that completely draining the battery might work (somehow), except my battery refuses to go any lower than 5% no matter what I do.

I'm beginning to think that my battery is just dead and gone. I really hope not because the battery of my older sister's laptop (around the same age as mine) is also dead, and she was told by an employee at Best Buy that a new battery is more expensive than an actual laptop (a friend of mine told me that this is complete bull, so I don't know what to believe). I would really hate having both laptops replaced, but it doesn't seem like I have any other options. Unless of course someone can suggest something else that might get my battery charging again.

Thanks.

 

[TVeblen]

Yes, it sounds like your battery is dying. This is quite common, as they only have a lifespan of X number of charging cycles. Get a new battery.

A replacement laptop battery should be less than $100 US from the manufacturer. There is nothing wrong with generic batteries provided they are the EXACT same specification as the OEM battery (original equipment). These you should be able to find in the $50 -$60 range. You should be able to find a replacement battery on Amazon in minutes (or anywhere else - dedicated battery websites will provide you with more details for making an informed choice).

While not necessary I always buy a new charger to go along with a with a new battery.
It is VERY important that the charger have the EXACT same output voltage and amperage as the original equipment. Ignoring this rule can shorten the life of the battery, or the laptop.

Running the battery all the way down is a leftover from the days of NiCad batteries. It has no useful effect on modern Lithium Ion batteries.

The guy at Best Buy is an excellent salesman. A poor excuse for a human being, but a great salesman. I bet he won an award that year.

 

[LiliumSnow]

Thanks for the reply! I'll have to have a look when I get the chance, and tell my sister the same thing too.

UPDATE: So before I went to bed (around 4 am), I decided to take out my battery (it was at 4% when I did) because I felt there was no point in keeping it in. But when I got out bed (around noon, I'm so lazy), I had to put the battery back in because I wanted to show my Mum the message I got on this forum ... and BOOM, my laptop was charging my battery again! Yeah I have no idea why it's working now, but I'm guessing this is just a temporary thing and not a permanent miracle. I'll get back to this thread if I notice a change.

 

[LiliumSnow]

Thanks for the reply! I'll have to have a look when I get the chance, and tell my sister the same thing too.

UPDATE: So before I went to bed (around 4 am), I decided to take out my battery (it was at 4% when I did) because I felt there was no point in keeping it in. But when I got out bed (around noon, I'm so lazy), I had to put the battery back in because I wanted to show my Mum the message I got on this forum ... and BOOM, my laptop was charging my battery again! Yeah I have no idea why it's working now, but I'm guessing this is just a temporary thing and not a permanent miracle. I'll get back to this thread if I notice a change.

Well it reached 96% and it's giving me the "plugged in, not charging" message again.

 

[LiliumSnow]

Thanks for the reply! I'll have to have a look when I get the chance, and tell my sister the same thing too.

UPDATE: So before I went to bed (around 4 am), I decided to take out my battery (it was at 4% when I did) because I felt there was no point in keeping it in. But when I got out bed (around noon, I'm so lazy), I had to put the battery back in because I wanted to show my Mum the message I got on this forum ... and BOOM, my laptop was charging my battery again! Yeah I have no idea why it's working now, but I'm guessing this is just a temporary thing and not a permanent miracle. I'll get back to this thread if I notice a change.

Well it reached 96% and it's giving me the "plugged in, not charging" message again.

Okay, so without warning the battery started being charged again. It's at 99%. I have no idea what's going on with this thing; it just does what it wants. x_X

UPDATE: Well it's stuck at 99% and is giving me the "plugged in, not charging" message. *facedesk*

 

[TVeblen]

Well that's the thing with a failing battery, they won't just die, they just start acting weird.
You can experiment with it for a while to see if anything changes, but I wouldn't count on it.

One thing you could try as an experiment is a reset.

• Shut down the PC
• Remove the power supply and the battery.
• Press and hold the power button down for 20 seconds or so to drain all the power from the board.
• Put everything back in and start up.

 

[LiliumSnow]

Well that's the thing with a failing battery, they won't just die, they just start acting weird.
You can experiment with it for a while to see if anything changes, but I wouldn't count on it.

One thing you could try as an experiment is a reset.

• Shut down the PC
• Remove the power supply and the battery.
• Press and hold the power button down for 20 seconds or so to drain all the power from the board.
• Put everything back in and start up.

Well it's fully charged now, but I have taken it out of the laptop. I shalt save this thread for the future and tell my sister what you told me. Thanks for your help. :3

 

[TVeblen]

Glad to hear it. Good luck!