Can a Dead Battery...?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Red Green
  • Start date Start date
R

Red Green

Grasping at straws that aren't even there question...

Anyone ever hear of a machine not powering up (like it wasn't even plugged
in, no clicking or anything) because of a bad battery?

Just curios if it's worth the few bucks to even try.

Red...
 
Red Green said:
Grasping at straws that aren't even there question...

Anyone ever hear of a machine not powering up (like it wasn't even plugged
in, no clicking or anything) because of a bad battery?
Click to expand...

No. It would power up and use default BIOS settings. At worst it would spin
up the fans and nothing else.

If the machine doesn't even blip then you could have a bad mainboard or bad
PSU.
 
Doubt that very much.,,
Have you checked the mains power cable & its main plug fuse ??
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(") mouse
 
Red said:
Grasping at straws that aren't even there question...

Anyone ever hear of a machine not powering up (like it wasn't even plugged
in, no clicking or anything) because of a bad battery?

Just curios if it's worth the few bucks to even try.

Red...
Click to expand...

Most will power up, but Packard Bell computers used to refuse to start
unless the battery was of sufficient voltage. Yours may be different.
 
Grasping at straws that aren't even there question...
Anyone ever hear of a machine not powering up (like it wasn't even plugged
in, no clicking or anything) because of a bad battery?
Click to expand...

Shotgunning is recommended by those who never learn to those who
don't want to learn. Smarter, faster, and less expensive is to buy a
tool sold even in Kmart. Don't even remove the battery (since better
information means battery still connected). Measure that battery with
the $20 multimeter. For example, if the battery is a 3.0 v lithium
coin cell, then battery is perfectly good until voltage drops below
2.6 volts. If battery is at 2.8 volts, then consider a replacement in
the next six months.

Now you have a tool to find other reasons for no power. The less
than two minute procedure is posted in "When your computer dies
without warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup
alt.windows-xp at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

Most important in your case are numbers on purple, gray, and green
wires both before and when power switch is pressed. To obtain better
informed replies, post those measurements here. To learn further
information from those numbers, get the better informed to reply.

Remember, a power supply is only one component of the 'power supply'
system. The naive will immediately replace a power supply rather than
discover which 'system' component is defective.

And finally, using that meter will result a significant
understanding of what happens when that power button is pressed.
Those who recommend shotgunning could not be bothered to know which is
why some will recommend spending more money and more time swapping
parts until half the computer is replaced.

Get the meter. Get numbers. Get replies that will identify the
suspect the first time. Save time. Save money. Even solve a future
problem before it can create a failure. Get the meter and first learn
what has failed.
 
Red said:
Grasping at straws that aren't even there question...

Anyone ever hear of a machine not powering up (like it wasn't even plugged
in, no clicking or anything) because of a bad battery?

Just curios if it's worth the few bucks to even try.

Red...
Click to expand...

Just to make sure we're on the same page: You're talking about the CMOS
battery on the mainboard, not a *laptop battery*, right?
 
Shotgunning is recommended by those who never learn to those who
don't want to learn. Smarter, faster, and less expensive is to buy a
tool sold even in Kmart. Don't even remove the battery (since better
information means battery still connected). Measure that battery with
the $20 multimeter. For example, if the battery is a 3.0 v lithium
coin cell, then battery is perfectly good until voltage drops below
2.6 volts. If battery is at 2.8 volts, then consider a replacement in
the next six months.

Now you have a tool to find other reasons for no power. The less
than two minute procedure is posted in "When your computer dies
without warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup
alt.windows-xp at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

Most important in your case are numbers on purple, gray, and green
wires both before and when power switch is pressed. To obtain better
informed replies, post those measurements here. To learn further
information from those numbers, get the better informed to reply.

Remember, a power supply is only one component of the 'power supply'
system. The naive will immediately replace a power supply rather than
discover which 'system' component is defective.

And finally, using that meter will result a significant
understanding of what happens when that power button is pressed.
Those who recommend shotgunning could not be bothered to know which is
why some will recommend spending more money and more time swapping
parts until half the computer is replaced.

Get the meter. Get numbers. Get replies that will identify the
suspect the first time. Save time. Save money. Even solve a future
problem before it can create a failure. Get the meter and first learn
what has failed.
Click to expand...

Shotgunning? I don't think so. Before even the first post I made I tested
that switch, it's wires to the mainboard as well as put the power supply in
another box. Also, pulled out all the drives, cards, memory so that
basically I was trying to power up a board with nothing connected to
eliminate non MB components. Yea, I've got like 3 multimeters I've
collected over the years. Those are the survivors anyway. They are quite
handy for debugging electrical problems in houses that I've rebuilt. Good
for working on cars, cable TV and fixing flashlights. And the leads on the
better meter totally disconnect. Great for cooking hot dogs in an outlet.

Got a good funny for them trick or treaters tomorrow too :-)
http://hostfile.org/TCoil.jpg
 
Red said:
Grasping at straws that aren't even there question...

Anyone ever hear of a machine not powering up (like it wasn't even plugged
in, no clicking or anything) because of a bad battery?

Just curios if it's worth the few bucks to even try.

Red...
Click to expand...

low cmos batt produces different symptoms on different PCs, so
its possible, though most machines at least spin up.


NT
 
Grasping at straws that aren't even there question...

Anyone ever hear of a machine not powering up (like it wasn't even plugged
in, no clicking or anything) because of a bad battery?

Just curios if it's worth the few bucks to even try.

Red...
Click to expand...


Seems unlikely, but I don't know about impossible.


Unplug PSU connector to motherboard and short the PS-On pin
to ground with a paperclip/etc... does it then turn on the
PSU and spin up the powered drives? If you've a multimeter
it would be good to take some voltage readings like 5VSB and
Power-Good before and after pressing power button and/or
shorting with paperclip, and 5V, 3.3V, 12V readings if it
turns on and keeps running.

It would have been better for you to provide a concise but
complete list of all parts including motherboard and PSU
make & model. A generic answer is seldom as good as one
where everyone knows the specific hardware involved.
 
Red Green said:
Grasping at straws that aren't even there question...

Anyone ever hear of a machine not powering up (like it wasn't even plugged
in, no clicking or anything) because of a bad battery?

Just curios if it's worth the few bucks to even try.

Red...
Click to expand...

I have seen this behaviour with emachines. Also the CMOS batteries for some
reason had a very short life in these PC's.

MJP
 
I have seen this behaviour with emachines. Also the CMOS batteries for
some reason had a very short life in these PC's.

MJP
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. Highly improbable is the feeling I'm getting...but
not impossible. Says it's worth the few bucks to try it anyway.

I've has this box for 6 yrs. Battery still shows 3 volts! But then, a car
battery can show 12v but not be able to deliver and current. Sometime
have seen household batteries do that. Don't know about lithium
batteries.

Thanks again,
Red...
 
Anyone ever hear of a machine not powering up (like it wasn't even plugged
in, no clicking or anything) because of a bad battery?
Click to expand...

I once pulled the cmos battery on a computer that was running to
replace it. I figured since the Bios was shadowed I could do it. The
computer shut down instantly though.
 
Red said:
Thanks for the reply. Highly improbable is the feeling I'm getting...but
not impossible. Says it's worth the few bucks to try it anyway.

I've has this box for 6 yrs. Battery still shows 3 volts! But then, a car
battery can show 12v but not be able to deliver and current.
Click to expand...

Then its not the problem. CMOS battery supplies approx zero
current in use, thats why a coin cell can last most of 10 yrs.


NT
 
Shotgunning? I don't think so. Before even the first post I made I tested
that switch, it's wires to the mainboard as well as put the power supply in
another box.
Click to expand...

Shotgunning refered to another's post that suggested replacing the
battery. To avoid shotguning, one measures battery voltage without
removing battery.

Even one minute measuring power supply's gray, green, and purple
wires with a multimeter before and when power switch is pressed is, by
far, the fastest way to obtain a useful reply. This one is rather
tame because important numbers (except battery voltage) are still not
provided.

If battery says 3 volts (and is rated as a 3 volt battery) while
attached to motherboard, then that is a best test to prove battery
100% good. The reason why this test reports 'without doubt' is
because the battery is under maximum load when attached to motherboard
(and power is off).. This same test works on a car battery, but only
when high beams, heater fan, rear window defogger, etc are all on (and
engine not running) to maximum load that battery when measuring..

Power up with peripherals disconnected tells us little that is
useful. Best numbers on the meter come when everything remains
connected and when numbers are taken both before and when power switch
it pressed. Again to have the next reply provide something useful,
get numbers for purple, green and gray wire both before and when power
switch is presses as described in "When your computer dies
without warning....." starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup
alt.windows-xp at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

It will take many times longer to reply than to measure those posted
numbers. You many not appreciate how massively informative the next
reply will be by simply providing that data.
 
Back
Top