Charge indicator lite if power switched off?

Hi, I just got a used thinkpad X31.

To recharge it, is this what I do?

(1) Make sure power is switched off
(2) Plug in the AC adaptor
(3) Even if Power is off, is there still an indicator lite to know when it finished charging? Is it safe to wait indefinitely? Is there risk of over-charging it?

Thank you.

 

Laptop doesn't have to be off to charge.

Laptop will never overcharge, there are some threads on here about how to preseve battery if you don't use battery/hardly ever use battery, but overall you can just leave the laptop plugged in forever and it won't kill the battery.

 

But I'm more comfortable with the Power OFF, because it's down to 25% charge, and I read somewhere it's safer that way because heat takes a toll on the juice.

How long a charge does it take to get it up from 25% to, say, 80% charge? I don't want to risk overcharging - here's why - see the below which I copied off an About.Com article:

Since the laptop is used I don't want risk in case of malfunction.

 

Anyone know answer to this?

 

Judy I've been reading your posts. Seriously just freaking plug in the laptop and use it. The Thinkpad is one of the best machines ever made and it was made pretty fool proof. Just plug it in and go. Stop asking questions, crack a few eggs and make an omlet, take some chances, make some mistakes and learn.

Have you even turned on your Thinkpad have you gotten it?

 

That is a pretty rude post. She has every right to ask questions. That's why the forum is here.

 

Heat when charging your battery is for the most part not an issue, especially for the IBM thinkpad line. Thier batteries are located at the back of the computer underneath the screen, which is the ideal location. With the battery there it is away from other heat generators like the CPU, the GPU, and the wireless card.

A lithium-ion battery would be damaged if it was charged continuously (i.e. may smoke or explode) IF the charge of the battery wasn't monitored. In the case of laptops since 2000, the charge level IS monitored, and when your battery reaches 100% charge, it stops charging, thereby saving the battery from certain death. Worrying that the charging system will fail is like worrying that a meteor is going to hit the earth immediately after you read this. To put it simply: if it happens to you, you win the lottery. I don't know of or heard of anyone who has had that problem before. The closest thing that I've heard of would be on this thread.

You have absolutely nothing to worry about if you leave your laptop plugged in after the battery is charged. Hell you could leave it in for a week and it would be fine. Leaving it in for a month or so isn't a good idea only because laptop batteries will lose some of their overall charge if they are constantly at 100% (theres more to it than that, but that's the gist of it). To that end, you could leave your laptop plugged in for 5 years and no ill would come to it, though the battery would be dead.

Please read this guide BEFORE asking any more questions.

That was a really mean post, I wont put negative rep because I'm a nice guy, but this is a help forum, not a Digg/Slashdot/etc. forum. Either say something helpful or don't say anything at all, no one wants to hear anyone's criticisms unless they ask (either on this forum or in real life.)

 

Thanks blondie for your support,
Also to Lt.Glare, as well as for your very helpful post and link to guide.


BTW, I'm no Notebook Guru (never mind what I'm labelled here).


I just now plugged in the AC adaptor (with Power OFF)
And I'll soon take a look at that guide.

P.S. In the battery guide, it seems to me that this is a contradiction:

On the one hand, it states:

You are removing the battery while on AC power:

Pros:
• Preserves charge cycles
• Keeps the battery temperature lower thus slowing the aging process​

On the other hand, it states:

• Battery’s temperature is higher on AC power resulting in accelerated aging​

 

P.S. tebore: I suggest you read my PM re: eggshells embedded in my omlet & jumping to conclusions