Probook 4330s "No Battery Detected"

My new Probook 4330s was delivered with the yellow light by the AC power socket flashing.

It would not start on battery but did start when connected to the mains AC power.

The reason for this appears to be that "No Battery Is Detected" and this is displayed in the bottom right corner as well as the battery icon which is empty and shows a red cross.

This problem just comes and goes randomly and when it does come means that the laptop cannot be used without being permanently connected to mains power. This is very annoying for a mobile device owned by someone who travels a lot and needs it in the field on battery power!

After 2 months of this problem coming and going, searching the web, reading the HP forums and contacting HP business support I have tried the solutions they have so far offered up:-

1. Power down the laptop, remove the AC lead, remove the battery then press and hold the power on button for over a minute. Known as a "Hard Reset". Then restart on mains power and insert the battery once the laptop has started.
This solution has worked approximately once in nearly 20 occassions of "No Battery is Detected".

2. Uninstall the ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery driver within device manager then restart the laptop.
This has never solved the problem yet.

3. Constant restarts and battery removals and re-inserts.
Sometimes this appears to work, although usually this problem just comes and goes and thus this solution can never be clearly determined as being correct.

4. I have also updated the BIOS as recommended by HP and this has not worked either. The problem was also apparent on the previous BIOS so I'm reluctant to restore the BIOS to it's default. I'm currently running the newest version F.25.

5. I have run battery tests using the HP Support Assistant (running the newest version) and after testing it says that "No Battery Is Detected" please reinsert battery and retest.
Again it says "No Battery Is Detected" so this does not work either.

6. Another possible solution offered up on the HP support forum states that if the laptop will start on battery power then reinstall the operating system using System Recovery.
When I have this fault "No Battery Is Detected" then sometimes you can start on battery power and sometimes you can't. This time it appears you can.
However, I am not that IT minded and therefore do I really, really need to reinstall the OP system?
This will surely create many more problems which I will be unable to solve and I am thus pretty reluctant to do this.
Also, this laptop was delivered new with this problem already on it so restoring the laptop to a previous setting, or reinstalling the OP system, or setting the BIOS to default , etc, etc does not make sense to do.

Update= Whilst it appears I can start the laptop on battery power, it only remained on battery power with no battery detected for 15 mins. Then it shutdown unexpectedly. So it appears the battery is not detected and is not charging so now I can only start on mains power. To which HP support now says to contact HP.

7. I unistalled HP Power Assistant 2.0.6.0 and ran without it and still "No Battery Detected".
I downloaded and installed the previous version of HP Power Assistant 2.0.5.1 and still "No Battery Detected".
I did a "Hard Reset" with both versions and with no version of HP Power Assistant installed and still "No Battery Detected".

I still think that it's a bad driver from HP, but which one?

I shall get HP to send me a new battery under warranty when I speak to them this week to rule that out as well.

I have now logged another complaint with HP but as it's Easter I won't be able to follow up until later this week.

Does anyone have anything else to try please?

 

I spoke with HP and after running through all the previous suggestions again, the "No Battery Is Detected" is still showing. HP have now decided to send out a new battery in exchange for the old one which should arrive in the next few days.

However, in the meantime I seem to have inadvertantly discovered a very simple work around.......


Put the laptop to sleep with the AC charger plugged in.
The yellow light by the AC input then stops blinking and lights up fully indicating the laptop battery is charging.
Re-awaken the laptop then you'll see that the battery icon is now showing charging and working correctly.
The laptop will then continue to charge to full (yellow light changes to blue) and will now run on battery alone.
A battery test using HP support assistant will now show "Battery OK".


I guess that battery is not needed anymore....

 

I'd still do that battery exchange though. Something isn't right in there.

 

I believe it's just a case of bad battery, nothing to get worried about.
Once the new battery arrives, i suggest you start reading some battery handling tips in google.