Primary (Internal) Battery 601 Error

[TwisterVictor1]

While my laptop was charging earlier, it suddenly shut down for no reason. When I turned it back on, there was an error screen saying the battery capacity was low and had the 601 error code. The battery was at 99% charge at the time. It says 0% after the reboot.

My laptop did shut down for no reason two days ago, but I thought it was just a bit overheated. It could have been the first sign of this.

I got the laptop 19 months ago so it seems a bit strange for the battery to be in need of replacement already.

i ran the battery check from the HP PC Diagnostics program. During the battery check, my laptop shut off again. I rebooted it, but didn't see the battery error screen again. The battery meter said the charge was 99% like it was before this started. I decided to run the battery check again just to be sure. The program cancelled the battery check since the charge is nearly maxed.

I'll check the diagnostics again later and see if things seem to be fixed.

Is there anything else I should know about this problem in case it appears again? I'd rather hold on on replacing the battery since I'd have to send it in since the battery is internal and I use this laptop for work. 

Edit:  After the laptop was fully charged, I turned it off. However, the power didn't shut off when it normally did. It stayed on after the screen turned off. I had to hold down the power button to turn it off. I'm not sure if it's related to the main issue I posted about, but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

Edit 2:  After turning my laptop back on, the battery meter on the login screen showed a red circle with an x. However, after logging in, the meter appeared to be normal. I restarted and that didn't appear again. I also want to add that, when my laptop shut down two days ago, it was plugged in at the time and the charge was about 99%.

Edit 3:  I'm currently charging my laptop. The battery is at 99% charge. The battery meter is empty, but says Plugged In. It was fine for a while and then suddenly changed. When I click on it, it says it's fully charged. The battery charging light did turn white and is now back to orange. I tried running a battery check using the HP PC Diagnostics Windows Program, but the test is always cancelled. 

I'm going to try the calibration steps that I found in the HP Support Assistant Program.

Edit 4:  The battery light is back to white and the battery gauge says 255% available when I scroll the mouse over it. I am probably overreacting a bit, but I'd rather err on the side of caution.

[erico]

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01443470

Use the link to the HP document above this line. It explains the error. The Diagnostic battery test will not work when the maximum capacity is 25% or less.

The battery does require replacement to resolve the issue.

[TwisterVictor1]

I can accept a reduction in the battery capacity. Is there a way to stop the shutdowns? My laptop shut down while on battery power earlier and I was able to power it up normally.

If I did get a new battery, am I able to replace it at home or do I need to send the laptop in to have a professional replace the battery?

[erico]

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@TwisterVictor1 wrote:

I can accept a reduction in the battery capacity. Is there a way to stop the shutdowns? No. Unfortunately, that is a symptom of decreased battery capacity. 

My laptop shut down while on battery power earlier and I was able to power it up normally.

If I did get a new battery, am I able to replace it at home or do I need to send the laptop in to have a professional replace the battery?  That depends on your skill level and willingness to accept the risk of opening up the notebook. If you are not comfortable with doing it yourself, you can have it done at a notebook shop.

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[TwisterVictor1 · Accepted solution]

I took my laptop to a computer repair shop. Apparently, the hard drive was starting to fail and the battery checked out fine. After getting a new hard drive installed, my laptop is working perfectly. I waited a few days before making this post just to be sure.