Spectre laptop won't start up on battery power

[Vic1541]

I recently replaced my internal battery on my HP Spectre x360 laptop, as the original was swelling so badly that the trackpad quit working and the case was coming apart, but otherwise the computer was working normally. I first bought a battery from Amazon (non-HP) then after having trouble I bought an HP battery (both exhibited the same behavior which I'll describe).  I installed the new battery, and began having trouble with the laptop operating on battery power. It won't start up on battery power, though sometimes it will continue to operate on battery power after being plugged in, and sometimes it shuts down suddenly. In each of these cases, the battery is either fully or nearly fully charged.

I did cycle full-charge to low-charge a few times to calibrate the battery. I've run the hardware diagnostics, both from the CMOS (by interrupting the boot sequence) and from the Windows app from HP. Both show the battery is healthy and the charging state is being reported correctly. I've tried uninstalling the battery device driver, removing the battery and holding the power button for 60 sec with no success. I have also updated the CMOS from the HP site.

Symptoms and lights: When sleeping (or after a shut-down) and on battery power, if I press the power button I get the little white light indicating it is starting up. The HP splash screen comes up, then the Windows login screen pops up briefly (1 second or less), then the computer shuts down and will not respond again (no lights, nothing) until I plug in.  When I plug in and wait a few seconds (the orange charging light comes on), then I can power up as normal. When doing so, the little CMOS bootup message pops up stating that the computer wasn't shut down correctly and it goes through a memory/system check before booting, but it does finally boot up correctly. Once booted up, it shows the proper state of battery charge as well, which is typically half- to fully-charged for these tests. It always boots up properly while on AC power.

Since I saw the same behavior with two separate new batteries, I don't suspect the battery itself, but rather some setting/hardware issue with the computer. But it only began after installing the new battery.

Thanks for any help.

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @Vic1541,

Welcome to HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand you are facing a battery power issue with the Specter laptop.

It seems like you've taken several troubleshooting steps already, which is commendable. The fact that you experienced the same behavior with two separate new batteries does suggest that the issue might not lie with the battery itself, but rather with the laptop's hardware or settings.

Here are a few additional steps you could consider:

• BIOS Update: Make sure BIOS is up to date. Sometimes, BIOS updates can address power management issues and improve compatibility with new hardware components like batteries.
• Power Management Settings: Check the power management settings in Windows to ensure that no settings are causing the laptop to shut down unexpectedly when running on battery power. You can adjust these settings by going to Control Panel > Power Options.
  To adjust power and sleep settings in Windows 11, select Start > Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen and Sleep.
• Screen: Select how long you want your device to wait before turning the screen off when you're not using your device.

Power Settings:

• High-performance mode: When plugged in, switch to High-performance mode in the Windows Power settings. This might provide enough power for the initial boot on battery later.
• Balanced power plan: While on battery, ensure you're using the Balanced power plan for an optimal balance between power and battery life.
• Sleep options: In the advanced power settings, adjust the "Allow wake timers" option to disable anything that might wake the laptop from sleep and drain the battery unexpectedly.

Reset BIOS to Default Settings: Try resetting the BIOS settings to their default values. This can sometimes resolve unexpected behavior caused by incorrect settings.

Hardware Inspection: Since you replaced the internal battery yourself, double-check all connections to ensure that everything is properly seated and connected. Inspect for any signs of physical damage or loose components.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[Vic1541]

I have tried all of the above; I've updated the BIOS, checked the hardware connections, and checked the power/sleep settings. So far, nothing has helped. It works fine as long as it is plugged in...

I don't really know where to go from here. Maybe time for a new computer.

Thanks for your help,

Vic

[Vic1541 · Accepted solution]

I figured out the problem and have the laptop working fine on battery power now.

It turns out that the first battery I bought was a knock-off (non-HP). That's the reason I bought the second battery, but though it was advertised as an HP battery, it was not. Both were purchased from Amazon (this after I had tried unsuccessfully to purchase them from the HP Parts Store).

So, I tried again, this time submitting a help ticket to the HP Customer Service. They referred me to the HP Parts resellers from whom I eventually was able to procure a true HP battery. I sent an e-mail to all 5, had responses from 2, and purchased from one. This solved the problem and it is working like new!

Thank you for your help,

Vic

[bobby281]

Exact same issue. Bought it on Amazon and now they are sending me a replacement battery. How did you know it was a "knock-off" and what's the HP Parts reseller you used to get the correct battery? Appreciate it!