HP Compaq Presario CQ61 Doesn't charge at all.

anorw · ‎07-17-2012

I just got it to boot without the battery. Writing this on the machine without battery. One user in the other thread mentioned that he could get it start charging if the plug was inserted a special way. I tried bending it and pushing to one side while inserted and it did the trick. I suspect the female plug is not closing properly around the male plug. The indicator light goes off again when I let go of the plug (still inserted, and no battery), but the machine doesn't shut down once it's begun to boot. So it seems there's some kind of sensor to that is not recognizing my adapter even though it's powering the laptop. Possibly due to a worn out female plug?

SSDdrive · ‎07-18-2012

Hello again,

This is much better issue than a failing mb! It's good news! Maybe you can gently adjust the male adapter's roundness with pliers so that it makes better contact @ the leaning-point? Properly placed tinfoil may work, too! Or maybe you can reach inside the female end with a piece of safety wire and see if you can adjust the tab further out so that it makes better contact? Either way, I'm glad that you figured it out.

'I am a volunteer!

If it were a rattler. . . . Rattle Snake, that is. . . .

SickOfHP · ‎02-01-2013

Same problem here with powering, charging and laptop spontaneously shutting down. If you google it, it seems to be a feature of these machines. I also find that if you move the power jack in different directions it makes a connection sometimes. I wish I had a cure (or the money to buy a better and different brand). It's pretty phenomenol that machines continue to be sold with repeating faults, other companies would do the decent thing and recall them. Who should have to resort to a tinfoil cure after paying a couple of hundred quid for a brand?

So I totally empathise with your frustrations.

oustking · ‎06-17-2013

The faster your hard drive does its work - less demand you are going to put on the hard drive and your Compaq Presario CQ61 battery Make your hard drive as efficient as possible by defragging it regularly. (but not while it's on battery of course!) Mac OSX is better built to handle fragmentation so it may not be very applicable for Apple systems.

RubyKK · ‎01-19-2014

Hello,

I have the exact same problem as the first post in this thread.

I've had my laptop now for about 3 years and for the last year or so if I don't plug it into the mains, the battery drains really quickly (about 5 mins). This hasn't been an issue for me though because I just keep it connected at the mains.

Then, yesterday, when I went to switch it on a black screen with an - symbol appeared and would not respond to any keys or actions. So I disconnected the charger and took out the battery, then put them both back in and nothing happens. It won't switch on. The only thing that does happen is when I plug in the charger (without the battery inside) a little light next to the charger socket comes on but only for about 10 secs and then it goes out.

I've tried taking the battery and the charger out, holding the power button down for 60 seconds but it doesn't do anything.

I also tried the charger with another HP laptop and it worked, so it doesn't look like it's the charger.

Please help! Is there anything I can do?

Sparkles1 · ‎01-28-2014

HI Rubykk,

Welcome to the HP forum!

Thank you for your inquiry. I will do my best to assist you with this issue.

I understand that your battery either does not charge, or it discharges very fast. Here is a document on Testing and Calibrating the Battery (Windows 7. Please let me know if you require further assistance.

Sparkles1

lynqon · ‎07-21-2014

Honestly, I am having the same problem as RubyKK and we have no support center.
We cant run tests coz the laptop does not power up at all... forget everything everyone has said up there, nothing works.
Am panicking here....
Somebody help

Zee789 · ‎12-16-2015

I have a compaq C61 which the battery don't hold the charge .

Went to turn on the other day nothing but black screen would turn on .

Light where power cable goes in lights up and 3 little lights on front left corner flash.

Tried the take battery out and try turn on 30 sec nothing. Put power lead back in nothing but the little showing again but no screen.

My daughter had newer compaq laptop model she only got last Xmas, so I took round my laptop to see if her battery and or power lead would work in it.

Tried her power lead that looked identical and low and behold laptop started up fine.

So saved some money as just need to purchase a new power cable as this seams to be were fault is.

Well also the battery that won't hold charge.

These were all the original parts.

Now just need to find as safe place to purchase a new power lead and probably new battery but a proper one not one that will set fire or cause problems and at a resalable price.

Any ideas were can get tnese and price in GBP.

Hope this helps others as I thought was much more serious and costly problem Till borrowed my daughters power cable.

Zee789 · ‎12-16-2015

@anorw wrote:
Thank you again. A failing motherboard sounds plausible. My charger is an original HP charger. So is all other hardware except the battery. But the problem started before I got this battery, while it still had the original one. The symptoms in the last thread you refer to is indeed strikingly similar to mine, except I have an original charger. Please let me know what's missing in my description because I don't know what more to say. Please re-read my original post. I'm going to try plugging in the power adapter many times without the battery, since I only tried it about 5 -6 times in a row. I think the sensor is seeing the power adapter immediatly, because the power indicator is reacting but not starting to charge. Also when the machine is powered off the indicator light next to the ac inlet comes on at once when I plug it in but shuts down after 3 seconds like I said before.
Hope this helps.