Update BIOS make laptop's battery work again?

[knguyen7]

I don't know if this post was in the right board or topic, but I don't see any other that fit more than this. 

I bought a Compaq Presario with Windows 7 from Walmart two years ago. When I bought it home, I only test to see if the computer work, missing anything, etc. (the battery does work). Then I don't use it for a month, and when I turn it back on, the battery is defect, and I can't charge my laptop (I still don't really know if it's defect, but I'm sure I cannot charge it). Now the return date for Walmart has expired, I used my laptop by connecting the adapter to the electrical outlet for two years without getting my laptop to charge again.

Then recently, an update fix that. If you use HP or Compaq computers, I believe there's a software come preinstall called HP Management Support or something like that (the program by HP with an icon of a blue circle with a question mark). Just on Tuesday, it tell me (not Windows Update, the HP one) to install some updates. Some of these include HP BIOS. I accept and after installing the updates, my laptop restart. Then a screen I never see before appear, saying the computer is rewriting new BIOS blocks. After that, another restart, then my laptop start normally. But I can see the battery status (which before was saying "plugged in and charging" with a red X mark on it) now said "0% available, plugged in and charging". Leave my computer like that for some period of time, and the laptop battery was fully charged.

My questions is what is a BIOS of a computer? How can with just an update, it fix a problem with battery that I think only external fix (like open up the laptop and fix the wires) or changing the battery will help? I still don't understand on that, you have to replace another battery or made sure it was properly put in the laptop in order for it to work (I already tried those options). But how can an update fix that, like the battery defect was cause by some computer errors. Although my laptop was fine again, I just want to know the answers to the two questions above. Thank you.

[anthony82 · Accepted solution]

Hello knguyen7,

Welcome to the community.

BIOS is the software that lets the hardware talk to the other software in your computer. Here is a link that goes into detail about the BIOS.

As far as the update fixing the problem, The BIOS was telling the software for the battery that it was charged, or that the battery was removed so the computer was never going to charge the battery.

Let me know if this helps.

Have a good day.