Symptoms
Check Your Laptop Battery Health
Duration: 02:34
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Learn how to check the battery health status in BIOS, SupportAssist or ePSA Preboot System Assessment diagnostics, or Dell utilities such as Dell Power Manager or Dell Command | Power Manager.
NOTE: Like most laptops, Dell laptops use lithium-ion batteries, which can swell due to battery age, the number of charge cycles, or exposure to high heat. While a swollen pack does not represent a safety concern, damaged or swollen components should not be used. If you have an issue with a battery pack swelling, Dell recommends discontinuing using the battery and replacing it with a Dell-authorized battery. For more information, see the Dell knowledge base article Swollen Battery Information and Guidance.
Cause
Checking the health of the battery is an important step in troubleshooting battery-related issues and helps identify if an aging battery requires a replacement.
Resolution
Check Battery Health Status in BIOS
BIOS information may differ between Dell computers, see the following figures for two different types of BIOS that may be applicable for your Dell computer.
NOTE: If the battery health is blank or unavailable, the battery may not be detected or there is a fatal error with the battery. Reseat the battery if necessary (laptop with removable battery only).
NOTE: The BIOS interface on your Dell laptop may vary. For help with getting into the BIOS, see the User Guide of your Dell laptop.
Method 1
- Turn on the computer and tap F2 key at the Dell logo screen.
- On the left pane, under General, select Battery Information.
- Verify the battery health information as illustrated (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Screenshot of battery health status in the BIOS.
Method 2
- Power on the computer and tap F2 key at the Dell logo screen.
- Select the Advanced tab.
- Verify the battery health information as illustrated (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Animated screenshot of battery health status in BIOS.
Check Battery Health Status in Diagnostics
SupportAssist, ePSA, or PSA preboot computer assessment diagnostic test can help identify a potential battery failure and, if there is a component failure, report an error code. When you have an ePSA code, you can submit the Service Tag, ePSA error and validation code at the SupportAssist Pre-Boot System Performance Check page, to learn how to proceed.
NOTE: ePSA Preboot System Assessment tests only the primary computer battery. The battery is tested by displaying its percentage of full charge and overall health.
- Power on the computer and tap F12 key at the Dell logo screen.
- In the One Time Boot Menu, select Diagnostics, and press the Enter key.
- In the Preboot diagnostics, respond to the user prompts appropriately.
- Review the test results for battery (Figure 3). If the battery test fails, you can submit the Service Tag, ePSA error and validation code at the SupportAssist Pre-Boot System Performance Check page.
NOTE:
- Dell also offers an online diagnostics test, browse to the Online Battery Diagnostics page.
- The test starts automatically.
- You may be prompted to install or update the SupportAssist program, if so, follow the prompts.
Figure 3: Animated screenshot of battery health status in ePSA Preboot System Assessment diagnostics.
Error code | Error message | Troubleshooting steps |
---|---|---|
ePSA 2000-0131 | ePSA: Battery - The battery is not installed. |
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ePSA 2000-0132 | ePSA: Battery -The battery is reaching the end of its usable life. | The battery charges but may experience shorter operating hours.
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ePSA 2000-0133 | ePSA: Battery - The battery cannot provide sufficient power. |
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Check Battery Health Status in Dell Power Manager or Dell Command | Power Manager
Dell Power Manager and Dell Command | Power Manager applications help you maximize the laptop battery life by configuring how the battery should be maintained based on your personal preferences.
- Dell Power Manager - supported on Dell Inspiron, Vostro, and XPS laptops running exclusively on Windows 10, and requires Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1 to be installed on the computer.
- Dell Command | Power Manager software provides simplified and efficient power management capabilities for Dell laptops and tablets running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10 operating system. Dell Command | Power Manager is supported on select Dell Latitude and Dell Precision laptops.
Battery Health is indicated using the heart icon and four circular icons. The number of circular icons that are filled indicates battery health.
Figure 4: Screenshot of battery health indicator in Dell Power Manager.
NOTE: Battery health information is available only if a Dell battery is attached to your laptop.
Status | Health state | Operational status | Primary status | DPM Health state |
---|---|---|---|---|
Replacement Needed | 30 = Non-recoverable error | 7 = Non-recoverable Error | 3 = Error | Poor |
Caution 2 | 25 = Critical failure | 6 = Error | 3 = Error | Fair |
Caution 1 | 10 = Degraded or Warning | 5 = Predictive failure | 2 = Degraded | Good |
Normal | 5 = OK | 2 = OK | 1 = OK | Excellent |
Unknown - battery not present | 0 = Unknown | 0 = Unknown | 0 = Unknown | Unknown |
Code | Description |
---|---|
Excellent—Battery is operating at maximum capacity. | |
Good—Battery can charge normally; however, you may notice reduced operating time because long-term battery life is decreasing. | |
Fair—Battery can charge normally; however, it is near the end of its usable life. It is recommended that you purchase a new battery soon. | |
Poor—Battery no longer provides sufficient power. It is recommended that you replace this battery. | |
Battery no longer operates, or battery status cannot be determined. It is recommended that you replace the battery. |
Check Battery Charge Status using LED Indicators
Dell XPS laptops and Dell Precision mobile workstations come with battery charge indicators on the left or right side (Figure 5). Pressing the charge status button indicates the amount of battery charge remaining.
Each LED light indicates a 20% battery charge.
NOTE: To learn if your Dell laptop has a battery LED indicator, see the user guide of your Dell laptop.
NOTE: Battery charge indicators are available on select Dell XPS laptops and Dell Precision mobile workstations.
Figure 5: Illustration of battery charge indicator on Dell XPS and Dell Precision mobile workstation.
Additional Information
Recommended Articles
Here are some recommended articles for you.
- How to Troubleshoot Dell Laptop Battery Issues
- Dell Laptop Battery - Frequently Asked Questions
- Dell Notebook Battery Warranty Support
- Guide to Dell Power Manager
- How to Improve the Performance of a Dell Laptop Battery
- Notebook Battery Report shows a difference between the battery design and the full charge capacity on your system battery
Helpful videos
Utilize power-saving features to extend battery life
Duration: 00:26
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Maximize Laptop Battery Runtime
Duration: 01:25
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Go to our Battery and Power site for additional resources and information.
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