Question: I have a five-year old Dell Latitude laptop. A few weeks ago the battery stopped working. The computer runs when it is plugged in but the battery does not. Should I replace the battery (about C$100)or do I have any other options?
Constantine Kostarakis, Montreal, Canada
Answer: I don’t know how many times you have recharged the battery but five years is quite a long time for a laptop battery — most new rechargeable batteries are guaranteed for one or two years but should probably last three or more.
Since the laptop runs when it is plugged into the mains, it is almost certain that a dead battery is the only problem. Assuming you want to continue using the machine away from the mains, your only option is to replace the battery.
The safest option would be to buy a Dell branded replacement, but that said, it is certainly worth shopping around for a replacement battery pack since you may find cheaper alternatives from other manufacturers. Check out specialist online replacement battery suppliers like Laptop Battery Depot which supports all the big band names or LaptopPartsWorld.
You could also consider buying a used battery on Ebay or from another source though there is always the risk that a second hand replacement may be nearing the end of its life.
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