XPS won't charge after BIOS update

Question

I updated my XPS 9510 to BIOS 1.44.1 and suddenly it won't charge.

Started complaining that the charger I was using isn't strong enough (it's a Lenovo, and the XPS used to be fine with it), so I dug out the Dell charger and it's not charging beyond 6% right now.

Dell tools say the battery and charger are fine. BIOS says it's charging. Nothing there to suggest anything wrong.

It is no longer under warranty, but if an update shags it, surely Dell should be on the hook!

ejn63 · Answer

Does the system correctly sense the power rating of the adapter?  F2 at powerup to check.

FergusStrachan · Answer

@ejn63​ Yes, 13W. Currently it's sitting at 6% and Battery State is Idle (in the BIOS). 'Health' is 'Excellent' btw

ejn63 · Answer

Run a battery report -- open a command prompt with admin privilege and type powercfg /batteryreport What is the current charge capacity (not the charge status) of the battery?

FergusStrachan · Answer

Already done. :-) Design cap: 84,292 Full charge cap: 71,866 Recent Usage shows essentially ~98% until 21:03 2 days ago (Monday). It then shows as dropped from 93% to 4% in 48 seconds!

ejn63 · Answer

Given the rapid drop in capacity, it sounds like one or more cells in the battery has (have) failed -- with a known good, recognized adapter and a system that won't charge the battery and discharges rapidly, it's time to replace the battery. If the battery is original to the system it's 4-5 years old at this point.

OEM replacement

https://www.parts-people.com/index.php?action=item&id=33453

FergusStrachan · Answer

Thanks. It does seem rather unlikely the battery would die on its own at just the time I update the BIOS. The battery is newer than the laptop but probably 2-3 yrs old.

ejn63 · Answer

You can try an EC reset (unplug the system and remove the base cover; disconnect the battery from the mainboard and hold the power button for 30 sec, and then reassemble and see if there's a change in behavior). If there is no change in behavior, the battery is almost certainly the issue.

FergusStrachan · Answer

I went through that, plugged it back in and booted into BIOS.

It tries to charge but then gives up. Goes to "Charging" for a few secs then "Idle" again.

Guess it's a new battery then.

thanks for all your help. Much appreciated!

GauravSyst · Answer

Well I will suggest you to run your battery report because i think it is battery issue.

XPS

XPS won't charge after BIOS update

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