Recently, I got into the process of replacing my laptop’s battery to get a new one since it went completely dead. But I wondered whether my laptop would work in the meantime when I don’t have a battery installed in it.
So out of curiosity, I did some research and here’s what I’ve learned. Will a laptop work without a battery?
As a general rule, almost all laptops should work without a battery if you have the power adapter connected to it. However, turning off the power will cause the laptop to get switched off automatically without being properly shut down, as there would be no power backup in the laptop after removing the battery.
Keep reading till the end to find out more about what happens if you use your laptop without a battery, the advantages and disadvantages of this situation, and whether it is safe or not. Without further ado let’s get started.
Why A Laptop Can Work Without A Battery?
Now before we dive in to discuss more on what happens if we use the laptop without a battery and all other related topics, let’s first explore why a laptop can actually work even without its battery installed.
So, if you understand the basics of how a laptop is powered up and specifically understand the power management of a laptop, then you will get a clear picture of why a laptop can work without its battery.
To learn about the battery and power management in your laptop, follow these steps:
- Locate the search bar at the bottom of your laptop (assuming windows Operating System) and type “device manager”.
- Once you notice the device manager from the available options, click on it and a popup window will open.
- Find the listing of Batteries in the device manager and open it
- Now you will see two drivers with the following names:
- Microsoft AC Adapter: It refers to the driver controlling the power source from your AC adapter which you actually plugin to the power outlet.
- Microsoft ACPI – Compliant Control Method Battery: It refers to the driver controlling the power when the computer is using the battery. It gives to the OS the required management of the connected battery.
Now you will see that both the “Microsoft AC Adapter” and the “Microsoft ACPI – Compliant Control Method Battery” are two distinct drivers in the device manager. And your laptop can use either one as a source of power.
Now, wait, our concept of whether your laptop can work without a battery hasn’t been proved yet. To do it you have to continue from the previously mentioned step of when you have opened the battery listing and two options are shown.
- Right-click on the Microsoft ACPI – Compliant Control Method Battery
- The following are the available options. You can select the disable device option:
- Update driver
- Disable device
- Uninstall device
- Scan for hardware changes
- Properties
- Once you select that option, you will notice that the battery icon is disappeared from the taskbar.
- It actually means that Windows software and your laptop now no longer recognize that there is a battery installed in your laptop and it is purely using the Microsoft AC Adapter for power. This in turn means that your laptop is working assuming that there is no battery connected. Thus, our concept is proved that the laptop can actually work even without a battery.
- Now you can go back and enable the Microsoft ACPI – Compliant Control Method Battery
- After you enabled it and once you refresh, you will once again notice the battery icon at the taskbar and it getting charged again.
Not interested to do all these steps on your own? No problem, you can watch this video in which all the above-mentioned things are discussed:
What Happens If I Use My Laptop Without Battery?
Using a laptop without a battery won’t cause any issues and in most cases, the laptop will work perfectly fine provided that the power adapted is connected to the laptop appropriately.
However, if the plug becomes loose even slightly the laptop will turn off automatically, thus posing risk to file damage and maybe to the internal components.
Advantages of Using Laptop Without Battery:
- Using the laptop without a battery can help in preventing the device from getting damaged from a malfunctioning battery.
- Removing the battery can help in preventing the battery from getting overheated and prolongs its life (although newer laptops ensure that charging stops when the battery is full).
Disadvantages of Using Laptop Without Battery:
- You will be missing your battery which could have served as a built-in backup power source at the time of power fluctuations and outages.
- You can no longer use your laptop while you are not connected to any power source.
- A loose connection in the connected charging cable, even a slight one, can cause the laptop to turn off abruptly thus potentially causing the risk of damage to internal components and data loss.
- When your battery is not there then the battery slot will remain empty and thus the chance of accident increases where you could touch the exposed battery pins.
- Storing the battery for a very long time without charging might actually cause it to deteriorate.
Is It Safe To Use Your Laptop Without Battery?
In general, it is safe to use a laptop without its battery as long as the power adapter cable is connected securely and other precautionary measures are taken. This however should be a temporary short-term situation.
How To Use Your Laptop Safely Without A Battery?
- Make sure that the charging cable and the power adapter is connected properly and intact. Even a slightly loose connection can cause your laptop to turn off automatically without being shut down properly. This can result in loss of data and also may damage the internal components (motherboard, CPU, RAM etc).
- Always stay away from the battery slots and never ever touch the battery pin slots when the laptop is turned on because it can cause a health hazard and may result in a short circuit.
- Try to use the adapter that originally came with your laptop device to reduce the effect of power variations.
- Use a power backup device or a UPS especially if you live in an area where frequent power outages occur.
Conclusion
In short, yes, your laptop will work even without a battery. And though running it without a battery has few advantages, it is not recommended to use your laptop without a battery for the long term because there are far more disadvantages.
For a temporary period when you don’t have any battery installed in your laptop, it can be perfectly fine to use your laptop as long as you take proper precautions, especially the ones I discussed already with you in this article. That’s it! Hope this helps! Thanks.
Can you keep your dead battery in your laptop, while plugged in to your AC Adapter until you get a replacement battery? Please email me the answer so I know asap as I may not find this blog post again. Thanks also for the above info. I may have to do just that if I can’t keep my battery in the laptop I have. You don’t need to post my comment for the site unless you feel others may have the same question.
Cheri, yes you can keep your dead battery in the laptop while plugged in to AC.
The laptop will keep working with the AC power even if the battery is dead.
Thanks
Harris
will disabling Microsoft ACPI – Compliant Control Method Battery stop charging the battery as well?. If not is there any way to stop charging the battery without removing the battery?
My acer 7740g aspire computer does not want to switch on all of a sudden and I not work with a since 3 years ago. I have tested the plug in mode what can I do
Modern laptop batteries do not overcharge, so even if you have it connected all the time it won’t impact the battery.
However, it is advised to set a maximum charge limit (of around 80-85% capacity) so that the battery is not always charged at 100%.
That sounds like a power issue. Either the power connector or adapter is not working or maybe something on the motherboard is broken.
Try first to change the power adapter and see what happens.
If I take the battery out of my laptop and just use the cable, will the laptop use less energy from the power socket?
No, it will use as much energy as it needs to operate
My laptop blinks when l plug in. A thing never existed before . It has stopped charging and the battery is dead. What could be the cause of it not charging
Battery is dead so it stopped charging. You need to replace the battery.
If the laptop works when plugged in then it means the problem is ONLY on the battery.
Hey Harris,
I’m pretty new to hardware, though I wanted to possibly get your insight with my situation. I have an old Acer E5 575 from 2016 and recently my laptop stopped charging. My laptop this summer would sometimes randomly crash, which when happened was reported as event 41 errors. Other than that, my laptop seemed to run normal as usual, though the charge in my battery didn’t last as long as it first did when the computer was in mint condition.
A couple weeks ago when plugging my adapter in, the laptop started to only charge rare moments to moments before not charging at all. I was suspecting the root issue was my battery, though it should charge if the issue is the battery alone like you said before. A new adapter or battery won’t solve the issue if that’s the case I guess.
I’m a college student so I’m strapped for a lot of cash, though what other replacement parts might I need if a battery or adapter isn’t likely the issue? I’ll probably have to get a new laptop from the looks of it haha.
Thanks,
Mercere
Before doing anything else, try to solve the error 41 problem which sometimes has to do with outdated drivers or changing some power options. Check this guide to learn more: https://www.minitool.com/backup-tips/kernel-power-41.html
Harris
Hi Mr. Harris!
I have tried your method upon disabling Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery. First off, I tried it and I already removed the battery. My laptop is old, it is Dell E5420, and I bought it secondhand on the mall. However, when I enable it again, following the steps you mentioned, it shows the battery sign still not charging. I restarted the process but this time with the battery placed. Upon enabling, the light blinks red and shows that its not charging. My question is, which is much safer? Removing the battery and not enabling it again, or placing the battery and enabling it ( just as you mentioned ) I don’t know if my battery is faulty, and I’m completely worried for my laptop. Please do respond ASAP, thank you.
Iza, the method mentioned in the article to disable the ACPI driver is just to illustrate that the laptop can work fine even without a battery. It seems your battery is completely dead. I recommend to have the ACPI enabled (as it is by default) and just remove the battery from the laptop. This will be better in case you buy a new battery in the future, you can just place the new battery in and will be recognized automatically by the Operating System.
Hi Harris, I have a 2017 HP Spectre x2 detachable. The battery has stopped working and it has started to warp inside and is slowly pushing the front glass screen off.
I have ordered a genuine HP replacement battery, but it won’t arrive for another 3 weeks.
Is it possible for me to remove the battery, and continue to use the laptop, as I use it everyday, but I’m worried that the battery will break the front screen if I continue using it.
Many thanks
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
John
John, it seems you have a swollen battery that’s why it pushes the front glass screen.
You need to remove the battery ASAP because it poses risks. Also, you must be very careful when removing a swollen battery.
Here is a video about removing the battery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wfb12UMK4o
However, I recommend that you bring the laptop to a professional to do it for you.
Thank you for taking the time to explain in detail this post. it is refreshing to get detailed information on questions like this. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Thanks Doug for your kind feedback.
Have a nice day
Harris
Hi Harris,
I have a HP Notebook – 15-ay009tx laptop before three months ago, my laptop battery was dead. My laptop will not be run with the old battery or even open. So, I took a new battery and now, while charging from new battery , it shows partially charging (means, at a moment it shows charging after some second show no charging while connect to charger). Also it takes too much time to charge. Can you tell me the issue? And relevant solution for it. Now, I’m using work laptop without battery when I work for long time.
Thanks in advance,
shadab
Probably you laptop needs battery calibration. Since you have an HP notebook, have a look here:
https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_2268927-1713329-16
Harris
I have a Windows 7 laptop with a removable battery. Two years ago the battery latch failed and the battery would not stay in the laptop, so I removed it. The laptop still works fine. I do not keep it plugged in to ac all the time. I turn it off and unplug it and only plug it in again when I want to use it. If the internal lithium battery in my Window 10 laptop fails and cannot be replaced, would I have to keep the Windows 10 laptop plugged in to ac all the time, or could I shut it down and only plug it in when I want to use it?
If the internal lithium battery fails, you don’t need to have the laptop plugged in to AC all the time. It doesn’t matter. You can just plug it in when you want to use it.
The internal lithium battery is for other purposes, like an internal clock or for bios settings. Modern laptops also do not have an internal batter (usually).
My hp lap battery was not functioning properly for 5months I have to use my lap always connected to power supply.Today my lap is not started even if the power supply is there as usual.Do I need to replace the battery? I cannot spend such a lot of money at this time.What can I do? Can I use it after removing battery and use with only connected to power directly via original charger.I don’t want my lap to be portable I can use it always connected to a plug.Please tell me what is the best and cheap option
The best thing you can do is to remove the battery and have it connected to the power supply all the time.
The above should work fine.
Harris
Hi, I have an Everis laptop model e2032.
I recently had to have the battery removed as it was swollen. A replacement battery couldn’t be sourced so I just use it from an Ac source now. Is it safe to leave it plugged in permanently or should I unplug it every time I am not using it.
Best
Martin
Martin, it is safe to leave it plugged in, although I recommend to unplug it if you are away from home for a long period (e.g vacations etc).
Harris
Hello.
I’m no expert regarding the matter, but it seems that few modern laptops need a working battery plugged to work, because it works in parallel with the ac charger to provide the power the laptops need to power up.
the name of the new circuit is nvcd and I would like to know if there is a way to make the laptop starts even without the battery plugged in.
Thanks
Lucio, I’m not aware of the new circuit you mention here. Almost all laptops I have encountered can work without a battery (i.e by direct plugged in to power supply).