AfterDawn: News

HP recalls notebook, mobile workstation batteries over safety concerns

HP is recalling batteries for some notebook or mobile workstation products after numerous reports of overheating, property damage and a burn injury.

It estimates that about 50,000 batteries are involved, sold with products between December 2015 and December 2017. HP received eight reports of battery packs overheating, melting, or charring, including three reports of property damage totaling $4,500 with one report of a minor injury involving a first degree burn to the hand.



The batteries were shipped with or sold as accessories for HP ProBooks (64x G2 and G3 series, 65x G2 and G3 series), HPx360 310 G2, HP Envy m6, HP Pavilion x360, HP 11, HP ZBook (17 G3, 17 G4, and Studio G3) Mobile Workstations.

HP is providing battery replacement services by an authorized technician at no cost. Additionally, HP is also providing a BIOS update that places the battery in "Battery Safety Mode" so that the notebook or workstation can be safely used without the battery by connecting to an HP power adaptor.

If the validation process identifies a battery as being eligible for replacement, the BIOS update should be applied and the system should be rebooted. During the reboot process, an option will be presented to enable Battery Safety Mode.

The HP Battery Program Validation Utility can check if the battery in your notebook computer is affected.

More Information: batteryprogram687.ext.hp.com

(via: Engadget)

Written by: James Delahunty @ 5 Jan 2018 6:41

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• 4 comments

• Fringe777

  Thanks for the above help. I'm pretty sure My pro-book is affected. Just wanted to give credit where it is due. Thanks again
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Fringe777

  5.1.2018 20:39 #1

• KillerBug

  Oh HP...when will you make good batteries???

  6.1.2018 00:18 #2

• Bozobub

  HP doesn't make the batteries they use and never did. As far as I know, no laptop manufacturer does, although there certainly may be exceptions.

  7.1.2018 18:40 #3

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by Bozobub: HP doesn't make the batteries they use and never did. As far as I know, no laptop manufacturer does, although there certainly may be exceptions. No, but they do source them. It seems like every generation of HP laptop has some terrible battery...and generally they only do recalls on the ones that start fires and hurt people. They have had so many recalls...in some cases recalling a certain battery for a certain laptop, without recalling the exact same battery on other almost identical models. A company like HP shouldn't have trouble sourcing decent batteries; and after all they have been through, you would think they would put a couple extra cents into batteries that work.

  8.1.2018 22:13 #4