Hello friends. I have a question about recharging my laptop. I am running on very critical low battery now, but am plugged in. (new battery is ordered) However, my monitor is barely lit.

I was told by one Dell tech to use my laptop on battery until it tells me it is low, then plug it in to recharge. Another PC tech told me to leave my laptop plugged in and just run the battery down to recharge every once in a while. My DS has the same laptop as me, his is even a yr older and he is still on his first battery and uses it for business/home. My Dell laptop is an Inspiron 6000, bought in 2005 and I just went through my 2nd battery.

Also, all of a sudden I see that my wireless network says it is unsecured. What's w/that? Do I need to find a new network?? Help?

Clueless in Toad Hollow.

I have to jiggle and push the AC plug in quite often on my Gateway laptop.
It doesn't seem to fit very tight at all.
You might check to see if yours is coming loose sometimes,
the screen should get brighter right away if that connection is the problem.

Ours was a refurbished one and at the time we bought it there had been a big recall on lots of laptop batteries. So we did get a brand new one of those.

If you go to the Dell website you should be able to look up the laptop & maybe there is battery info/details, recalls, tips, FAQs.

If nothing else maybe email them telling them your problems , they might send you a new one or a discount coupon for a new battery.


wireless-
What program is telling you about the unsecured wireless?
your anti virus or something on the windows part of it?
I don't know if you have an internet security suite program {covers wireless & network security also} or anti virus & antispyware & firewall...

depending on your set up maybe you can rescan or check settings to see what might have changed? If it was secure before??

If all else fails I suppose you could do a system restore back to a day when it was secure if not too long ago..

I would just be sure it is a program you have installed or on your windows system that is giving you the notice and not some odd ball hijacking program or site.

If you aren't sure about the wireless settings - you might need someone with a little experience to check your settings in person.

Hopefully someone else is really up on this stuff and might have more input.
I just am self taught and learned by poking around on my systems but I don't know enough on all systems or how to to explain it all.

Hey DM. The battery sounds faulty and I hope your new one works well. Check the connection as mentioned too because I had a laptop that had a faulty power switch. The company repaired it for free so check that first. It was simply a screw inside that needed tightening.

Second, the wireless network issue could be because it attached to another network other than yours. Sometimes that happens to us too and we'll connect to "Happy Family". I wonder who that is on my block? lol

Right click on your computer's wireless network's icon and click connect to network. Then find yours and click connect. If you don't see the icon, go to start>connect to> then find your network. Mine is our name so it's easy to find.

Hope that works!

one caution about using your name for your network - is that other people might be able to see it also...
unless you have it really secured.

a partial name or code word, pet name, or some kind nickname is better.

we used a generic dlink for ours for years and I did some searches on how to fiddle with it and for security also and added something to it.

But we are also in a rural area and our wireless signal doesn't go too far outside the house. So it's not like a neighbor would be able to get on it.

Thanks Jo. Yea we are in a rural area too and the signal doesn't go farther than next door and we're secured really well too. Someone would have to know my code to get into it.

if someone in your family knows how to access thr router information then you can set the ssid broadcast to no so the network name wont show on a scan for networks. thats usually the best way to do it if you want maximum security.

make sure once you connect to your own network you go into the network settings , and it depends on your os your running to set it to connect auto maticaly if in rand of your network then once it does turn off the ssid broadcast and or just enter the network information manually.

keep a strong key for your network as well. dont use common words or names. use upper and lower case numbers and letters in unfamiliar combinations.

hope that helps. as for the battery. its a crap shoot each time we get one for our laptops. i personnaly keep my laptops plugged in and running constantly and when i go out they are always charged. its good to let them drain all the way every few charges to keep the charge strong.

roger.

My monitor is lit up again! Muwah gave me some instructions and they worked. Thanks everyone for the help; every bit of info posted here was helpful. I should be getting my new battery in a couple of days, but I have also been having trouble connecting today. However, like some of you, this is a rural area and it's probably the cable co.

I'm appreciative for all your suggestions and I'll say it again~~ I'm a pc dummy!

I came across some laptop battery info -

[How to prolong lithium-based batteries
Simple Guidelines

* Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion than one deep one. Recharging a partially charged lithium-ion does not cause harm because there is no memory. (In this respect, lithium-ion differs from nickel-based batteries.) Short battery life in a laptop is mainly cause by heat rather than charge / discharge patterns.

* Batteries with fuel gauge (laptops) should be calibrated by applying a deliberate full discharge once every 30 charges. Running the pack down in the equipment does this. If ignored, the fuel gauge will become increasingly less accurate and in some cases cut off the device prematurely.

* Keep the lithium-ion battery cool. Avoid a hot car. For prolonged storage, keep the battery at a 40% charge level.

* Consider removing the battery from a laptop when running on fixed power. (Some laptop manufacturers are concerned about dust and moisture accumulating inside the battery casing.)

* Avoid purchasing spare lithium-ion batteries for later use. Observe manufacturing dates. Do not buy old stock, even if sold at clearance prices.

* If you have a spare lithium-ion battery, use one to the fullest and keep the other cool by placing it in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the battery. For best results, store the battery at 40% state-of-charge.

A lithium-ion battery in use typically lasts between 2-3 years.]
http://batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

[ Given that Liuim ion batteries have so many problems, there are a few guidelines that you can follow to prolong the life of your batteries. Some of these guidelines might be too impractical to follow in everyday life, but they still serve as an advisory towards some practices that are a complete no-no for Li-ion battery users.

1. Unlike Ni-Cd batteries, lithium-ion batteries should be charged early and often. However, if they are not used for a long time, they should be brought to a charge level of around 40% - 60%. Lithium-ion batteries should not be frequently fully discharged and recharged ("deep-cycled") like Ni-Cd batteries, but this is necessary after about every 30th recharge to recalibrate any external electronic "fuel gauge" (e.g. State Of Charge meter). This prevents the fuel gauge from showing an incorrect battery charge.
2. Lithium-ion batteries should never be depleted to below their minimum voltage, 2.4v to 3.0v per cell. Most of your devices will handle this automatically. Even the finished batteries that you buy from authentic dealers will have an internal cutoff to prevent a complete discharge.
3. imageLi-ion batteries should be kept cool. Ideally they are stored in a refrigerator. Aging will take its toll much faster at high temperatures. The high temperatures found in cars cause lithium-ion batteries to degrade rapidly. However, do not freeze the batteries.
4. Li-ion batteries should be bought only when needed, because the aging process begins as soon as the battery is manufactured.
5. When using a notebook computer running from fixed line power over extended periods, the battery should be removed, and stored in a cool place so that it is not affected by the heat produced by the computer.
6. There is some benefits to fully discharging your lithium battery periodically, for laptops this can be especially important. If you start to notice your battery meter is becoming more and more inaccurate, it may be time for some battery calibration. By allowing your lithium battery to fully drain, this will help the battery recalibrate allowing for more accurate measurements of battery life. This should be done once every 30 charges or when you notice battery readings are off.

even some of these recommendations will help you derive the longest possible life out of your batteries and also help you save some money to spend on buying the latest new electronic gadgets]
http://etechland.blogspot.com/2008/0...ur-li-ion.html

guess I should pull the battery out of my laptop- I don't use battery power much at all. Only if I take it outside.

Hey Jo~ I saw your response over at the Stumble Inn, but want to post here, so more know what I think happened. I believe you hit the nail on the head w/overheating my battery. I used to sit my laptop on my lap on top of a pillow to protect my legs and it would get so hot on my lap. So, at Christmas, I aske DH to find me something that would detour the heat from the battery, yet provide comfort for me.

He found the coolest thing. It's for a laptop and it's a lightweight stable surface, curved to fit on a lap, w/a cushion type pillow velcroed to the bottom to provide comfort for my legs. My lap/legs don't feel the heat and the battery is now able to breathe. But, I know that damage was done before I got it, so that's why he ordered me a new battery.

The info you provided is very helpful and I will definitely follow the protocol to prolong my new batterie's life. Hopefully, I'll get one that hasn't been sitting in a warehouse somewhere for a while. Thanks again everyone.

Oh and Moi had given me some similar info, so thank you too, Muwah!

Ayuh. Like you had to remind us.