Hello all.

Sick of iPad-toting mates, I recently bought one of these off fleaBay:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Compaq_TC1100

I installed Windows 7 quite easily, and apart from needing a bit more RAM, it's brilliant.
..working off the mains.

The two batteries wouldn't charge. The charge light comes on for 10 mins or so, then goes off. After booting and checking the indicator, it shows 4% charged - not charging. Age-related I assumed, it's a 2005 machine..

I ordered a non-OEM replacement from Hong Kong (£35) and the instructions that came with it say:
To calibrate:
1: Turn off all power management on the PC.
2: Run on batt until PC shuts down.
3: Charge to 100%

I did this as soon as I got the battery. But then it did the same as the old ones. I complained and got another one sent. Same deal.

I've since read that fully discharging a Li-ion battery kills it. Dead. For ever..

Should I have charged the battery full 1st?
Have I just murdered two brand new batteries?
Can someone lend me £35?

Much love, Marble.

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Yes, fully discharging or getting a lithium-ion too hot can destroy them although from what I can see most have a safety circuit that protects them should the voltage drop too low. Have you checked the voltage with a multimeter as well, maybe the Compaq has a problem on the charging circuit and is destroying them.

I can't see why you would need to run the battery down though. Li and NI-MH don't have the memory problems that the old Ni-Cd's used to have so you would have nothing to gain by doing that.

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