It’s a common misconception that once a laptop battery is no longer holding charge, that it is time for a new laptop.
But in actual fact, most of the time your laptop can be rejuvenated quickly and easily simply by purchasing a new laptop battery!
The tricky part… just how do you change your battery over quickly and easily?
This is one of the most common questions we are asked, and it makes sense. Not everyone knows how a laptop is put together!
To add to the confusion, each different laptop manufacturer and their many models have different locations for their batteries and varying ways of accessing them.
But we’re here to assure you that it’s not as complicated as laptop manufacturers would like you to believe. To make your life easier, we’ve put together the following guide on how to replace your laptop battery in many of the popular versions of laptops currently on the market.
Changing your laptop battery is actually quite easy
You will find most of the laptops on the market have a battery that can be easily accessed from the bottom of the laptop. A simple clip out, clip in method.
There are exceptions, however, such as most Apple models and some Ultrabooks (the new generation of ultralight, thin laptops) that have recently been released. These are a little more complicated, so please scroll down to read up on to ‘How to Change an Apple or Ultrabook Laptop Battery’.
What to do before you change your laptop battery
Identify your laptop model (we explain how to do this on Apple computers at the bottom of this article), this may seem like a simple first step, but many people get it wrong and so order the wrong parts.
Before you disassemble your laptop: choose, order and receive the right part. It’s best to minimise how often you take your laptop apart. You can, of course, do all this through Laptop Plus with our extra fast delivery times.
Ensure you have a good backup of all your data (just in case) then completely switch off your laptop and remove any attached devices.
Read this article, in full before you start removing parts from your laptop.
Prepare your appropriate tools nearby. For some models this includes screwdrivers, a pen and paper to draw diagram and perhaps somewhere convenient to place the removed screws.
Locating your laptop battery’s position on your laptop
The first thing you need to do, is make sure your laptop is switched off and unplugged.
Next, turn your laptop upside down so that you are looking at the bottom side of your laptop. You should be able to see a square or rectangular shape, indicating the battery’s location (this doesn’t apply to Apple Macbooks and some Ultrabooks.)
Easily accessible batteries are often simply secured in place by two latches. Sometimes, just one.
How you remove your battery from here can vary depending on the model of your laptop so be sure to read the tips below for your model.
How to change a laptop battery for most of the common brands.
How to Change a Toshiba Laptop Battery
Most Toshiba laptops have their batteries at the back of the laptop near the hinge.
There are two latches that hold the battery as shown in the diagram below. Simply push down on the latches to release the old battery, taking note of it’s orientation, and slide the battery out.
Once safely removed, you can replace it with the new battery in the same position.
Push the new battery in gently until it ‘clicks’ into place, make sure the latches are secured.
Done!
View a full range of replacement Toshiba laptop batteries here.
How to Change a Sony Laptop Battery
Most Sony laptops have their batteries at the back of the laptop near the hinge.
There are two latches that hold the battery, as shown in the diagram below. Simply slide or lift the latches to the side to release the old battery, taking note of it’s orientation, and slide the battery back and out to remove it.
Once safely removed, you can replace it with the new battery in the same position.
Push the new battery in gently until it ‘clicks’ into place, make sure the latches are secured.
Done!
View a full range of replacement Sony laptop batteries here.
Note: Some Sony VAIO models (those with A in the model number) do not have a removable battery and need to be changed by a technician. You will need to take your laptop to a store if you have one of these models.
How to Change a HP Laptop Battery
Many HP laptops have their batteries at the back of the laptop near the hinge, secured by a single latch.
Simply slide the latch across to release the old battery, taking note of it’s orientation, and flip the battery up and out.
Once safely removed, you can replace it with the new battery in the same position.
Push the new battery in gently until it ‘clicks’ into place, make sure the latch is resecured.
Done!
View a full range of replacement HP laptop batteries here.
How to Change an IBM Laptop Battery
Most IBM laptops have their batteries at the back of the laptop near the hinge.
There are two latches that hold the battery as shown in the diagram below. Simply push down on the latches to release the old battery, taking note of it’s orientation, and slide the battery out.
Once safely removed, you can replace it with the new battery in the same position.
Push the new battery in gently until it ‘clicks’ into place, make sure the latches are secured.
Done!
View a full range of replacement IBM laptop batteries here.
How to Change an Apple or Ultrabook Laptop Battery
We don’t advise opening the back of your Macbook or Ultrabook unless you have knowledge of the internal components of a laptop or are familiar with electronics, as it’s very easy to damage your laptop. At Laptop Plus we always advise taking your laptop to a computer specialist if you are unsure.
As you turn over the laptop you will find the design of newer Macbooks and Ultrabooks have a solid plate covering the back of the laptop, with several tiny screws holding the plate in place. You will need to remove these, we recommend either a pentalobe or phillips #00 screwdriver.
It’s important to note that sometimes laptops have different length screws, so as you take out each screw, make sure you know the position of that screw. We advise drawing a very simple diagram or making a quick note to yourself, so you can put it back with ease once the job is completed. We also advise using a small container to pop said screws in. You wouldn’t believe how easily they go missing.
Once you have removed the plate you will have access to the battery, it’s the big black thing that takes up most of the space. You’ll need to disconnect the battery from the mainboard by unscrewing more small screws. These should be easily identifiable, but once again pay attention to screws here and where they came from.
Unclip the battery paying attention to the way the battery clip works, there is no need to yank or pull forcefully. Then replace the new battery in the same spot, securing it tightly.
Now do everything you just did in reverse (i.e. replace the back panel and all the screws)
If you have purchased a good quality battery, as you always will from Laptop Plus, the battery should have some charge for testing- your laptop should come on at this point. Plug in your charger to make sure the battery is charging (battery indicator on the bottom right hand side of the screen shows if the battery is charging).
View a full range of replacement Apple laptop batteries here.
And that’s it!
You’re laptop should be back to full working capacity. No need for an expensive replacement.
If you need a new laptop battery or laptop charger you can use our search wizard to locate the perfect product for your laptop.
We hope you found this guide helpful for changing your particular laptop's battery. Feel free to share the link to this article with your friends with laptops who may also benefit from this article.
