Warning: Battery cannot be identified

I have been getting the same message for about 1 1/2 weeks now.  My Inspiron 1501 isn't even a year old yet.  The only difference between your problem and mine is I hadn't installed anything.  I had used my laptop running on battery until I got the warning saying the battery was low.

One thing I found said the BIOS could need to be updated, but I have the most recent BIOS.

Please do not ignore this message.T is not a issue woth norton 360 .Try turning on the computer just on ac adaptor and if that works,try changing the ac adaptor.

If the changed ac adaptor works for battery very good ,otherwise it is a issue with system motherboard.

check it

On Start, I receive a message: Warning: The battery cannot be identified. The system will be unable to charge this battery. Press any key to continue. When I continue, everything seems to be ok; the battery charges normally. The warning appears on every Start. This started recently possibly after I installed Norton 360 Premier security package. Can I continue ignoring it or does it really have a message for me. The laptop is an Inspiron 1501 and is slightly under 2 years old.

i have the same problem with my laptop. What should i do???????:emotion-6:

Having the same problem. Another way to confirm the problem without spending $80-$200 for a new a/c adapter? Does Dell have something on the site to help? I couldn't find any.  

Don't waste your money buying a new adapter -it won't fix the problem. And don't waste your time downloading a bios update - that won't fix the problem. And don't bother trying to get help from Dell - that will just you off even more. In 3 months I haven't found a solution.

Hey There,
I've seen this issue before and 90% of the time, it's not a problem. I suggest that you call Dell and ask for a replacement since the battery is only under warranty for a year, and then you're on your own.

Eric

On Start, I receive a message: Warning: The battery cannot be identified. The system will be unable to charge this battery. Press any key to continue. When I continue, everything seems to be ok; the battery charges normally. The warning appears on every Start. This started recently possibly after I installed Norton 360 Premier security package. Can I continue ignoring it or does it really have a message for me. The laptop is an Inspiron 1501 and is slightly under 2 years old.

I have had several responses with users experiencing this problem but no solutions except a statement that it is not related to the Norton security software. Does anyone at Dell have anything to say?

having the same issues...talked to a dell service teck who just happens to be an in-law...and according to him it's the motherboard that needs to be replaced...

I am having the same problem. Now when I plug my adapter into the wall, it will not charge. On my screen it states that I have 3% remaining and that my battery is not charging. I replaced my adapter and it still does the same thing. Now I'm wondering if I should replace my battery that is underneath my laptop (don't know what to call this battery). Can someone please help steer me into the right direction????

i have the same problem....i bought a new ac adapter...dat didn't help....bought a new battery....dat didn't help:( just off because this laptop has been giving me trouble since i bought it....it's my first dell and i won't ever want something from dell again!!! now i can't use my laptop unless it's plugged in...it's just so inconvenient!

Hello, I downloaded that file but for some reason my computer told me that I didn't have the permission to do it.  Now, when I try to download it again to see if I can get the same warning, nothing happens after I hit download.  Any ideas what I should do?

:^/ Are you logged in to Dell's site?  That might make a difference.  My browser uses cookies to log me in automagically every time I connect to Dell.com, and I haven't run into your trouble with download permissions.

I have received a considerable number of replies since I posted this in Nov 2008. No response from Dell as I recall. Possible causes/fixes  mentioned in replies include 1. Replace Mother board; 2. Update Bios; 3. Not a problem and 4. Replace AC adaptor. There may have been others. Recently, I received a standard warning the my battery, while usable, was beginning to show signs that it should be replaced. The computer is about 18 months old so it is time to consider a new battery. I replaced the battery about 3 weeks ago and after several starts / restarts, I have not seen the [collapse]original message (Warning: The battery cannot be identified. The system will be unable to charge this battery. Press any key to continue.) My only conclusion (not based upon much more than a questionable hunch) is that any combination of a weak battery along with any or all of the 4 possible causes listed above could cause this message; I haven't the foggiest notion of the possible implications of the message and what, if anything, should be done when one receives the message. It's really unfortunate that Dell doesn't take the initiative and at least collect data relating to possible causes and solutions to this problem.  Remember that we don't even know if this is a problem; it could be nothing more than a random message being triggered by no one knows what! Sorry that I cannot be more helpful. Thanks to everyone who responded.

I had the exact same problem.  I downloaded the updated BIOS exactly as described here and the problem appears to be solved.