In an incident that reminds us of the nasty fire hazard that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 proved to be, it is now HP that is issuing a similar warning message for some of its Notebook and laptop devices. The company has also initiated a voluntary recall as well for affected devices wherein the consumer stands to gain from the batteries replaced completely free of cost if those so warrants.
HP said the affected batteries have either been sold as part of the laptop package or separately as accessories. The company has also claimed it’s just about a single percentage point of all laptops it has sold that has been found to have a defective battery. While that should be enough to prevent the laptop owners from panicking, they are nonetheless advised to visit the specific site HP has set up to allay any fears or confusion out of this.
The site is offering a utility that users are expected to install and run on their laptops to find out if their batteries run the risk of overheating. If it is indeed so, then a BIOS update gets installed, and the laptop gets rebooted. During the process, there will be an option provided where the user is asked to choose if they’d like to enable what the company is referring to as the ‘Battery Safety Mode’.
In fact, HP is strongly recommending enabling the Battery Safety Mode if the battery fails the validation tests. This essentially makes the laptop to work directly from the mains via the HP supplied adapter. The battery is also made to discharge completely and will also prevent it from recharging again, rendering it obsolete in the process.
Also, since the batteries are not designed to be user replaceable, HP also recommended owners of affected laptops not to attempt replacing the batteries on their own. Instead, they should only be done via authorized service outlets where the batteries would be replaced free of cost.
HP said there have been only about eight reported incidents of the batteries overheating, charring or melting. There have been a few incidents – three to be specific – of damage incurred to a property of the owners though those aren’t valued at more than $4,500. As for physical damage, there has been one incident of a user incurring first degree burns to the hand.
Apple offers $50 credit for buying replacement batteries in older iPhones
The recall applies to the following models.
- HP Probook 640 G2
- HP ProBook 640 G3
- HP ProBook 645 G2
- HP ProBook 645 G3
- HP ProBook 650 G2
- HP ProBook 650 G3
- HP ProBook 655 G2
- HP ProBook 655 G3
- HP ZBook 17 G3
- HP ZBook 17 G4
- HP ZBook Studio G3
- HP x360 310 G2
- HP Pavilion x360
- HP ENVY m6
- HP 11 Notebook PC
Meanwhile, here is the link to the site for more info on this.
https://batteryprogram687.ext.hp.com/
