Are you using a DELL laptop?

[Guest]

[MakTheYak]

If so and you bought it around Spring time 2004 - ring DELL and check you aren't using one that's been recalled, apparently 3 million of the 4.1 million being recalled are in the US.

Details are still thin about the specific models affected by this latest battery recall, but it would appear Dell is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission in recalling what's been said to be "the largest safety recall in the history of the consumer electronics industry." We're talking 4.1 million units installed in Dell machines sold between April 2004 and July 18th, an absolutely mind boggling number compared to their last recall, which was in the thousands. The kicker here is the batteries were actually contracted out to Sony for manufacture, meaning of course that anyone else using Sony-built batteries, like, say Sony (and Apple, should we be looking your way?) may also have their units taken back. While we are a little wary of one Dell exec's statement that they're "getting ahead of the issue," which in our opinion would have actually been issuing this recall four months ago, we're glad they're finally taking care of business before someone actually gets hurt.



It's a serious problem, laptops have actually been exploding 

I kid you not - this was at a Japanese conference:



And another -



If you have a laptop that needs to be returned (and they don't just advise you to send back the battery) - then back the contents up frst either on to a DVD or onto your IPOD or other large media storeage device... it will take a while even over firewire/USB2, but DELL probably won't make any effort to retrieve your data for you!!

If you are looking smug because you use a mac - check this out





Honestly - backing up your data is VITALLY important no matter what computer you use.

And if your model is recalled please don't ignore it - in the mac cases the batteries had been recalled 

[Morningangel-Iola]

Yes I am but I am extremly lucky my model isn't one effected.

There's a website to go to;

http://www.dellbatteryprogram.com

Here's what the BBC have said on the matter

Dell recalls 4m laptop batteries 
 
Nobody is thought to have been injured by one of the batteries
The world's largest manufacturer of personal computers, Dell, is to recall 4.1 million of its notebook computer batteries because of a fire risk.
Most batteries are in computers sold in the US but more than 1 million are thought to be elsewhere.

Dell says it knows of six instances since December when the batteries, made by Sony, overheated or caught fire.

The US body responsible for consumer safety says it is the biggest recall of electrical products in its history.

A spokesman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Scott Wolfson, said users of affected laptops should only run the machines on a power cord.

'Rare cases'

The Sony lithium-ion batteries were placed in laptops shipped between April 2004 and July 2006.

They were included in some models of Dell's Latitude, Inspiron, XPS and Precision mobile workstation notebooks.

"In rare cases, a short-circuit could cause the battery to overheat, causing a risk of smoke and or fire," said Dell spokesman Ira Williams.

"It happens in rare cases but we opted to take this broad action immediately."

Dell has already launched a website - http://www.dellbatteryprogram.com - telling customers how to get a free replacement battery.

No injuries had been linked to Dell laptops with defective batteries, the company told Reuters news agency.

The CPSC has identified 339 incidents in which lithium batteries used in laptops and cell phones - not just Dell products - overheated between 2003 and 2005.

Some incidents involved minor skin burns or actual injuries as well as property damage, Mr Wolfson said.
 

[Roz]

Thanks Mark & Dawn. I'm so scared of something like this happening with my PC

The CPSC has identified 339 incidents in which lithium batteries used in laptops and cell phones - not just Dell products - overheated between 2003 and 2005.

Some incidents involved minor skin burns or actual injuries as well as property damage, Mr Wolfson said.
 

I had to send a battery back for my mobile phone because of a similar problem. In fact, I have heard that some un-official mobile phone batteries have caused this sort of problem, so I try to buy official when I buy batteries etc, at least that way you will hear if the batteries are re-called!

[beckham1]

Great I better run and plug in my Latitude D510 work computer that I am using right now.  IT just sent out an email that it is being recalled.