In early 2018, HP issued a battery recall after it was discovered that some of its laptop batteries could overheat and catch fire. At the time, HP published the steps you needed to use to check your if your laptop’s battery was impacted by the recall.
Recently, HP expanded the recall and has issued a call for users to recheck their batteries, even if they were cleared in the past.
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HP has a sharp new angle on 2-in-1 laptops
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Only, this time instead of entering a serial number into a website, HP has released a tool that checks whether your battery is recalled and needs to be replaced.
Affected models
Here’s the current list of potentially affected HP models:
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
All clear last time? Check again.
It’s worth repeating: If you checked your battery when the recall was first announced and received the all-clear, HP says you need to check again. Overheating batteries pose the risk of catching fire, so, please, take a few minutes of your time and check your battery again.
How to check
As previously mentioned, the old process required to find and enter your device’s serial number into a dedicated webpage. Now, HP is offering a validation tool that you will need to download, install and run.
You can download the tool from the recall website here. The download link is located in the Getting Started section, under the Download HP Battery Validation Utility heading.
If the tool determines your battery needs to be replaced, it will place the battery in Battery Safety mode, which makes it possible to continue to use the laptop as long as it’s plugged into an HP power adapter. The battery will not charge during this time, eliminating any risk it may pose. Once in Battery Safety mode, instructions will be provided to get the battery replaced by HP free of charge.