HP and Compaq Notebook Forums

Been lurkin around some time looking for answers.
I do have, as everybody else it seems, problem with the battery in my zD8k.

HP-original seems to last a year or so, but now HP doesn't sell them anymore, as far as I can find out.

Got a replacement battery from one of this 3rd party vendors, and guess what, it lasted a week,
Was a little bit busy at the time, so I forgot to get it replaced.
Took it apart, and all cells seems to be OK, but the internal fuse was blown, plus that it seems that the battery-gauge chip is prohibitting the battery to function.

Got another one, and it lasted a week as well, now I managed to get it replaced and the new one lasted a few days.

The symtom is all the same, the Windows battery-information shows that the battery is charged to 25-65%, allways the same on the same battery.
It is not accepting any charge and the computer does not run on battery, AC-adapter is ok. ( I have the large one)

The question is, The same physical apperance of the battery is used in various computers, but with different labels/type-numbers etc.
Could it be that they infact are not compatible with each other, despite that they have the same voltage and current rating as well as that they physically fit into the computer.
The difference would the be how the gauge-chip is programmed, and since the zD8k probably is one of the most, or probably te one, laptops ever made.
With the result that the battery-gauge circuit is shutting down the battery, because it thinks that there is something wrong (when there isn't).

wow same problem here.
my second battery charges up to 77% but doesn't work with no external power.
i also checked the s/n of the batteries on hp site after replacement announcing but neither of them has a faulty code.
i'm soon gonna try reverting to xp and see if this is an os problem.