Dell Inspiron 1300 battery problem

[bigsal2k9]

right guys hi again

new problem for you this time

ive recently had the iamfamous.dll virus on my laptop and it had deleted many files including startup files

i got my dad to fix it and now it is working fine

im not that good with computers but do have some knowledge in them.

i am using a dell inspiron 1300 and in the bottom right corner where the date and time is, there should be a battery icon telling me how much i have left, this isnt there and is replaced by an 'on ac power' icon. even when i unplug the charger the icon remains there.

i desperately need the battery icon again and don't know what to do, i am running xp professional and have been through the control panel and power options and cant find a solution.

if anyone can give me some advice or point me in the right direction please post

thanks

 

[raybay]

You might be able to handle it yourself by going to the Dell support site, entering your Service Tag number, then downloading and installing the latest BIOS, and all of the drivers, one at a time. You will not need all of the downloads as some are for other configurations, but the computer will decide what it needs. One of those downloads will likely fix the problem you report.

 

[bigsal2k9]

urgh, i dont know my tag number i bought this laptop second hand and downloading the latest bios and drivers is too time consuming, thanks for trying, but any better suggestions?

 

[raybay]

When you boot, can you access the BIOS by pressing F12? That will give you the service tag. Unless the computer is stolen, you can get new Windows disks for Dell at the dell site.

 

[bigsal2k9]

no i found the service tag number on bottom of laptop and typed it into dell website and apparently im not covered under warrenty...

 

[raybay]

You are not covered under warranty, but you have the right to download and install all the many updates for that machine... just go to www.dell.com, then to support, then enter your service tag, then go look at the downloads. Install the BIOS first, then install ALL the drivers over again.

 

[bigsal2k9]

if i download the latest bios would my current bios password to actually boot the laptop be removed?

 

[raybay]

No it will not, but read and follow the installation instructions exactly. This can be dangerous if not done properly.