MacBook Pro 7.1 (mid-2010) battery not charging after OSX update

[timfazio]

Hi all,

A friend gave me an old MacBook Pro she didn't need any more. (MacBook Pro 7.1, mid 2010, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo). It was reset to factory settings and was running Mavericks. It worked fine without being plugged in.

I upgraded it to High Sierra, and now the battery is not charging, and I am told the condition is 'replace now'.

I have tried resetting SMC a few times, have changed power outlets, etc.

The magsafe cord led only ever glows green.

Battery Information:

Model Information:
Serial Number: W00134SMQD3BA
Manufacturer: SMP
Device Name: bq20z451
Pack Lot Code: 0
PCB Lot Code: 0
Firmware Version: 201
Hardware Revision: 000a
Cell Revision: 158
Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh): 0
Fully Charged: No
Charging: No
Full Charge Capacity (mAh): 4820
Health Information:
Cycle Count: 285
Condition: Replace Now
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): 0
Voltage (mV): 6000

Any ideas?

Tim

 

[MBAmtloin]

i would perform a hard power reset and make sure the battery is connected, we did not take off the back cover?
there are stop by step procedures on apples' website that can help.
mainly unplugging the power chord, pressing the power button for 10 seconds then plugging that back in
i might have missed a step, but that is the gist of getting the osx to read the battery.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

That OS upgrade had nothing to do with this, purely coincidental, staying on Mavericks would have yielded the same issue.

You have a 10-year old machine with the original battery with a decent number of cycles. Batteries are consumable devices and lose the ability to hold a good charge over the years. Depending on your skill/comfort level, grab a replacement battery and make the change or have it done elsewhere and the machine will work again.

However, realize that any Mac pre-2012 is considered a legacy machine and will not get OS updates. So, High Sierra is the latest version of the OS you can use on there and that might be OK for another couple of years before applications start demanding that you use a newer version of macOS which your Mac will not support.

If you are planning on sticking with Macs, especially if this your first one, then use this Mac to get comfortable and save up to get a newer model within a couple of years.

 

[MBAmtloin]

Raz0rEdge

i think we should get their battery charging first, since that worked on mavericks that should work on HighSierra.
even if they purchased a new MacBook today, there no reason why their MacBook from 2010 cannot charge.

I type this because these 2010 MacBooks are still great and can function in todays computing world.
right now im composing comics using 2009 adobe software that i hope to do for many more years.

 

[MacInWin]

MBAmtloin, you are missing the point that Ashwin was making. The battery has most likely died. It happens. The machine is probably fine, but if the battery is dead, it's time to replace it. A ten year old battery needs replacing.

One suggestion is to get coconutbattery and see what it reports on the battery. I suspect it will report the same thing, replace now.

One caution for the OP. Get a good battery, not the cheapest you can find. OWC (macsales.com) has good replacement batteries, may have one for that machine.

 

[MBAmtloin]

i wish the original poster will reply soon.
i feel like being part of a group chatting about someone who is in the room.

seems to me the battery charged in Mavericks, then stopped in High Sierra.
i guess we will have to wait and see.

this has happened to me on the first el captain upgrade were i had to unplug the chord, press the power button 10 seconds- replug.
after that El Captain charged the battery. that procedure wont hurt to try.

 

[timfazio]

Thanks all.
I believe resetting the SMC is the hard reset you describe. By this I mean shut down then hold shift+ctrl+option+power. Sadly this hasn’t worked. I’ll try again with just the power button while unplugged tonight just in case. That would be a nice simple fix!
I’ll also try installing coconut when I get home from work tonight. Although I completely understand batteries lose their charge over time, this one worked for hours before I plugged it in during the update, thinking I don’t want it to run out of power half way through! Seems too much of a coincidence!

Cheers

 

[timfazio]

No luck with the power cord out and 10 second power button hold.

Here's the coconut battery data. Let me know if there's another screen that's worth sending!

 

[IWT]

In short, and with no offence, your battery is knackered.

Sorry to use such technical language, but that’s the story ��

Ian

 

[Raz0rEdge]

"Battery failure: yes", "Condition: Replace Now". Exactly what else are you looking for to get confirmation that you need a new battery?

 

[chscag]

@Tim:

A new battery is not inexpensive, but since this is a machine you got for free, just go on eBay and buy a battery from there. Ebay battery purchases can be hit or miss but you're dealing with a machine that is going on 10 years old. Never can tell... you may get a fairly good battery for less than $50. You do need to consider though the value of the machine as is.

 

[timfazio]

Thanks all.
Guess strange coincidences do happen!
Was highly hoping it was a simple setting that needed fixing, like the SMC reset. Especially as the battery gave up at the exact same time as the major software update...seemed unlikely enough to question.
Will explore a new battery.
Cheers