I'll start by saying that I'm aware of the large number of forum posts out there about Inspirons and battery charging issues. I've spent a good number of hours searching for solutions, but it seems that my problem may be more on the unique side.
I got the computer knowing that it was not charging its battery, thinking it would be a quick fix. I started by ordering a new battery, then went on to replacing the power chord, both of which were cheapo knock-offs and neither of which changed anything. Like I said, the battery is not charging, but the computer is aware that it is there. The bios menu shows the battery as 0% charged, status: Idle. Then when I boot up into Ubuntu it shows the battery status at 100%. I can confirm that the battery is in fact completely empty, as no indicator lights light up when I press the battery test button.
I guess what I am wondering is if the problem is obviously in the computer itself, or if I should really spend the extra bucks to try out the Dell brand battery and charger.
Thanks in advance,
-Alex
