ThinkPad Battery Help

My laptop is an IBM ThinkPad 600X. I was given this by someone who worked on my wife's computer. Anyhow the ThinkPad works just fine when plugged in using AC power. I assumed the battery included was just dead. I got another battery from the above computer dude and let it charge up overnight in my ThinkPad. Well, it still showing 0% battery power, which means I need to keep in plugged in to AC to run.
I know VERY little about the workings of laptop computers other than that the ThinkPad has had some issues with their batteries.
Is there some place on the ThinkPad I need to go to to switch to battery power? Is my freebee just a lemon after all?
If someone can explain in non - computer tech language anything I need to check on this computer to get the battery working I would most welcome it.

It has been my experience with older systems that people tend to wipe the hard drive and install a new OS without taking the time to install the "extra" programs that the manufacturer originally installed.

If I remember correctly from that far back, the thinkpad 600 series needed a "power management / battery miser" program installed so that the battery would charge correctly.

It is possible that this is no longer installed on your laptop.

Now lets see, where did I used to download that program from?
Ah, here it is.

Take a read of this, and see if its installed properly on your laptop. If not, download and install. Maybe you'll get lucky and your battery is good after all.


Best of Luck
makeitso

makeitso

Thank you for the link. I'll try it later one once I have time. Anything else I can expect as a problem with the 600?

[edit on 10-7-2008 by Sanity Lost]

If memory serves they were pretty solid systems.

Of course the biggest issue is that by todays standards the cpu is not considered fast, and they have smallish hard drives with limited memory.

Surfing the web and "lite" pc usage should be just fine. I would not want to plan on compressing movies, play high end 3d games, or doing CAD work on them.

But other than that they were physically more hardy than todays pc's IMO (other than the stupid "smart battery" issues). I'm pretty sure that almost all of them were still functioning when we rotated to newer thinkpads back then.

I kinda miss them.

Looks like you can get a new battery for around 62 bucks.

Here's a page with lots of info about them.