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My older laptop (HP Spectre XT TouchSmart) does not have a working battery and a replacement is not readily available (relatively few options in Canada), so I've been using AC power directly. This is very inconvenient when I need to be mobile.

I've looked into external power sources, but everything I've read talks about using them to recharge batteries, not to power laptops in place of internal batteries when AC isn't an option, or simply to move the machine between AC outlets without having to shut down or hibernate. I've also read about UPS, but they're not exactly mobile.

Are there are generic external alternatives that work the same as internal batteries? If they can make batteries that fit inside laptops, do they make any that can be simply attached to them externally and work the same way?

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  • Battery Depot has new batteries for that machine. Good luck.
    – anon
    Commented Oct 2, 2020 at 21:12
  • Thank you. I guess my question was not meant to be about finding a specific replacement for my machine, but about whether universal/generic batteries are out there that could connect externally with any machine.
    – Rob
    Commented Oct 3, 2020 at 0:06
  • There are external battery banks which can output voltages acceptable to many laptops. They are chunky, hard to find and often from vendors who grossly overstate their capacity. An additional problem is that these will waste their power charging your internal battery as well - and your internal battery may have a faulty cell causing it to drain power. If this doesn't deter you (and it should), look for them at reputable auto parts stores (they can usually also JumpStart cars).
    – davidgo
    Commented Oct 3, 2020 at 2:05
  • NOT A Recommendation, but a reference point - amazon.com/iClever-Starter-18000mah-Portable-Flashlight/dp/…
    – davidgo
    Commented Oct 3, 2020 at 2:05
  • @davidgo they don't necessarily grossly overstate their capacity but instead state capacity of the actual batteries they use rather than the end voltage. A 20,000 mAh battery pack may well have 4 high quality 3.6v 5000mAh batteries, but conversion to 5V has a lower effective capacity and also a power loss The problem is that with QC, PD and so on you don't know your end voltage (and resulting mAh) so listing fitted battery capacity is the "best" you can do. While some companies might be lying and fitting poor quality parts that doesn't apply to all and many are as honest as the can be.
    – Mokubai ♦
    Commented Oct 3, 2020 at 8:36

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Are there are generic external alternatives that work the same as internal batteries?

No. Laptop batteries connect inside to a charging circuit (the the AC adapter uses).

This does not connect to the outside case and outside cannot readily get to the charging circuit.

Try something like Battery Depot

https://www.battdepot.com/ca/?gclid=CjwKCAjwn9v7BRBqEiwAbq1Ey-dJgsP0vkn6mxMlmlF4mlkjjH-vTiCcGqsqe7DlNoXyndUhbtcZpRoCQbQQAvD_BwE

I would start here and see if they have a 3rd party battery for your computer.

Battery depot has batteries for the HP Spectre XT TouchSmart. I looked so this is a good place for you to go.

Not for the feint of heart, get an exact replacement if you can on eBay and see if you can replace the cells. This would rate high on difficulty and with risky results, so I put it out as less than an last resort.

Otherwise, hibernate and unplug until you can replace the laptop.

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  • This is disappointing to learn. It would seem to me (though I clearly don't know much about these things), that it should theoretically be possible to put a port on laptops connecting directly to the charging circuit to which you could attach generic batteries that wouldn't have to be tailor-made for the thousands of laptop models out there.
    – Rob
    Commented Oct 3, 2020 at 0:09
  • When I looked in Battery Depot, your model was there. That means it should fit in an work but may be generic quality. Hooking up batteries from outside the case would mean altering the inside wiring AND circuit to make the connection.
    – anon
    Commented Oct 3, 2020 at 0:12

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