HP Recalls Laptop Batteries Due to Overheating and Fire Hazard (BIOS update to disable batteries)

[LASER_oneXM]

HP announced today "a worldwide voluntary safety recall and replacement program" for laptop batteries it shipped with notebooks or sold as accessories or replacements between December 2015 and December 2017.

The company says batteries sold during this interval are prone to overheat and pose a fire and burn hazard to customers.

Multiple incidents reported in the US
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says it's aware of eight incidents where HP battery packs overheated, melted, or charred.

In three cases, the batteries caused property damage totaling $4,500, and in another the malfunctioning battery pack inflicted a first degree burn to the hand of a user.

According to HP, the malfunctioning battery packs were shipped or sold as accessories for the following laptop models.

ProBook HP Probook 640 G2 HP ProBook 640 G3
HP ProBook 645 G2 HP ProBook 645 G3
HP ProBook 650 G2 HP ProBook 650 G3
HP ProBook 655 G2 HP ProBook 655 G3
ZBook HP ZBook 17 G3 HP ZBook 17 G4
HP ZBook Studio G3
x360 HP x360 310 G2
Pavilion HP Pavilion x360
Envy HP ENVY m6
11 HP 11 Notebook PC
* HP ZBook Studio G4 - Affected batteries for this model were only sold as accessories and replacement parts.

HP users can download an HP-made application that will help them verify if their laptop is using one of the malfunctioning battery packs.

BIOS update available to disable dangerous batteries
HP recommends that affected customers also download an additional BIOS update that discharges the battery and puts it in a "safe mode" that prevents it from charging. HP says users will still be able to use their laptops via AC input.

"Many of these batteries are internal to the system, which means they are not customer replaceable. HP is providing battery replacement services by an authorized technician at no cost," HP said on an page it's hosting on its official website with information on the recall.