The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission  has announced the voluntary recall of over 100 thousand batteries that were installed in HP computers from 2013 through 2016. The recall is being performed due to an incident of batteries “overheating, melting, and charring” causing severe property damage.

The products affected include HP, Compaq, HP Pro Book, HP Envy, Compaq Presario, and HP Pavilion laptop computers in addition to batteries that were sold separately.

I thought this would be an excellent opportunity to tie this in with a warning I give to a lot of my customers. Be careful!! Our computers have parts, that if and when they malfunction can cause serious damage and may even kill you. There are signs to look out for as a warning though. These symptoms apply to both desktops and laptops

• If the machine seems overly hot to you (cannot place a hand on it comfortably without removing)
• A strange smell is coming from the machine
• Smoke starts coming out. Even little whisps of it
• Any type of spark or static charge is seen either coming from the machine, the “brick” part of the power cord, or where you plug the machine into the wall/power strip
• The power cord/brick that’s used to charge the machine is excessively hot

If any of these symptoms happen turn off your machine immediately and take it to a professional to diagnose. We have specialized tools that can diagnose power supply and other issues before they cause damage to you or your property.

In line with the above warnings. One of the things I see everyday is the subject of replacement laptop batteries. I’ve seen a lot of people in the past wanting to save money when replacing their dead battery or power supply by turning to Ebay or Amazon and purchasing the cheapest one they can find. I cannot stress enough to never do this. Often times these cheap batteries are manufactured with no quality control standards and with total disregard for the electrical requirements needed by their laptop or desktop. Our computers have precise voltages and amperages that need to be met in order to be operated safely and efficiently. I always recommend going directly to the manufacturer and spending the money it takes to get an OEM replacement. Saving a few dollars is not worth burning down the house or hurting someone..

If you have any power related issues or have questions please get in touch with us by either calling us at 971-248-3602 or filling out our contact form. We’ll be happy to take a look and make sure you are operating your computer equipment safely.

 

Thanks for reading and make sure you stay safe while computing

 

 

 

 

 

I am proud to announce that for the second year in a row my company Oregon City Computers has been chosen to receive the prestigious Best of Oregon City award.

It is an honor to be recognized for Oregon City Computer’s continual efforts to serve our community. When I set out to start and build a computer repair company here in Oregon City winning awards never occurred to me. In fact it is quite a pleasant surprise. From the beginning my focus has always been on my customer and providing an exceptional service experience. It was humbling last year to win to say the least. And then when I got notice this year that my company won again I was actually floored.

If you are new to this page and haven’t heard of Oregon City Computers I invite you to email, call, or fill out our contact form so that I can show you why Oregon City Computers continues to set a standard of service that is unheard of in the computer repair industry.