PC emergency - IT advice sought!!!

[StellaBlue]

Okay, so I am writing an exam paper, when suddenly, without warning, my laptop just goes OFF. Nothing. Just suddenly off.

So I changed the battery (having had the same one in there for the past year and a half), and it came back on, but it went to set-up mode and said that I could either continue in set-up or continue as I was, but that there was no working power device, so I would have to work off the battery, which would not be charged.

Up until it went off, it has been plugged in and on basically 24/7 for the past few months. The reason for this is that when I turn it off, and then reboot later, it takes like a good 20 minutes, not exaggerating, to boot up. My IT-savvy friend said this was because I installed a Dell combo printer, and they are notorious for adding a bunch of sh*t that cause multiple glitches and complicate the system. So he uninstalled it. I tried to reinstall it last month, putting the CD in and all, and it wouldn't do it. But that's another problem.

Basically, I need to know what I should do about this power source issue, as I have a written exam due tomorrow night and haven't finished it, will not have access to any other PC other than at the public library (one hour limit), and only have about four hours' power off this battery, if it's not charging.

Any ideas? My IT-savvy friend is out of town at a conference.

[hfojvt]

1. maybe you need a new battery charger

or check all of the connections on it

[StellaBlue]

2. Okay will do

But normally when the battery's low it bings at me and a warning pops up.

:shrug:

Thanks!!!