Laptop randomly powers off

[naednek]

My son's laptop that he uses for school has a bad battery, but it is always plugged in. For no reason and can't force it to happen, it will power off. Any ideas on why? I can go look for a battery, but don't see why if it's stationary on his desk. Should be like a desktop.

[gilraen]

It's not like a desktop, because the battery is a conduit between the AC adapter and the motherboard. I had that happen 7 or 8 years ago, with a work laptop - when the battery went bad, it started randomly shorting out and had to be replaced.

[hitbyambulance]

in any case, the bad battery should be properly recycled after it goes totally bad - there is the possibility that the Li-Ion battery can swell and explode over time. laptop should still run plugged in with the battery removed.

(and for anyone reading this, this also applies for the batteries in those old phones you're hanging onto - get those out of your place)