HP recalls exploding laptops – is yours still safe to use?

HP has issued a worldwide recall of 100,000 laptops that pose a serious fire risk. The company admitted they contain a faulty Panasonic battery that could overheat and burn people.

It’s an extension of the recall that HP ordered in June 2016, when the company warned that 40,000 laptops were faulty.

It affects HP, Compaq, HP Probook, HP ENVY, Compaq Presario, and HP Pavilion laptops bought between March 2013 and October 2016. The company urged customers to check the model number of their laptop’s battery – those at risk begin with 6BZLU, 6CGFK, 6CGFQ, 6CZMB, 6DEMA, 6DEMH, 6DGAL and 6EBVA. You’ll find this on the battery’s barcode (see image).

Alternatively, you can run HP’S program to check whether your battery is affected. type the following URL and the download will start automatically: www. snipca.com/23271.

If your battery is faulty, visit HP’S website ( www.snipca. com/23270), click the ‘Validate & Order’ tab, then fill in the details of your laptop, including its serial number. You need to enter your email address so HP can validate your claim and send you a free replacement.

HP said that customers who had their batteries replaced after the initial recall don’t need to check. But customers whose battery was given the all-clear should check again. For more information click the FAQ tab on HP’S site.

The recall came a few days after Samsung confirmed that two battery faults had been causing its Galaxy Note 7 phone to explode. The company recalled around 2.5 million phones last September amid reports of them overheating and catching fire, and stopped making them the following month. Read the company’s announcement at www.snipca.com/23245.