I thought the 'freezer trick' for a dead laptop battery was total nonsense

A client brought in an old MacBook Pro with a battery that wouldn't hold a charge at all, and as a joke I told him about the old trick of putting it in a sealed bag in the freezer overnight. He actually did it, and the next day the battery reported 12% capacity and booted the machine long enough to pull his files off. It only worked for about 20 minutes before dying for good, but it saved his data. Has anyone else had a weird, last-ditch trick actually pull through in a pinch?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly.troy23d ago

Honestly, is it worth the risk of condensation wrecking the logic board just to get 20 minutes of power? I'd just tell people to keep a regular backup. That freezer trick feels like trying to start a car by banging on the hood with a shoe. It might sputter to life once, but you're still stranded.

wesleythompson23d ago

My old laptop survived that trick three times.

phoenixk6423d ago

Always thought that freezer thing was a total myth. Had a friend try it on an old phone battery that was completely dead, and it actually gave it enough juice to turn on and grab some photos. Didn't last long, but it worked in a pinch. Makes you wonder what's actually going on with the chemistry.

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