[Solved] Microsoft Acpi-compliant Control Method Battery Driver Error

Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery is a battery driver for Windows that deals with battery usage in your laptop. The ACPI stands for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface. The OS communicates with the BIOS, with the help of ACPI, to power up different internal hardware. 

For example, When you’re in power-saving mode, the OS uses ACPI to control how much power is distributed across the laptop. 

Desktop PC does not use a battery to operate, so there is no need for a battery driver.

What Does the Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery Do?

In Windows, everything remotely related to power management is handled by the Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery. This battery driver manages the power supply to most internal hardware and laptop in sleep/hibernation mode. 

It is also responsible for displaying the battery levels, adjusting the power plans to set on battery, or plugged in mode. The driver is also responsible for different battery settings in the Advanced Power Option. These settings include the following.

• Critical battery level: Battery level to warn users that the laptop might perform the critical battery action.
• Critical battery notification: Notification when battery reaches a critical battery level.
• Critical battery action: This controls what the laptop does once it gets below the reserve battery level (hibernate or sleep).
• Low battery level: Battery level to warn user that laptop might perform a low battery action.
• Low battery notification: Notification when battery reaches low battery level.
• Low battery action: This action triggers the Battery Saver Mode.
• Reserve battery level: When battery reaches this level, windows will notify you that you are running on reserve power.

How to Fix Errors With Microsoft Battery Driver?

If the laptop is facing some battery driver issues, it is highly recommended to uninstall and reinstall the driver, 

Plugged in But Not Charging

Sometimes, when the laptop is plugged in for a long period, the battery icon, when hovered or clicked, will display X% available (Plugged in not charging). The laptop may not charge if the battery driver and the OS cannot communicate with each other. 

The battery driver, with the help of ACPI and BIOS, controls power dissipated across the laptop. The battery will not work properly if these components cannot communicate with one another. However, the problem can be easily fixed by uninstalling and reinstalling the Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery driver.

To uninstall the Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery driver, you can follow these steps.

1. Go to the Start menu and type “device manager” and press Enter.
2. The Device Manager dialog box will open. Here, expand Batteries.
3. Right-click “Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery” and click on Uninstall
   
4. Shut down your laptop.
5. Remove the battery from your laptop if it is detachable. Otherwise, remove the bottom panel of your laptop and unplug the battery from the motherboard.
6. Put the battery inside the laptop.
7. Plug-in the charger and turn on the Laptop.

To reinstall the driver, you can just right-click on the Battery on Device Manager. Then, click on Scan for hardware changes.

Battery Icon not Working

If the laptop doesn’t show the battery icon (the icon that displays how much charge is left on the laptop), you can check if the driver is disabled. Follow these steps to enable the battery driver.

1. Go to Device Manager and expand Batteries.
2. Right-click on  Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery and click on Enable Device.
   

If you are facing any battery issues, try updating the battery drivers and see if it works for you.

Follow these steps to update the Battery driver.

Press the Windows + X key and click on Device Manager. Expand Batteries, then right-click the component that is on the list and click on Update.

What Happens If I Uninstall the Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery?

If you uninstall the Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery driver, the laptop will no longer detect the battery. So, if the laptop’s battery is dead and the driver is uninstalled, you can only use it when it’s plugged into a wall outlet.

Also, you cannot manage any battery settings if you uninstall the Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery driver. However, in the latest version of Windows, this setting automatically installs itself when the computer restarts. 

Even if you uninstall a driver, put the computer to sleep, and open it again, Windows automatically reinstalls the driver.

Related Questions

How to Display Laptop Battery Icon on Taskbar?

In Windows 10, when the battery icon is not displayed in the taskbar, it might be displayed in the notification area overflow pane. If this is the case, you can simply drag and drop the icon onto the taskbar.

However, if the icon is not available on the notification area overflow pane follow these steps.

1. Right-click on the taskbar and click on Taskbar settings 
2. Under Notification area, click on Turn System icons on or off.
3. Search for Power and make sure that it is On

In Windows 11, the battery icon is on the taskbar by default.

If it still does not display the battery icon, you can try updating or uninstalling and reinstalling the battery driver. 

Why Is My Laptop Battery Not Charging?

There can be multiple reasons why the laptop doesn’t charge. A few reasons the laptop is not charging are as follows.

• Driver issues
• Adapter overheated
• Power cord issue
• Not enough voltage through a wall outlet
• Dead battery

We can fix the driver issues by updating or reinstalling. However, if the charging cable itself is damaged or if the battery is dead, you should replace it.

Can I Use My Laptop Without a Battery?

Yes, you can use a laptop without a battery as long as it is connected to a wall socket. We can easily remove the battery without opening the backplate, and hence it can be used easily without a battery. 

However, the battery on newer laptop models is directly connected to the motherboard. Therefore, the backplate must be removed to access the battery and can be difficult to run straight through a power cord.

How to Reset My Laptop Battery?

Most laptop batteries will have a reset button, and pressing it will reset your laptop battery. If the laptop does not have a reset button, there will be a reset switch on the backside of the laptop. Press the small reset hole for 15-30 seconds using a pin. This will reset the battery of your laptop.