[rml]

Regarding the swollen battery, if it's a Lithium battery it sounds like it may be close to failing. If I were you I would stop using that laptop right away.

I learned during my time at an RC airplane co. that lithium batteries can be very dangerous: they will actually explode in some cases.

Anyway, a stranger's $0.02. Good luck!

[astrodust]

I've seen enough YouTube videos of battery fires that those things freak me out. It's like having a stick of dynamite laying around with a smoldering fuse.