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What to do if…
your laptop battery starts swelling and the casing or trackpad begins to lift

Short answer

Stop using it now: shut it down, unplug it, and move it to a cool, non-flammable surface away from people and pets. Treat it like a fire risk until it’s safely serviced or disposed of.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t keep using it or keep it plugged in “to see if it settles”.
  • Don’t press the trackpad/case back down, clamp it, or force the lid shut.
  • Don’t puncture, bend, crush, or try to open the battery pack.
  • Don’t put it in household trash or curbside recycling.
  • Don’t store it on soft surfaces (bed/sofa) or near flammables (papers/curtains).
  • Don’t attempt battery removal if it requires prying/force or you’re not trained.

What to do now

  1. Shut down. Use normal shutdown if possible. If it’s frozen, hold the power button until it turns off.
  2. Unplug and isolate. Disconnect the charger and any accessories. Do not reconnect power.
  3. Move it to a safer location. Place it on a hard, non-flammable surface (tile/stone/metal) in a cool, ventilated area, away from anything that can burn. Keep kids/pets away.
  4. Monitor for escalation. Watch for hissing, popping, smoke, chemical smell, or rapid heating. If any appear, do not handle the device further.
  5. If it smokes, catches fire, or heats rapidly: call 911. Tell the dispatcher it’s a swollen lithium-ion laptop battery. If safe, keep people away and close the door to the room.
  6. Protect your data without energising the battery (preferred).
    • Do not power it back on as your default.
    • If the data is important, a reputable repair shop/manufacturer service can often remove the storage drive (or do data recovery) without you trying to run the laptop.
    • Only if it’s completely cool, stable, and not worsening, and you accept the risk, you could do a seconds-only power-up to grab one critical file—then shut down immediately at the first sign of warmth or further lifting.
  7. Set up service and safe disposal.
    • Contact the manufacturer/retailer and report battery swelling / trackpad or casing lifting. Follow their handling instructions for drop-off or shipping.
    • Dispose via the proper route: take the laptop to a household hazardous waste (HHW) program or a battery/e-waste recycling drop-off your local government or recycler recommends.
    • If the battery is already separate/removable without force, reduce fire risk during transport by taping terminals and/or bagging the battery individually. If it’s an internal battery, don’t open the device—transport the whole laptop powered off.
    • If available in your area and accepted for your item, you can also look for Call2Recycle or other approved takeback locations (policies vary, especially for damaged batteries—check first).

What can wait

  • You do not need to diagnose the cause, run battery health apps, or do updates.
  • You do not need to decide today whether to repair vs replace.
  • You do not need to wipe the laptop immediately; safety comes first.

Important reassurance

This is scary, but the safest response is simple: power off, unplug, isolate, and use an approved service/disposal path. Taking it seriously early usually prevents a bigger incident.

Scope note

These are first steps only. Next steps are manufacturer/retailer service or a qualified repair shop, plus an approved HHW/battery recycling route for disposal.

Important note

This is general information, not professional advice. If there is smoke, fire, or rapid heating, prioritize getting people to safety and contacting emergency services.

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