Battery Holds Little to No Charge. The first and most obvious sign of a failing battery is its inability to hold a charge for any useful amount of time. Your laptop may not even power on at all.Batteries have shorter charges as time goes on, so you will need to eventually replace yours.attery Holds Little to No Charge. The first and most obvious sign of a failing battery is its inability to hold a charge for any useful amount of time. Your laptop may not even power on at all.