Toshiba this week issued a recall for Panasonic battery packs that have been known to overheat and melt.
Lithium-ion batteries used in 39 models of Toshiba Portege, Satellite/Satellite Pro (pictured), and Tecra laptops sold in the U.S. and Canada between June 2011 and January 2016 are at risk.
About 91,000 units were sold in the United States for $500 to $1,000, with another 10,000 claimed in the Great White North. The battery packs were also sold separately for $70 to $130, and in some cases installed by Toshiba as part of a repair.
Consumers are encouraged to check whether their battery is affected: Visit Toshiba's website to download a service that does the detective work for you. Or manually investigate by following the company's online instructions.
Recalled items have part numbers printed on the battery pack that begin with G71C (i.e. G71C000AW210).
If your machine is part of those affected, make sure to power down the laptop and remove the battery. To do so, unlock the latches or unfasten the screws on the back of your computer, then slide out or pull up the battery pack. Then follow Toshiba's directions to snag a free replacement battery pack. And in the meantime, use the computer only when it is plugged into a power source.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, no injuries have been reported, though Toshiba received four complaints of melting battery packs.