Two Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery in Device Manager

I have several Dell Latitude laptops, E4310, E7270 & E7440. Both the E4310 and E7440 list the 'Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery' twice in Device Manager (both working normally), uninstall them and they both reappear on a restart or a scan for new devices. Google shows this to be common, both for Dell and HP laptops.



This hasn't been a problem until now, all battery-related functions worked normally. But generating a Battery Report...

Generate Battery Usage Report in Windows 10

... now says that no batteries are installed. The Battery usage showed a blank chart, that section and the Battery Capacity History both showed a list of dates and times, but without any battery data. Everything else battery-related was still working normally.



The battery report had worked normally a year ago under 1809 (I have a saved battery report from back then). I don't know exactly when it stopped working, but now in 1909 it fails to see any battery. All other battery functions still work normally, the taskbar correctly shows the charge and time remaining (or time to full charge).

Removing both in device manager, then scanning for hardware changes would allow one battery report to be created that could see a battery, but generating any subsequent ones would say 'no battery installed' again.

I found a workaround to get the battery report working normally again - disable (not uninstall) the second ACPI battery. Battery reports now show the details of the installed battery.

It is probably relevant that both the affected machines are capable of supporting a second battery. Seems until recently the battery report was correctly reporting on battery #1, but is now by default reporting the condition of the (not present) battery #2. With the second ACPI battery disabled in Device manager, the taskbar icon no longer lists a 'battery 2: not present' as it did in the screenshot above.

Actually some E series Latitudes can have 3 batteries.
Battery #1 is the standard battery,
Battery #2 is the optional slice battery in the CD caddy,
Battery #3 also optional, is a battery pack that connects to the E-port under the laptop.

https://www.dell.com/community/Latit...t/td-p/6239038