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ACPI event ID 13

I am not sure when this started - I believe several months ago - I have been running
Windows 7 since October 2009.  I am constantly getting errors in the event log.  The come
multiple times a minute constantly - I don't believe this can be good!
Source: ACPI
Event: ID: 13
Message: : The embedded controller (EC) did not respond
within the specified timeout period. This may indicate that there
is an error in the EC hardware or firmware or that the BIOS
is accessing the EC incorrectly. You should check with your
computer manufacturer for an upgraded BIOS. In some situations,
this error may cause the computer to function incorrectly.

I called Dell yesterday and worked with a guy for over an hour finally
he said that it is not hurting anything so "Don't worry be happy".  Then
he said it was probably a software confilict and he sent me to the software
"experts" who wanted to charge me money - I paid extra for a years warranty
with next day service.  Right now I got windows 7, Microsoft office and
skype and thats it.  I have tried drivers from Intel and Dell and no difference.  
If any has ideas I want to hear them,

Dell Studio 1737
Windows 7 64 bit
4 gig memory
T6600 intel dual core
ATI/AMD video
ICH9 chipset
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CaptBix

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I forgot to add a clue - If I run on AC power alone i.e. battery removed - there are no errors occuring.  Reinstall battery errors come back. - Thanks
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Rory de Leur
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missed a word..
Most the time it's a bios problem with sleepmode, if the battery is removed  sleepmode is impossible, check your vendor website for an update
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A little info from Wikipedia: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Configuration_and_Power_Interface)
ACPI aims to consolidate and improve upon existing power and configuration standards for hardware devices.[1] It provides a transition from existing standards to entirely ACPI-compliant hardware, with some ACPI operating systems already removing support for legacy hardware[2]. With the intention of replacing Advanced Power Management (APM), the MultiProcessor Specification (MPS) and the Plug and Play (PnP) BIOS Specification[3], the standard brings power management into operating system control (OSPM), as opposed to the previous BIOS central system, which relied on platform-specific firmware to determine power management and configuration policy.[4]
The ACPI specification contains numerous related components for hardware and software programming, as well as a unified standard for device/power interaction and bus configuration. As a document that unifies many previous standards it covers many areas, for system and device builders as well as system programmers. Some software developers have trouble[5] implementing ACPI and express concerns about the requirements that bytecode from an external source must be run by the system with full privileges. Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel, once described it as "a complete design disaster in every way", in relation to his view that "modern PCs are horrible".[6]
Microsoft Windows 98 was the first operating system with full support for ACPI, with Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, HP-UX, OpenVMS, Linux and PC versions of SunOS all having at least some support for ACPI[citation needed].
Bits ...
In your case it seems ACPI needs to learn how to handle the battery. This is obvious since the error disappears as soon as you remove the battery.
Gathering on what I read above from Wikipedia.... I mistated that it might be corrected with a BIOS update and will most probably be corrected with a Chipset update instead.
In any case... just keep an eye on the updates from Dell's support site for you model and it is very likely you will see soon an update (actuall ...several).
Bits ...
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Certainly BitsBytesAdMore info on ACPI but  it was Criple who pointed me to the bios - I couldn't download a newer version but I could download a different (read previous) version and my problem vanished.  So far I see no down side.  I won't be holding my breath for Dell to produce a new bios for me but in the mean time this seems to be good.  I gave BitsBytesandMore: 100 points and 400 points to Criple
Thanks guys
I'm holding my breath, but excited to report that contrary to having this very ANNOYING Event ID show up in my Studio 1737's Event Log approximately every 5-15 seconds the computer is on, after searching forums online literally for years and after installing BIOS updates A0X-A09... now after going into Power/Sleep options and choosing NEVER to sleep while running on battery (see divine clues above, thank you SO much Experts!), I have not had that grrrrrrrrr EC controller error for... let me take a breath and check again... OMG! still no errors after 35 minutes!! Thirty-five! 35 minutes of 60... over half an hour of my first hour of no Event ID 13!

May it be so. May it really be so, LOL.

UPDATE next reboot:  Sigh, it wasn't. Sorry.

Later in the day:  the only way I solved this was to flash BIOS back to A07. Mercifully, the Event ID 13 stopped. But then, dunno if related, it appeared like there was constant HD activity when none would be expected (not indexing, for instance). Constant. It wasn't I/O to the HD, though; it was constant polling of the CD/DVD drive to see if anything had been inserted and that inquiry was lighting up the LED. Had to disable the drive in Device Manager. All quiet now in Event Log and with HD light.... so I'm tiptoeing away.