Tim Downie wrote:

The slightly confusing thing is that the battery has 7 electrical contacts
so perhaps this idea is a non-starter.

I am afraid it probably is.

If it has lithium batteries in it they have a deal of clever circuitry
hung around them to make sure they don;'t get over charged, over
discharged, or relatively differentially charged.

Us toy plane fanatics rip all this out to save weight and increase
power, but we pay the price in increased danger of SERIOUS fires.

No way would I run a laptop without all that protection.

A LIPO fire is no joke.