Seven million and counting...

Fujitsu will recall a total of 287,000 notebook batteries as part of Sony's voluntary battery replacement programme.

The recall affects several Fujitsu Lifebook notebooks as well as FMV-Biblio Loox models sold in Japan.

Following several incidents of Sony manufactured notebook batteries catching fire, Sony decided last week to recall all lithium ion cells supplied to notebook makers.

Fujitsu said at the time that it would join the recall programme, but was unable to specify the number of affected notebooks. The manufacturer stressed that it is not aware of any problems with its batteries.

The latest addition to the battery recall programme brings the total of recalled Sony notebook batteries to more than seven million. The breakdown is a follows:

Apple: 1,800,000
Dell: 4,100,000
Fujitsu: 287,000
Lenovo: 526,000
Toshiba: 340,000

The batteries suffer from tiny pieces of metal that float around inside. When the unit is recharged or used, it will heat up and cause the particles to move around.

This can potentially cause the unit to short circuit, which in rare cases has led to laptops catching fire or exploding.