Nothing is more annoying than your laptop running out of battery when you are in the middle of working on something important.
You reach for the charger as quickly as possible, only for it to not work. You have no other choice but to let your laptop die and see your unsaved work go away.
To avoid this situation next time, here are a couple of things you can check and try to get your laptop charging.
Things to check if your laptop is not charging
Make sure the charger is plugged in on both ends
This is such a small thing but we are all guilty of doing it. Make sure that your laptop charger is plugged into your wall correctly and that the switch is ON.
After making sure that the charger is connected to the wall properly, ensure that you are plugging the charger into your laptop all the way in.
Your laptop will most likely refuse to charge if you don’t plug in the cable all the way in.
Also, make sure that the AC cord is plugged correctly into the charging brick in case you have a detachable charging brick.
If your laptop still refuses to charge after checking these basic factors, then there are still some things you can try.
Is your laptop overheating?
An overheating laptop can potentially cause issues in charging. The excessive heat could mess up the charging sensors and circuitry in your laptop. This could lead your laptop to not detect any charging signal.
Let your laptop cool down and then attempt plugging in the charger. You could also try using a cooling pad to cool your laptop efficiently.
If your laptop overheats regularly, consider checking out our detailed guide on how you can fix this issue here.
If your laptop still refuses to charge after cooling down, there are still a couple of things you can try.
Are you plugging in the correct port?
It’s possible that you might be plugging your charger into the wrong port. This could especially happen if your laptop supports USB-C charging. You might be plugging your charger into the wrong USB C port.
Make sure you are plugging the charger into the correct USB C port. It should be labeled with the charging icon or with a thunderbolt logo.
Is your charger compatible?
Are you using the correct charger? You might be using a charger that might not provide enough power to charge your laptop.
Most laptops charge with a 65W charger. Check if the charger you are trying to use is capable of supplying that much power.
Though this may not apply to every charger out there, considering that many performance laptops, such as gaming laptops, require an even more powerful charger to charge with.
So make sure you are using the appropriate charger.
For more clarity, you could search the model no of your laptop and check exactly how much wattage it requires to charge.
Try changing out the power plan.
Windows could be bugged out, which might cause it to not show the charging status properly. You could simply fix this by playing around with the power plan slider.
Just click on the battery icon and slide the power plan slider to a random setting. Messing around with that may help Windows to start reporting if it’s charging or not.
Check if the cable and connector are not worn out
You might be trying to use a worn out cable, or the connector on your laptop is worn out.
To check your cable for wear and tear, make sure that any pins on the connector are not bent or broken. Also, make sure that the insulation of the wire is not worn out. If things are good there, do some inspection of the the charging port on your laptop.
Make sure that the port isn’t broken, it doesn’t have any bent pins. It’s possible that some dust or debris might have gotten inside the charging port, preventing your laptop from charging.
It’s also possible that the charging port might be broken on the inside of the laptop, and you might not be able to spot it visually.
So you might consider getting it checked by a professional in case you are unsure about the charging port.
Update your laptop drivers
Crappy drivers can also cause issues in Windows, leading your laptop not to show any charging status.
You can update the battery drivers of your laptop to get rid of this issue potentially.
Just go to the device manager, and click on the Batteries tab. Here you should see all the appropriate drivers according to the battery system. Right-click and update every single driver under the Batteries tab.
Once you are done doing that, restart your laptop and see if the charging status is working.
Boot up your laptop without a battery
Your laptop might be at fault for charging issues. A worn-out battery may simply refuse to charge. One way you can verify this is by removing the battery on your laptop and powering up your laptop on AC power.
The process of removing the battery is slightly different for every laptop, so just search a guide for your specific laptop model.
If your laptop manages to power up without issues, then your battery is the problem and you might consider replacing it.
There might be a hardware problem.
Something on the laptop’s motherboard might be broken. It’s possible that some circuitry or chips responsible for the charging system have gone bad. This could simply prevent your laptop from charging altogether.
So a laptop repair might be the only solution to your laptop not charging.
FAQs
What should I do if my laptop battery is swollen?
A swollen battery is a clear sign that your laptop needs a new battery. Buy a new battery and replace it.
How do I reset my laptop battery?
You can reset your laptop battery by disconnecting the laptop battery and pressing and holding the power button for 30 seconds to drain the capacitors of your laptop. Once you are done doing that, reconnect your laptop’s battery, and you should be good to go.
How long do laptop batteries last?
Your laptop batteries should last around 2 to 4 years. After this period, consider replacing it.
Should I replace the battery or buy a new laptop?
Buying and replacing the battery is a much cheaper way than buying a new laptop. Hence, save money and get your laptop battery replaced.
