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Laptop Is Plugged In But Not Charging? [Top 8 Solutions]

Charging issues with a laptop are undoubtedly frustrating. What when you are doing your essential tasks, and your laptop’s battery level is below 20%? It certainly gives you a headache when you get the charger and plug it in, but nothing works.

Charging issues often occur due to faulty power adapters, non-functioning power outlets, or bad batteries. In this post, we will focus on the charging problem with a laptop. The solutions we provide you through this article will help you reach the right place. Try these top 8 solutions when facing charging issues.

Solution 1: Confirm Your Laptop Is Plugged In Properly

Before troubleshooting, check if the charging pin has been inserted correctly. There could be a chance you were in a rush, and you didn’t notice it was not connected. Also, check the AC adapter for any physical damage. It should be your job to ensure that all the removable cables are attached correctly. Double-check the connection to the wall socket; if there is an issue with the current, try another current. If the adapter has a removable power cord, try replacing the power cord.

If this doesn’t work, there is some issue with the hardware. The problems can be either with your laptop or charger.

Solution 2: Remove Your Laptop’s Battery

When charging issues with your laptop, you first need to ensure that your battery is fully functional. Take the battery out in the removable battery case and press the power button for around 15 seconds. This will drain any residue power from your device. With the battery removed, move ahead by plugging in the power cable and turning on the laptop. Found your laptop working perfectly! The issue is mainly with your battery, not with your power adapter.

Make sure to clean the compartment of your laptop and wipe out any foreign material/dust particles. Once done, reinsert the battery, ensuring it is lined up correctly. When a battery is not lined up correctly, the issue of the laptop not charging can arise. And when you don’t have a removable battery, you can contact a repair specialist. Or press the power button for at least 15 seconds. (This can remove the residual static charge). Try plugging it onto the charger, then.

Solution 3: Check Your Laptop Cables

Move to check your power cord. Look for any bending or flex that is responsible for any breaks in the cable. Check if the cable’s ends are broken or if there are loose connections. See if the cable is discolored or expanded. Sniff to find if there is some smell of burnt plastic. If the scent is found, you need to replace your charging adapter. Buy a compatible adapter. You can order it online or physically visit a service shop.

Solution 4: Confirm That You’re Using The Right Port

When it comes to connecting peripherals, transferring data, and charging the battery of laptops or others, USB-C is considered the best and most popular cross-platform standard. It actually allows for thinner devices. Some manufacturers make USB-C ports data-only; this will not charge your device. Thus it would help if you were confirmed that there is a correct port for charging your device.

Solution 5: Check The Wattage Of Your Charger

Find if your charger is powerful enough to charge your laptop device. Users can plug in any USB-PD charger, but the lower-wattage charger can cause the issue. It keeps the battery draining while you use it. It can charge your computer but makes the process much slower than usual. We recommend you use the charger that came with the computer. But if, for some reason, you fail, try using the one that’s been certified by the USB-IF.

Solution 6: Check If There Is Overheating

If your laptop is overheating, it can trouble the batteries too. Batteries are actually susceptible to heat, and the temperature rise can misfire the battery sensor. If you’re using older laptops, you will often find this issue. In modern laptops, superior-quality cooling systems are installed, and thus problems are less likely to occur. If overheating is the issue, opt for software that can monitor your CPU temperature and keep track of internal temperatures to manage the issue in a better way.

Solution 7: Double-Check Your Settings In Windows Or macOS

The change in power settings tends to create a power malfunction even if there is no physical issue with the battery or charging cable.

For Windows Users

  1. First, navigate to the “Start“menu. Search for “Power & Sleep Settings” there.

  2. In the next step, click on the “Additional Power Settings” link.

  3. Click on “Change Plan Settings” and check that all are property set.

  4. You can also assign actions such as sleep and shut down while the power button is pressed and the lid is closed.

The best way to solve the problem is by restoring the power profile to default settings.

For Mac Users

First, open “System Preferences” > “Energy Saver” and review your preferences. You can adjust settings with a slider. It will let you select when the computer can sit idle until it sleeps. In case settings are the key suspects, you can find battery issues in such cases.

Solution 8: Update Your Drivers

In some rare instances of charging issues, you can find faulty drivers as the primary cause of the problem. To overcome the issue, you need to update your drivers first.

  1. First, open the “Start” menu and enter “Device Manager” on the search bar.

  2. Under Batteries, you will find a few items, right-click on each item and select Update Driver.

Once the drivers are up-to-date, reboot your laptop and plug it in again. You can download the latest drivers. Visit the manufacturer’s website and download from there. For Mac users resetting the System Management Controller can work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Reasons For The Laptop Battery Not Charging?

You can find your laptop battery not charging because of a poor charging cable connection, aging battery, and overheating or overworking your laptop.

How To Check Laptop Battery Life?

To check your laptop battery life, you can follow these steps:

  1. Move to the taskbar and select “Search” there.

  2. Type the Command prompt and press and hold Command prompt.

  3. In the next step, select “Run as administrator” > “Yes.”

  4. Type “powercfg/ battery” report at the command prompt. And then press “Enter.”

  5. You’ll see the battery report (HTML file) stored in a folder on your PC.

How Long Is 100% Laptop Battery Expected To Last?

A single charge usually lasts 2-3 hours (low) and 7-8 hours or more (high). But the battery lifespan depends on what you’re doing with a laptop.


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