What to Do if Your Laptop Is Plugged In But Not Charging (2024)

How many times has this happened to you? You're minding your own business on your laptop when the computer suddenly informs you the battery is nearly dead. You then have to rush to find your charger and plug it in before everything goes dark.

Once the power is connected, you should be good to go, but sometimes you plug in the charger cable and get nothing. No glowing lights, no brightened display, and no "battery charging" icon in the corner. When it comes to laptop batteries, there are multiple things that can fail. Some are easy to fix yourself with a software tweak or even a new battery, but other problems may require a visit to a repair shop or even a full-blown system replacement.

Knowing which is which can save you hours of frustration and hundreds of dollars in repairs. Here's how to quickly troubleshoot the issue in order to narrow down where the problem originates and find the most economical solution.

1. Are You Actually Plugged In?

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It sounds silly, but you need to make sure the laptop is actually plugged in. This is a major reason a computer may not even start. No software tweak or hardware repair can make a disconnected laptop magically power on.

So before you do anything else, ensure that the charger is firmly seated in both the wall outlet and the charging port. Similarly, check the power brick and verify that any removable cords are fully inserted.

To find out whether or not the problem even has anything to do with the laptop at all, try plugging the power cord into a different outlet. If it's plugged into a surge protector or power strip, take it out and plug it directly into the wall. This will tell us if there's an issue with the laptop or if you have a short or a blown fuse.

At this point, if it still doesn’t work, we've determined that there is a real issue with powering the laptop. Now it's simply a matter of figuring out where the problem may be. That begins with eliminating where it isn't.

2. Check the Cable

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Feel along the length of the power cord, bending and flexing as you go, to check for any kinks or breaks. Check the ends for any broken connections, such as plugs pulling loose or spots that may have gotten chewed by a pet or caught in a vacuum cleaner.

Inspect the power brick. Is it discolored? Are any parts warped or expanded? Give it a sniff—if it smells like burnt plastic, that's likely where the trouble lies. You may need to replace the power connector. Contact the manufacturer and see if they'll send you a new one under warranty. (Or, barring that, if they'll sell you one directly.)

When you plug in the laptop's power connector, the connection should be fairly solid. If there's dust or other buildup inside the jack, it may not be able to make a clean connection. Check the charging port's contact points and try cleaning out the area with a toothpick if it looks dirty.

In more extreme cases, you may find the jack is wobbly or loose, or gives when it should stay firm. This could mean the power jack has broken inside the chassis, and you'll need to take your computer to a repair shop (or, if you're comfortable opening it up, doing some at-home repairs).

3. Make Sure You're Using the Right Port

Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch ports (Credit: Brian Westover/PCMag)

USB-C is a popular cross-platform standard for connecting peripherals, transferring data, and charging your battery. The standard allows for thinner devices, but might also cause some confusion. Some manufacturers have opted to make certain USB-C ports data-only, so they won't charge your device.

In some cases, you may find a device with two USB-C ports—one that can be used for charging or data transfer, and one that is only designated for data transfer. If you run into a non-charging issue, make sure you are connected to the correct USB-C port. You may even be able to see a little icon on the side that indicates which port is meant for charging.

4. Is Your Charger Powerful Enough?

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Just because a power adapter fits into your laptop's charging port doesn’t mean it’s powerful enough to charge your computer. This goes for any type of charger, but it’s an especially common problem with laptops that charge over USB-C—you can technically plug in any USB-PD charger, but some may have too low a wattage to properly charge.

Check the wattage of the charger that came with your laptop—if it came with a 45W charger, you’ll probably want something as strong (or higher) to power it, and so on. A lower-wattage charger mightkeep the battery from draining while you use it, but it won't be enough to charge it any higher. If it does manage to recharge your computer, it will do so much slower than usual.

While we generally recommend using the charger that came with the computer (or one that was made by the same company as your laptop), sometimes third-party USB-C chargers are necessary. If this is the case, try to use one that’s been certified by the USB-IF.

For laptops that don't charge over USB-C,you should stick with the manufacturer’s official charger. Cheap, no-brand chargers you find on Amazon may cost less, but they are generally low quality and can even be dangerous.

In most cases, your best bet is to contact the manufacturer directly and order a replacement charger, if you can. It will be a little more expensive, but you will know that you are getting a quality component.

6. Give the Battery a Checkup

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There's a chance your battery is no longer charging because it needs to be replaced. If your computer is old or defective, the battery may no longer be capable of holding a charge. Take a moment to look up your laptop's battery health so you can better understand what is happening.

You can check in Windows by generating a battery report from the command line. This will tell you the current capacity of the battery and its usage history. If the capacity has dropped significantly since you bought the computer, there might be a problem. Similarly, Mac owners can open System Settings > Battery and see its status under Battery Health. If it says "Service recommended," you have a problem.

Your Mac's battery also has a cycle count limit—the amount of times the computer can use the equivalent of a full charge—before it is considered spent. Check the cycle count by clicking the Apple icon in the top menu and choosing System Information. Under the Hardware section, select Power and then looked to the Cycle Count listing. You can then compare that number to your computer's listed limit to see if the battery has been used up.

7. Lose the Battery

Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 8 (Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

You should also check the physical integrity of the battery. If your laptop comes with a removable battery, take it out and hold the power button down for about 15 seconds to drain any residual power from the device. Then, with the battery still removed, plug the laptop into a power outlet and try turning it on. If the laptop powers on properly, that means the power adapter is working properly and the problem is likely a bum battery.

If your laptop doesn't have a visible battery compartment on the bottom, it may be built into the laptop (like most Macs are). In that case, you'll either have to open it up yourself or take it to a repair specialist to test the battery.

8. Beat the Heat

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Batteries are susceptible to heat, so if your laptop is overheating, that could cause a problem. As the temperature rises, the battery sensor may misfire, telling the system that the battery is either fully charged or missing completely, causing the charging problems. You may even find that your system shuts down to prevent overheating the battery and causing a fire.

These problems become far more likely when dealing with older laptops, which have lower-quality cooling than more modern devices—or if you tend to use the laptop on the couch or in bed, which can block the cooling vents. Turn the system off, give it some time to cool down, and take a moment to make sure the air vents are free of dust and unobstructed by blankets.

If overheating is a recurring issue, you may want to grab a simple piece of software that can monitor your CPU temperature. Core Temp for PCs and Fanny for Macs can help you keep track of internal temperatures so you can better manage the issue.

9. Update Your Drivers

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In rare instances the problem could be a faulty driver. Open the Start menu and search for "Device Manager." Under Batteries, you should see a few items: Usually one for the charger and one listed as Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery, though there may be others. Right-click each item and choose Update Driver.

Once the drivers are all up to date, reboot the laptop and plug it in again. If this doesn't resolve the problem, you may want to download the latest drivers from the manufacturer's website. You can also try uninstalling Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery completely and rebooting, which should prompt Windows to reinstall the driver from scratch.

On a Mac, you'll need to try resetting the System Management Controller (SMC). How you do this differs by the internal specs of your computer. Follow the instructions on Apple's support page to reset the SMC. Note that those with Macs on Apple Silicon only need to restart their machine.

10. Call Tech Support for the Problems Inside

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When all of your options are exhausted—you've tried other power cables and batteries, checked and rechecked your settings, fixed any potential software issues—the problem is likely found in a part of the machine you can't fix yourself. This is probably a good time to contact tech support.

Several internal parts can cause problems when they malfunction or fail. Common culprits include a faulty motherboard, damaged charging circuits, and malfunctioning battery sensors. Your particular make and model of laptop will likely have its own unique issues, and a seasoned tech support operator will have seen all of them.

The person you talk to will likely walk you through many of the steps outlined above, but will also be aware of software and hardware issues specific to your configuration, such as what bits of hardware commonly fail. You can also contact your manufacturer about what repair options are covered under your warranty.