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Why does my laptop say plugged in not charging? 2024

Why does my laptop say plugged in not charging? 2024

Why does my laptop say plugged in not charging? 2024

Most likely, you are using an adapter that did not come with that laptop, and it is of a lower amperage than what is needed to charge the battery and run the computer. If you turn it off and leave it plugged in overnight, and it is fully charged when you return, this is most certainly the case.

Sometimes, even if the aftermarket adapter provides enough amperage, it might need to be fixed because the laptop has a proprietary charger. The motherboard sends communication signals across the power cable to the adapter, and if it does not get a response from a small chip on the adapter, it will not charge.

Remove Battery: If your laptop is plugged in and still not charging, the battery might be the culprit. If so, learn about its integrity. If it’s removable, take it out and press (and hold down) the power button for around 15 seconds. … Then, plug in your laptop’s power cable and turn the device on.

IMO, this should be illegal, but it is allowed. Proprietary chargers can get up sometimes, and even if it is the right charger, the chip gets fried even though it works just fine with any other device with the same voltage/amperage requirements; it becomes worthless for the laptop it was designed for.

If your laptop is plugged in and still not charging, the battery might be the culprit. If your laptop turns on properly, your power adapter works properly. And therefore, the problem is with your battery. You may be dealing with a bum battery.

The “Plugged In, Not Charging” status when you mouse over the battery icon in the Windows taskbar indicates that the AC adapter is plugged in to run the computer, but the battery isn’t charging. … However, you can charge the battery again.

How do you fix plugged-in not charging?

  1. Right-click on each item and choose Uninstall device.
  2. Shut down your laptop.
  3. Unplug the power cable from your laptop.
  4. If your laptop has a removable battery, remove it.
  5. Put the battery back in if you removed it.
  6. Plug your laptop.
  7. Power on your laptop.

Trying to perform a power reset can fix some unknown issues that cause the problem of the computer plugged in and not charging on Windows 10. … Shut down your laptop, unplug the charger and remove the battery. Press and hold the power button for 15 to 30 seconds. Put the battery back in and plug in the AC adapter.

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Why does my laptop say “plugged in, not charging”?

Here are chances of what will be the problem

  • 50% battery problem, so you have to change it.
  • 30% the charger is not working properly so you have to change it.
  • 15% there is dust between the battery connecter and the laptop connectors, so you have to remove the battery and clean the connectors with a dry brush carefully and put it again.
  • 5% There is a problem with the power supply, so you have to disassemble the laptop and change this part.

Three reasons come to mind…

  1. The battery is charged enough, and the system tolerances are set so that if a battery is at a certain capacity or above (say 95% charged), charging is discontinued as the battery is full enough and charging would be inefficient.
  2. Certain laptop models have a keystroke combination that disables charging altogether if a user turns it off because the laptop is plugged in most of the time. The user is worried about burning up the battery due to overcharging. I have seen this turned on more times than I can think, almost always by accident, and the user has no idea this option is even built into the devices. The result is exactly what you are seeing.
  3. The battery has dead cells or is no longer taking charge properly, so charging is disabled, and only the AC power is allowed to run what is needed for the computer to work.

Why does my laptop say “plugged in, not charging”?

There can be several reasons for this problem.

  1. Faulty Laptop battery charger.
  2. Outdated battery drivers.
  3. Too old battery Or a faulty one.
  4. Latest Windows updates.
  5. Loose connections that don’t let the battery get charged.
  6. You don’t know which one of these can be the reason for this problem.

I bought a new battery and was even going to throw out my laptop. Then I came to know about a few tricks to fix this problem.

Why does my laptop say plugged in and not charging?

You can try these too:-

It may be confusing for you to read and apply all the instructions here, So I suggest you watch this video tutorial to fix this problem:

Common causes of the error plugged in not charging can be because of the following:

  • Faulty charger. Some chargers supply power to charge the battery separately for the power to run the laptop. If the charger cable is damaged, it may be that it supplies power to run the laptop but not charge the battery.
  • The DC power plug on the laptop is damaged. This can cause problems in delivering power to the battery.
  • The battery is old or has been deleted. Batteries like the ones found in laptops and cell phones have a limited number of recharges before they become unable to charge. This is usually around 300-400 charge cycles.
  • There is a problem with the laptop’s motherboard/charging circuitry.

Most likely, if the computer is over a year old, it is the battery or the charger. I recommend that you purchase a replacement battery from a trusted source.

Either directly from a gateway or battery’s plus or batteries warehouse. I caution against using cheap batteries as they will not typically perform well or could be missing the protection circuitry needed.

How to fix an HP laptop that won’t charge

It’s finally time to take the troubleshooting into your own hands. With these eight tips, you may be able to save yourself a trip to the repair shop or a phone call to your PC manufacturer.

1. Check to see if you’re plugged in.

It may sound ridiculous, but it pays to check if your laptop and charger are plugged in. There’s no hope in charging a laptop disconnected from a power source, so double-check that everything is hooked up as it should be. Look at each contact point, from the outlet to the AC adapter to the adapter to your laptop port.

Everything should be tightly plugged with minimal wiggle room. Don’t forget to check your laptop’s bottom side to ensure the battery is firmly seated into the PC frame. You’ll want to ensure the problem isn’t the outlet itself. Blown fuses are common, so test out another outlet or reset the surge protector after confirming all contact points are intact.

2. Confirm you’re using the correct port.

Modern computers are changing more rapidly today than ever before. The birth of the USB-C port has been pivotal and is now featured on the vast majority of the latest laptop computers. These ultra-thin ports are great for ultra-thin computers, though newcomers to the port may need clarification about their multi-purpose functionality.

Computers with two USB-C ports likely have particular functionality designations you may need to learn about. Generally speaking, one USB-C port is meant for charging, and the other is meant for data transfer. No charging will occur if your laptop charger is plugged into the data-transfer port rather than the charging port. Be sure your cords live in their designated spots before blaming the hardware.

3. Remove the battery.

If your laptop comes with a removable battery, follow these steps:

  • Step 1. Remove any bolts or screws and take out the battery
  • Step 2. Hold the power button down for 10-15 seconds
  • Step 3. Plug the charger in
  • Step 4. Power the PC on

If your laptop turns on without a problem, you can safely assume it is not your charger at fault but a damaged battery causing your PC headache. 

You can always re-install the battery to confirm this theory and try booting up again. If your laptop does not have a removable battery, you may need to see a professional specialist who can open up your hardware and run a diagnosis.

4. Examine your power cords for any breaks or unusual bending.

Power cords are tiny, flimsy, and incredibly sensitive PC tools that very well may be the cause behind your laptop not charging while it’s plugged in. Examine your power cords by feeling along the length of the cord for any atypical bends, breaks, or warped flexing that may indicate physical damage.

If you discover that your card has been bent out of shape by a hungry pet or a ferocious vacuum cleaner, replacing the affected end of the power cord will be your easiest fix.

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5. Update your drivers.

Sometimes, your PC needs a swift re-up on driver updates to restore its original health. Follow these steps to update your Windows 10 laptop’s battery drivers.

  • Step 1. Right-click the Start menu to open the Quick Access menu and select Device Manager
  • Step 2. Under Batteries, open the drop-down menu and right-click Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method BatteryStep
  • 3. Within the new selection window, press Update Driver

Windows will ask you, “How do you want to search for drivers?” You can let Windows search automatically or browse your PC manually for the appropriate software. Once updated, reboot your PC and try charging again.

6. Survey the health of your charging port.

Plugging your AC adapter into the laptop’s power connector should be a straightforward and snug experience. Should you face any difficulty, be it dust build-up or a wobbly fit, your problem is that you cannot make a secure connection from your adapter to your computer.

If your PC jack is dirtied with dust and debris, try cleaning out your AC power port with a toothpick or compressed air. If your connector points are unsafe, your problem may be more serious. This could indicate that your power jack has been broken inside the chassis. To fix this, head to a computer repair shop for a cheap, easy solution.

7. Let your PC cool down.

Batteries generate heat while working hard to power your laptop, but overheating can cause a serious slew of problems when it works too hard. Rising battery temperatures may lead to sensor misfires, which ultimately communicate to your system that the battery is either fully charged or missing.

If your laptop feels more like a furnace while plugged in, place it on a cool, open surface with nothing blocking the fans and let it cool down. Once it’s completely settled and cool, try charging it up again.

8. Seek professional assistance

When you’ve exhausted all your options and tried every troubleshooting tip and trick, your next best bet will be to seek professional assistance. Computers are incredibly complex machinery and sometimes require a professional touch regarding fixing and configuring.

The Dell battery is not charging.

A portable system shows “plugged in not charging” when you hover over the battery icon. The system will also charge outside of Windows (in the system BIOS, F2 on Boot Up).

Figure 1 

Note: Check to see if there is a hotkey to turn off the battery. Some systems have an option on the keyboard {Example (Fn+F2)} that will turn off charging. Should your system have this option, use it to enable charging.

Troubleshooting Steps

Ensure that the AC adapter connected to the system meets the minimum wattage for the system to charge the battery. Many high-end systems require higher capacity AC adapters than low and mid-range systems. (90 watts for basic & midrange systems, 150 / 180 / 210 watts for select high-end systems.) 

Also, systems docked in E-Port series replicators need the AC adapter paired with the E-port as they are a higher capacity based on the additional power requirements of the port replicator. (130 watt for basic systems, 210 / 240 watt for high-end ones.)

  1. Check the system power connection.
  • Check the DC port for dust or debris. Blowing into the port or using a can of air could allow for better contact to resolve the issue.

2. Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery listing.

  1. Click Start, type device in the search field, and then select Device Manager.
  2. Expand the Batteries category.

3. right-click the Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery listing under the Batteries category and select Uninstall.

  • You may see more than one.
  •  WARNING: Do not remove the Microsoft AC Adapter driver or any other ACPI-compliant driver. 

4. On the Device Manager Taskbar, click Scan for hardware changes.

  • Alternately, select Action > Scan for hardware changes.

5. Windows will scan your computer for hardware that doesn’t have drivers installed and will install the drivers needed to manage your battery’s power. The notebook should now indicate that the battery is charging.

6. If you still have the issue, update the chipset driver and reboot.

 Note: Check for encryption or other BIOS settings that would cause you to skip this step. 

  1. Load Defaults in the BIOS 

 Note: If the system has no user-removable battery, skip this step. 

  1. You may drain the residual power of your computer and re-calibrate the battery by following the steps below:
    1. Power off your computer.
    2. Remove all the external peripherals (printers, scanners, or any other USB device) connected to your computer.
    3. Please remove the AC adapter and battery of your computer.
    4. Press and hold your computer’s power button for 10-15 seconds to drain the residual power.
    5. Release the power button
    6. Keep the battery out for at least 2 – 3 hours.
    7. Then, insert the battery and charge it overnight with the system powered off.
  2. Then power on the computer and see if it works.
    1.  
  3. Another step you may try is to check the battery health from the control panel by following the steps below (Figure 4):
    1. Click on the Windows logo on the desktop.
    2. Type ‘Power options’ in the search bar above that.
    3. Click on Power Options.
    4. Check for the ‘Battery Health Meter’ among the different options on the left side of the window.
    5. Check for battery health and check if the battery charging is disabled.
    6. Restart your computer to check if the issue is fixed.
  4. Run and install all Windows Updates.
  5. Dell Power Manager should be checked to verify that no options to “Not Charge” the system are disabled.
  6. An example is an option in Dell Power Manager to not charge at night.
  1. Update the BIOS. You can locate the latest BIOS update for your system by visiting the Drivers and Downloads Page (select your system by adding your tag or from the product list if not already cookied). In the Downloads section, you will find the latest BIOS for your system. 

SLN296542_en_US__2icon NOTE: Make sure to check for encryption or other BIOS settings that would cause you to skip this step. 

  1. Load Defaults in the BIOS 

SLN296542_en_US__2icon NOTE: If the system does not have a user removable battery skip this step. 

  1. You may drain the residual power of your computer and re-calibrate the battery by following the steps below:
    1. Power off your computer.
    2. Remove all the external peripherals (printers, scanners, or any other USB device) connected to your computer.
    3. Please remove the AC adapter and battery of your computer.
    4. Press and hold the power button of your computer for 10-15 seconds to drain the residual power.
    5. Release the power button
    6. Keep the battery out for at least 2 – 3 hours.
    7. Then insert the battery and charge it overnight with the system powered off.
    8. Then power on the computer and see if it works.
       
  2. Another step you may try is to check the battery health from the control panel by following the steps below (Figure 4):
    1. Click on Windows logon on desktop.
    2. Type ‘Power options’ in the search bar above that.
    3. Click on Power Options.
    4. Check for the ‘Battery Health Meter’ among the different options on the left side of the window.
    5. Check for battery health and check if the battery charging is disabled.
    6. Restart your computer to check if the issue is fixed.
  1. Run and install all Windows Updates.
  2. Dell Power Manager should be checked to verify that no options to “Not Charge” the system are disabled.
    An example is an option in Dell Power Manager to not charge at night.

How to fix a Windows 10 laptop that’s plugged in but isn’t charging

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Support for Windows 7 has officially ended, so it’s time to upgrade to Windows 10 to keep that old PC running smoothly and securely. You can check for issues before installing a Windows 10 update, but even then, you still might experience a hiccup.

After installing a previous Windows update, my laptop’s Battery stopped charging. My laptop showed it was plugged in, but then, at the same time, it would tell me it was also not charging. Argh!

Thankfully, this problem was not uncommon and would occasionally arise after a Windows update. And more thankfully, there was an easy fix.

I haven’t been able to replicate it since it occurred two years ago, but the Device Manager in Windows 10 hasn’t changed since then, so my fix is worth trying if you encounter this problem. Here’s how I got my laptop’s Battery back to charging when plugged in.

Plugged in not charging

If your laptop refuses to charge the Battery even though it acknowledges that it’s plugged in, here’s what you need to do:

  • Open the Device Manager by searching for it or right-clicking the Start button and selecting Device Manager.
  • Click Batteries on the list to expand it, and you should see two items: a Microsoft AC Adapter and a Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery.
  1. Right-click on each item and choose Uninstall device. Yes, you are uninstalling your laptop’s battery drivers, but don’t worry because they will automatically be reinstalled when you restart your laptop.
  2. Shut down your laptop.
  3. Unplug the power cable from your laptop.
  4. If your laptop has a removable battery, remove it. My Lenovo laptop does not have a removable battery. I tried skipping this step, but it didn’t work, so I removed the bottom panel of my laptop and then removed the Battery by disconnecting it from the motherboard.
  5. Put the Battery back in if you removed it.
  6. Plugin your laptop.
  7. Power on your laptop.
  8. Click the battery icon in the system tray, and you should see that your laptop is plugged in and charging.

By reinstalling my Lenovo laptop‘s battery drivers, disconnecting its Battery, and then reconnecting it, I got it back to charging when it’s plugged in. With differences in manufacturers, your mileage may vary. 

If you encountered this plugged-in-not-charging problem and found a fix that differs from mine, please describe your method in the comments below.

How to fix a laptop that won’t charge

  1. Check to see if you’re plugged in.
  2. Confirm you’re using the correct port.
  3. Remove the Battery.
  4. Examine your power cords for any breaks or unusual bending.
  5. Update your drivers. …
  6. Survey the health of your charging port.
  7. Let your PC cool down.
  8. Seek professional assistance.

Before troubleshooting the notebook battery, ensure the power supply is functioning properly. Use the following steps to check the AC adapter and power source. 

Unplug the AC power cable from the notebook, then remove the notebook batteryPlug the AC power cable back into the notebook and turn it on.

If your laptop requires an attached battery to boot, hold the power button down for 30 seconds. Reconnect the Battery, then allow it to charge for one hour without powering on the laptop. After this hour, your Battery should be reset – and upon booting your laptop, you should get a more accurate battery reading.

How do you know if the laptop battery is bad?

You’ll see a red X appear on the standard battery icon in your system tray, and when you click it, Windows will inform you that you should “consider replacing your battery.” Windows also says that your computer might shut down suddenly because of a problem with your Battery — in other words, your Battery can’t charge.

Laptop batteries decline due to several factors. Heat, usage, age — all these things are bad for batteries. Batteries will slowly die no matter what — even if you put your Battery in a closet and never touch it, it will slowly lose capacity due to age.

However, if you never use your Battery — say you use your laptop at your desk most of the time, and it gets rather hot, which is bad for the Battery — removing it can help prolong its life.

Conclusion:

Some laptops will have a ‘Battery Calibration’ application. If you did a clean install, you’ll have to go to the manufacturer’s website to see if they have one you can download/install for your model. If so, it will require you to run this application occasionally to ensure the Battery continues operating (charge) properly.

You cannot overcharge a laptop battery. Therefore, there is no danger in leaving your laptop plugged in overnight. That is because as soon as the Battery is 100% charged, it will automatically stop charging. It will start recharging once the power is used.

Shut down the laptop and unplug the power cable. Remove the Battery, and press the Power button for 1 minute. Plug the power cable and power on the laptop. Uninstall the Microsoft AC Adapter and the two instances of Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery from Device Manager.

It’s OK to use a laptop while it’s charging. A few caveats: … If you mostly use your laptop plugged in, you are better off removing the Battery altogether when it is at 50% charge and storing it in a cool place (heat kills battery health, too).

How long does a Laptop battery last? Laptop batteries usually last only 2 to 4 years, which amounts to about 1,000 charges. However, a few factors determine how long a battery will last before it finally gives out: The material that the laptop battery is made from.

You can use a Laptop without the Battery.

First, ensure you’re using the original power adapter with the laptop. Power variations could cause components on the laptop’s motherboard to fail, which the Battery can prevent by acting the way a UPS would.

All your laptop needs to have is a USB-C charging port. Connect the power bank to the USB-C port, and it will start charging your laptop instantly. It is a remote, convenient, and hassle-free method of charging a laptop battery.

The alternative you could try is this:

  • With the Battery and AC adapter plugged in, turn off the laptop.
  • Disconnect the AC adapter and remove the Battery.
  • Plug the AC adapter back in(not the Battery) and boot up to Windows
  • In Device Manager, uninstall “Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery” & turn off the laptop + disconnect AC
  • Now, reconnect both the AC and the Battery & turn it on.

If that still does not work, your AC adapter could be malfunctioning & I recommend testing with another one. Worst case scenario, it could be a problem with the internal jack.

If you are still finding an issue, please comment below, and I will guide you with the other methods.

1. Ensure that the power cord and AC adapter are plugged into the computer and that the connection is solid and secured.

 2. Verify that the power cord is plugged into an AC adapter.

 3. Make sure your laptop power jack is not loose-fitting. Fixing and soldering the power jack might require some professional skills.

 4. Attempt to use a different electrical outlet.

 5. Test out with another battery/ charger.

Always the LED light of the charger needs to be constantly on. If not, replace the defective charger. Since the battery/ AC adapter does not last forever, you can visit Topic, which provides a free lifetime warranty for their chargers. Why does my laptop say plugged in, not charging

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