How to fix: Laptop charger not charging when plugged in

Is your laptop charger plugged into the wall outlet but battery icon on laptop shows that it is not charging?

This can happen, totally unexpected, with no wrong action on your part – even with a seemingly good charger and original battery – leaving you confused about what could have happened and how you can fix it.

Sometimes the fix is fairly straightforward and other times more involving with you ordering for replacement(s).

In this guide, I walk you through how you can quickly fix this problem step by step or at least narrow down what needs to be replaced or repaired so you don’t waste time unnecessarily.

I know of people who ended up ordering a new charger and laptop battery and the problem still persisted!

There are several forms of “Laptop not charging when plugged in” problem. While they may have common approaches, some have their unique fixes. Let us look at them one by one.

1. Laptop battery not charging, laptop adapter plugged in, battery icon shows “on battery”.

This can be a sign of the laptop not receiving electricity from the wall outlet and may be caused by:

faulty power adapter
damaged adapter cable

damaged power socket on the laptop

Steps to follow

Check that the laptop power adapter’s LED is lighting (if the adapter has a LED).

Check that the voltage (V) and power (W) of the adapter you are using to provide power to your laptop satisfy those your particular brand of laptop requires.
If you laptop requires a 110-240v/90W power adapter and you attempt to power it with a 110-240v/60W adapter, it will likely fail to charge let alone start.
Inspect the laptop’s power cable to rule out damage to the cable. If possible, switch with a known working laptop adapter to check if the problem persists.

If the laptop is still shows “on battery” even with a working adapter plugged into a switched on wall outlet, then the problem is most likely a result of a damaged power socket on the laptop or bad charging circuit on the laptop.

Recommended action: If laptop is still under warranty, return for fixing/ replacement else take for repair.

2. Laptop battery not charging, laptop adapter plugged in, battery icon remains on 0%

In this case, the laptop is able to detect the power adapter but then fails to charge the battery. Any of the following can cause this problem:

a faulty/loose laptop socket
a dirty AC adapter DC connector
faulty laptop charging socket

a corrupted BIOS.

Steps to follow

Unplug the laptop DC connector from the laptop, check and remove dirt if any. Reconnect DC connector to the laptop and check if there is a change in battery status.

Could it be a lose power socket in the laptop? To check, gently hold the DC connector in the laptop socket while checking the battery icon on the laptop. Check if the battery is charging or not. If it is a loose socket, the laptop needs to be sent for replacement (if under warranty) or repair.
If the above fails, power down the laptop. Remove then disconnect the laptop battery and fit it in again. Start the laptop. Check if the battery is charging or not.
Carry out battery diagnostics using the laptop manufacturer’s software (examples listed below) depending on the brand.If not installed, download and install.

HP: HP support assistant
Lenovo: Power manager software
DELL: Run hardware diagnostics when the laptop boots up, press F12.

The diagnostics will give you the state of health of your battery and feedback if your battery is due for replacement.

If the laptop battery is in good health but still fails to charge, plan to update your laptop’s BIOS. Follow your laptop manufacturer’s BIOS update precautions and steps usually listed on your laptop manufacturer’s support page to update the BIOS.

If the problem persists even after the BIOS update and restart then return the laptop if under warranty else take for repair.

3. Laptop battery charging, laptop adapter plugged in, charging stops less than 100%

This is not necessarily a fault. Depending on the laptop power mode settings chosen, the laptop will may adjust battery charging to maximise battery life or extend the runtime of the battery, each of which actions has an impact on how the battery is charged.

For example, a laptop’s battery will not charge up to 100% when the power management is set to maximise battery life.

4. Laptop battery not charging erratic, laptop adapter plugged in, battery icon sometimes shows charging then not charging

This may be a result of a loose connection in the laptop power adapter cable, damaged cable or DC connector not firmly connected to the laptop socket.

Steps to follow

Remove the laptop adapter from the wall outlet and reconnect it making sure that it is firm.
Unplug the laptop DC connector from the laptop, check and remove dirt if any. Reconnect DC connector to the laptop and check if there is a change in battery status.

Gently hold the DC connector in the laptop socket while checking the battery icon on the laptop. Check if the battery is charging consistently or not.
Inspect the laptop cable to rule out any wire damage.

If none of the above helps you pinpoint the problem, then contact the laptop manufacturer’s technical support.

5. Laptop battery not charging, laptop adapter plugged in, battery icon “plugged in, not charging”

This could be caused by a bad/ageing battery or corrupted / bad battery drivers.

Steps to follow

Consider how old your laptop battery is – if your battery is 2-3 + years old, it may be due for replacement.

Carry out battery diagnostics using the laptop manufacturer’s recommended software – this is usually listed on the laptop manufacturer’s support page.

This will give you the state of health of your battery and feedback on whether your battery needs replacement.

Update Windows 10 battery drivers. For this, you may follow the steps outlined on the hp support website also shown here also listed below:

Go to Windows 10 device manager
Under start, look for Settings
Click the Settings icon and type Device manager in the search bar that shows up

Under Device Manager, click the plus sign next to Batteries to expand to show Microsoft AC adapter and Microsoft ACPI- Compliant Control Method Battery
Right-click and uninstall the Microsoft ACPI- Compliant Control Method Battery
Shutdown laptop, remove battery and power adapter

Hold down laptop power button for 1 min with battery and power adapter still removed
Restart laptop

Hopefully, this should fix the battery icon “plugged in, not charging” problem.

If still stuck even after trying the steps above then contact your laptop manufacturer’s technical support.