Laptop not charging: "plugged in, not charging" and other causes

The charging light is off, Windows says "plugged in, not charging", or the laptop only works on mains power. Let's go step by step.

1. Adapter and cable

• Is the light on the power adapter on (if it has one)?
• Any kinks or damage to the cable near the plug?
• Try another adapter of the same wattage. Laptops with USB-C can use a powerful USB-C charger (65 W or more).

A weak adapter (from a phone, for example) may not charge the laptop at all, or only when it's off.

2. Power jack

If it charges only when you hold the plug at an angle, or the jack wobbles, the laptop's power jack is worn or broken. It's a common fault: laptops get knocked off the table while charging or the cable gets yanked.

3. "Plugged in, not charging"

• Some laptops (Lenovo, ASUS, Dell, HP) have a battery-saving mode that only charges to 60–80%. Check the manufacturer's utility.
• Restart the laptop; in Device Manager uninstall "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery" and restart.
• If that doesn't help, the battery is worn or faulty.

4. Battery

Signs of wear: lasts under an hour, the percentage jumps, the laptop shuts off when you unplug it. Windows battery report: command prompt → powercfg /batteryreport.

If the battery has swollen (raised trackpad, bulging case), stop charging: see swollen battery.

5. The board

If the adapter, jack and battery are fine, the power circuit on the board is faulty — often after a spill or a power surge.

What we do

We test the adapter, jack, battery and power circuit; we replace power jacks and batteries and repair boards. More: charging port repair and laptop battery replacement.

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