Laptop Plugged in But Not Charging

What makes laptop computers stand apart is their portability and ease of use, compared to desktop computers. The one thing that makes portable operation possible is the laptop’s rechargeable battery. Desktop computers have batteries to maintain synchronization for the real time clock. However, unlike desktop computers, laptop batteries enable standalone operation, which is the biggest USP of a laptop. An often reported problem in computer forums all over the world is ‘Laptop Plugged In, But Not Charging’. Here I provide some simple troubleshooting tips to solve this problem.

When the laptop battery charging doesn’t work, the laptop is no longer portable. It must function like a tethered desktop computer if the battery doesn’t get charged properly. Most of the major laptop computer problems are battery related and they need to be solved immediately. To understand how to solve the problem of laptop plugged in but not charging, you need to understand how a laptop battery works. Most of today’s laptop computers are loaded with a lithium ion battery that provides an average laptop battery life of about five hours. Of course, how long the charge on a battery will last is entirely determined by the kind of applications you are using. To charge the battery, an AC adapter with specific voltage settings is required, which is normally supplied with the laptop.
There is an elaborate internal mechanism that controls and monitors the internal charging of the laptop battery. At the computer operating system level, there are software programs that monitor the status of the battery and communicate it to the user. Let us have a look at ways in which the problem of a plugged in but not charging notebook can be solved.
Laptop Plugged In But Not Charging – What to Do?
I keep browsing through computer repair related forums and one of the most common queries is – ‘My laptop plugged but not charging’. Here are some of the possible sources of the problem and suggested troubleshooting methods.
AC Adapter Problems
If the AC adapter is not working properly, then the charging won’t occur at all. An AC adapter, with lower than required voltage settings, will not be able to charge the battery. See to it that the AC adapter matches the laptop battery’s requisite settings. A loose wire or internal breakdown, may render an AC adapter useless. Changing the adapter all together might solve your problem.

Power Management Software Problem
Sometimes, the problem is merely with the power management software. This is the classic case, when the laptop charges when switched off, but doesn’t when the computer has booted. The software may have gotten corrupted which must be causing the problem. In such a case, go to the device manager section and uninstall the power management software. In case of Windows XP, uninstall ‘Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery listing’ from the device manager section. Take care that you do not install any other AC adapter driver software. Then go for a ‘hardware scan’, which will automatically identify the battery and reinstall the latest version of the drivers again. That will restore the charging facility of your laptop. Internal Charging Circuitry Problem
If neither the AC adapter, nor the power management software has a problem, then problem can be with the internal charging circuitry of the laptop. In this case, there is little you can do, other than send the laptop to the manufacturer’s service center.
Bad Battery
If you have checked for all the above, one of the main reasons, which could lead to the problem of laptop plugged in but laptop battery not charging is a bad or dead battery. Run a laptop battery test. If your laptop is quite old, this could be one of the most likely reasons. Get the battery checked from the manufacturer and check if it has exceeded its predicted recharge cycle limit. It is important that you get the dead battery replaced immediately with a new one. Laptop battery troubleshooting will solve the problem.
Hope this article solves your problem of laptop plugged in but not charging. If you are unable to figure out the problem and none of the above troubleshooting methods work, it is best to send your laptop over for servicing with manufacturing company’s service center. If you open up the laptop on your own, the warranty stands void, which means you have to spend out of your own pocket. So, unless, it is a software level problem, it is best that you let professionals solve the problem for you.