It’s a sinking feeling: the laptop is plugged in, but the battery icon won’t budge, or Windows says “plugged in, not charging”. The good news is that this is one of the most common laptop faults, and it’s usually fixable. Work through the checks below before assuming the worst.
Start with the simple things
- Plug the charger straight into a wall socket you know works, rather than an extension lead or a USB hub.
- Check both ends of the cable. The plug should sit snugly in the laptop without wobbling.
- Look for a light on the charger brick or the laptop’s charging indicator.
- On a USB-C laptop, try a different USB-C port, as some laptops only charge through certain ports.
- If you use a docking station, unplug it and charge the laptop directly.
Check the charger itself
Chargers fail more often than laptops. Look along the cable for kinks, fraying or melted patches, especially where it joins the brick and the plug. If the brick buzzes, smells hot or the light flickers, stop using it. If you can, try a known-good charger of the right wattage. One that’s too weak may charge very slowly or not at all, particularly while the laptop is in use. Cheap unbranded chargers are a common cause of problems and can even damage the laptop, so stick to a genuine or reputable compatible charger.
Look at the charging port
The charging port, often called the DC jack, takes a lot of wear. If the plug feels loose, only charges at a certain angle, or the laptop loses power when you move the cable, the port or its connections are probably worn or broken. Check for fluff or debris in the port and gently clear it with a wooden toothpick, never anything metal. A damaged port needs repairing or replacing, which is a routine job for a technician.
Check the battery and Windows settings
- Click the battery icon in Windows and check the status. “Plugged in, not charging” can simply mean a battery-care setting is holding the charge at a lower level to extend battery life. Look for a charge limit in your manufacturer’s app, such as Lenovo Vantage, Dell Power Manager or MyASUS.
- Restart the laptop. A restart clears some power-management glitches.
- Update Windows, and install the latest BIOS and chipset drivers from your laptop maker’s support website.
- If the battery is several years old, it may simply have worn out. A swollen battery, which can make the case bulge or lift the trackpad, is a safety risk. Stop using the laptop and get the battery replaced.
Signs it’s a hardware fault
If a working charger and the right settings make no difference, the fault is most likely the charging port, the battery or the charging circuit on the motherboard. Other clues include the laptop only running while plugged in, the battery percentage jumping around, or the laptop switching off the moment the charger is removed. These faults need proper testing so that only the part that’s actually faulty gets replaced.
How we can help
Our technicians test the charger, port, battery and charging circuit, then explain the fix and the price before any work starts. Battery and charging port repairs are among the most common jobs we do, and many are finished during the same visit. Find out more about our laptop repair service in Luton, or if your laptop won’t start at all, read My Laptop Won’t Turn On – What To Do Before You Call a Repair Shop.
In short: rule out the wall socket, charger and cable first, check for a charge limit in your laptop’s settings, and look closely at the charging port. If a known-good charger makes no difference, the port, battery or charging circuit needs testing, and that’s a job for a technician.
Need a hand? PC Masters offers a free diagnosis over the phone, a £59 same-day call-out across Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Harpenden and Leighton Buzzard, No Fix, No Fee, and a warranty from 1 month up to 36 months. Book online or call 0800 145 5521, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm.
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