Laptop Battery Not Charging: Diagnosis Guide

Start Here: What Exactly Is Happening?

Before trying anything, identify which of these describes your situation:

1. The laptop shows no sign of charging at all — no LED, no charging indicator in the operating system, battery percentage not increasing
2. The laptop charges sometimes but not consistently — charges in certain positions, or works intermittently
3. The laptop says it’s charging but the percentage doesn’t increase (or decreases while plugged in)
4. The battery shows as “plugged in, not charging” (Windows) or “not charging” (macOS)
5. The battery drains faster than expected, even when plugged in
6. The laptop only works when plugged in — runs fine but battery shows 0% or not detected

Each of these points to a different underlying fault. Work through the relevant sections below.

Step 1: Rule Out the Cable and Adapter

Before concluding there’s a hardware fault with the laptop itself, confirm the charging equipment isn’t the problem.

USB-C charging (applies to most modern laptops and all MacBooks from 2016):

USB-C cables and chargers have become standardised, but not all USB-C cables carry the power levels required for laptop charging. A cable that charges a phone fine may not carry enough current for a laptop. If you’re using a non-original cable, try:

• The original cable and adapter that came with the laptop
• A USB-C cable rated for 60W or 100W Power Delivery (look for the PD specification on the cable packaging)
• Plugging into a different USB-C port on the laptop — many laptops have multiple USB-C ports but only some support charging

Also try a different power socket, and try removing any USB-C hubs or docks between the charger and the laptop — docks can sometimes prevent full power delivery.

Barrel connector charging (applies to most older laptops and many current Windows laptops):

Barrel connectors (the round plugs that screw into the side of the laptop) are more robust than USB-C but still fail. Check:

• That the cable isn’t bent, kinked, or frayed near the connector — most cable failures happen at the connector end
• That the connector fits snugly in the laptop port and doesn’t wiggle — play in the connection indicates either a worn cable connector or a damaged port
• The LED on the charger (if present) is illuminated

If you have a known-working charger of the correct specification, try it. If it charges fine, your original charger has failed.

Step 2: Check the Charging Port

A damaged charging port is the second most common cause of charging failure.

Barrel connector ports: These are soldered to the motherboard on most laptops. Over time, the solder joints can crack from repeated plug/unplug stress, particularly if the charger cable is regularly under tension or if the laptop has been moved while plugged in. Symptoms: the laptop charges when the cable is held in a specific position but not otherwise; visible damage or looseness in the port; a clicking or crunching sensation when inserting the charger.

USB-C ports: These are either soldered directly to the motherboard or connected via a daughterboard. Physical damage (from forced insertion, foreign object ingress, or liquid) can damage the port. Look inside the port with a torch for bent pins, debris, or discolouration from corrosion.

MacBook MagSafe ports (2015 and earlier, 2021 onwards M-series): Magnetic MagSafe ports are generally robust but can accumulate debris that prevents contact. Clean the port with a dry, non-metallic implement if the LED isn’t illuminating when connected.

Step 3: Software and Settings Checks (Windows)

Before assuming hardware, check these Windows settings:

“Plugged in, not charging” message:

This is very common and not always a hardware problem. Windows sometimes shows this when:

• The battery is already at 100%
• Battery saver mode is active and set to limit charging
• The laptop has a battery care feature enabled that limits charging to 80% for longevity (common on Lenovo and ASUS laptops — check the manufacturer’s companion application)
• A BIOS setting is limiting charge level

Check the manufacturer’s power management software (Lenovo Vantage, ASUS Battery Health Charging, Dell Power Manager, HP Battery Manager) for settings that cap the charge level.

Battery driver issues:

1. Open Device Manager (search for it in the Start menu)
2. Expand “Batteries”
3. Right-click “Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery” and select “Uninstall device”
4. Restart the laptop — Windows will reinstall the driver automatically

This resolves battery detection issues caused by driver corruption. If the battery shows as “unknown” after a restart, the issue is hardware.

BIOS reset:

A BIOS power management fault can prevent charging. Resetting the BIOS to defaults (accessed during startup — typically F2, F10, or Delete key depending on the manufacturer) sometimes resolves this.

Step 4: macOS Charging Checks

Check System Information:

Hold Option and click the Apple menu → System Information → Power. This shows the battery’s current status, cycle count, and whether a charger is connected and providing power.

SMC Reset (Intel Macs only):

The System Management Controller handles power and charging on Intel Macs. An SMC reset sometimes resolves unexpected charging behaviour:

• MacBook Pro/Air with T2 chip (2018–2020): Shut down, then hold Left Shift + Left Control + Left Option + Power for 10 seconds. Release, then press Power normally.
• Older Intel MacBooks: Same key combination — Left Shift + Left Control + Left Option + Power for 10 seconds.

Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3): No SMC to reset. For persistent charging issues, a forced restart (hold Power for 10 seconds) is the closest equivalent.

Fault Categories by Symptom

When to Bring It In

If you’ve worked through the steps above and:

• The problem persists with a confirmed-working charger
• The charging port is physically damaged or loose
• The battery shows as not detected or permanently at 0%
• The laptop only works when plugged in
• You see swelling, heat, or unusual smells near the battery

A laptop repair assessment will identify whether the fault is in the cable, the port, the battery, the charging circuit, or the logic board — and give you a clear cost before any work begins.

Our Putney workshop handles laptop charging faults across all brands and models. Call 020 7610 0500 or contact us to book.