A laptop battery that won’t charge is frustrating — but in most cases it’s fixable without buying a new battery. Here are 15 proven fixes, starting with the easiest and working up to hardware solutions.
Quick Fixes to Try First
1. Check the Obvious
- Confirm the charger is plugged in at both ends
- Check the charging LED is lit on the charger/laptop
- Try a different wall socket
- Check the cable for kinks or fraying near the plug
2. Perform a Power Reset
Unplug the charger, remove the battery (if removable), and hold the power button for 30 seconds. Reinsert the battery and reconnect the charger. This clears power management faults and fixes “plugged in, not charging” in many cases.
3. Check Windows Battery Status
Hover over the battery icon in the taskbar. If it says “Plugged in, not charging” — this is usually a software issue, not a hardware one. The fixes below are specifically for this.
Software Fixes (No Hardware Needed)
4. Disable Battery Conservation Mode
Lenovo, ASUS, and HP all have battery conservation software that caps charging at 60–80% to extend battery lifespan. Check your manufacturer’s power management app (Lenovo Vantage, ASUS Battery Health Charging, HP Battery Manager) and disable it.
5. Update or Reinstall Battery Drivers
Open Device Manager → expand Batteries → right-click “Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery” → Uninstall. Restart the laptop — Windows reinstalls the driver automatically. This clears driver corruption that causes false “not charging” states.
6. Run the Windows Power Troubleshooter
Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Power → Run. Windows often detects and fixes charging-related configuration issues automatically.
7. Update BIOS Firmware
Outdated BIOS can cause charging issues. Download the latest BIOS from your manufacturer’s website and update it. This is particularly effective on Dell and HP laptops.
8. Check Battery Health Report
Open CMD as administrator and run: powercfg /batteryreport. Open the generated HTML report and check “Design Capacity” vs “Full Charge Capacity”. If the battery is below 60% of original capacity, replacement is the right fix — no software will help.
Hardware Fixes
9. Test with a Different Charger
Try a compatible charger to rule out the original being faulty. Even a charger that looks fine can have an intermittent fault in the cable or charging circuit.
10. Clean the Charging Port
Use a wooden toothpick (never metal) to gently clear debris from the charging port. Lint and dust often cause poor contact, especially on USB-C charging ports.
11. Check for a Bent Pin (Barrel Charger)
Inspect the barrel charging port under a torch. A slightly bent centre pin prevents charging contact. This can sometimes be carefully straightened with a flat toothpick.
12. Test the Charger Voltage
Use a multimeter on the charger tip. It should read within 5% of the rated voltage (printed on the charger label, usually 19–20V). A significantly lower reading means the charger is failing.
13. Check Internal Battery Connection
If comfortable opening the laptop, check the battery ribbon cable is firmly connected to the motherboard. This is surprisingly often the cause on laptops that have been dropped or transported roughly.
14. Reset BIOS Settings
Enter BIOS (F2 or Delete at startup) and load Optimised Defaults (F5). Save and exit. A corrupted BIOS configuration can interfere with charging management.
15. Replace the Battery
If the battery health report shows capacity below 60%, or the battery is 3+ years old, replacement is the right solution. Most laptop batteries are available on Amazon UK for £25–60.
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Search your laptop model number to find a compatible replacement battery. Most ship with free next-day delivery.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my laptop say “plugged in, not charging”?
This almost always means Windows has detected the battery but the charge circuit isn’t active. Check battery conservation mode settings in your manufacturer’s app first. If that’s not it, uninstall the battery driver in Device Manager and restart.
How do I know if my laptop charger or battery is at fault?
Test with a known-good charger. If a different charger charges the battery, the original charger is faulty. If no charger works, the issue is either the charging port or the battery itself.
Can I use my laptop with a dead battery?
Yes — on most laptops you can remove the battery and run purely on AC power. Some models require a battery to be present but it doesn’t need to hold charge to boot.
