Why Is My Laptop Not Charging?

A laptop that won't charge is one of the most common complaints we see — and one of the easiest to misdiagnose without testing each part individually.

Start with the basics

Try a different wall outlet, and if possible, a different (compatible) charger, to rule out the simplest causes first.

Check the charging port

A loose or damaged port — often from years of plugging and unplugging — can cause charging to stop working, work intermittently, or only at certain cable angles.

Consider the battery itself

An old battery may show a charging light but never actually increase its percentage, effectively behaving as if it's not charging at all.

Rule out the adapter

Adapters do fail over time, especially if the cable has been bent repeatedly near the connector ends.

Less common: motherboard charging circuit

If the port, battery and adapter all test fine, the fault may be on the motherboard's charging circuitry — this needs professional diagnosis.

Rather than guessing which part is at fault, our charging problem diagnosis tests each component in turn so you only pay for the part that's actually broken.