In this post I explain how to troubleshoot laptop battery charging problems. I will list most common battery failure examples and suggest some troubleshooting steps.
Example 1.
Laptop detects the battery but shuts off when AC adapter unplugged.
When you move the cursor arrow over the battery icon while the laptop is connected to AC adapter, it show the remaining battery charge and says “charging”.
The batter power meter utility (if available) also shows that battery is connected and charging.
But… as soon as you unplug the AC adapter, the laptop shuts off completely.
Possible problems:
1. The battery not seated correctly. Try reconnecting the battery.
2. The battery contacts got dirty or oxidized and the battery is not making good connection with the motherboard. Try reconnecting the battery a few times.
3. If reconnecting the battery doesn’t help, most likely the battery is bad and has to be replaced.
4. If you replaced the battery but the problem still exists, this is motherboard related failure. Apparently the battery charging circuit has failed. In this case the whole motherboard has to be replaced (or repaired on component level).
Example 2.
The battery not detected by the laptop.
The battery is installed and you know it’s connected correctly but there is a red cross on the battery icon.
If you move the cursor arrow over the battery icon, it says “no battery detected”.
Possible problems:
1. Most likely the battery is bad. You have a very good chance to fix this problem by replacing the battery.
2. If replacing the battery doesn’t help, this is motherboard related failure. The motherboard has to be replaced (or repaired on component level).
Example 3.
The battery discharges very quickly after it reaches some critical point.
The battery detected by the laptop and charges properly to 100%.
When you unplug the AC adapter, it take normal time to discharge until some critical point (let’s say 80%) but after that the battery discharges very quickly to 0%.
Possible problems:
This is battery related failure. The battery is bad and has to be replaced.
Example 4.
The battery charges only if the power plug positioned correctly.
You have to wiggle the power plug in order to charge the battery. After you find the right position, the battery charges properly.
Possible problems:
1. AC adapter failure. The AC adapter power cable is damaged. You can test your AC adapter with a voltmeter.
2. If the AC adapter works fine, most likely this is power jack (connector where you plug power adapter) failure. In this case the power jack has to be replaced.
In some laptop models the power jack is not soldered to the motherboard, it’s attached to a power harness.
In this case, you can unplug the failed power jack from the motherboard and replace it with a new one.
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September 30th, 2010 at 1:58 am
Well your computer battery may no be inserted correctly as it might have come out due to a fall. You need to go to a computer repair shop to get it inserted correctly.
Rgds
September 27th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
peter,
It’s hard to tell without testing the laptop with another known good AC adapter.
Does your laptop work fine with the AC adapter plugged when the battery is removed? If it does, most likely the AC adapter is good.
Most likely it’s either bad battery or possible motherboard failure. I cannot tell.
I would try replacing the battery first.
September 27th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Hi Laptop guy my laptop battery seems to be fine but it’s not charging. When I plug in the charger to the wall socket it shows the green light but when i plug it into the laptop it’s starts blinking(which is not normal) and the laptop does not charge.Whats wrong?
September 27th, 2010 at 10:56 am
ANDY,
So, the laptop is completely dead and you cannot turn it on?
Do you see any LED light when AC adapter plugged?
September 27th, 2010 at 6:25 am
hii laptop man,
My battery is not working so i am running my laptop on AC power it was working fine uptonow but today when i am going to format my PC like that it just stays for while and after 15 to 20 min it automatically shuts off????/ now bcz i format drive i am not able to install XP and all so even its not working like before for the sake of purpose
September 27th, 2010 at 3:34 am
Ned England,
I think this is failed battery. Most likely replacing the battery will fix your problem.
September 24th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Congratulations!!! Your tutorials are spectacular and has been of tremendous help to me as an upcoming laptop technician. Keep the flag flying u are 1 in a million
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Ned, I had the same problem with my Dell Inspiron laptop. My battery was going from about 60% to 0% very quickly. I replaced the battery and it fixed the problem. Hope it helps.
September 16th, 2010 at 3:50 am
Dear Laptop repair guy,
Recently my Toshiba Satellite (big, about 3 years old) has been having battery problems. It has significantly reduced battery life, but worst of all it doesn’t warn you reliably about the level of charge, it just jumps straight from about 50% to the 5% warning red light situation.
And now, for example, it is plugged in, 71% available, but NOT charging. Why wouldn’t it charge up to 100%?
Is there anything I can do? Get a new battery?
Yours
Ned
August 31st, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Hi, I have problem in my Acer Aspir 4810t laptop and I ask for your help please.
The laptop work fine on power charger and in windows battery icon it read the battery level for example 23% and after 1 day 22% or 21% .
but don’t charge it, when I disconnect the charger the laptop shutdown.
until this problem the color of battery light in laptop is orange when it charging and blue for 100% full charge, but now always blue.
I make update to the bios from windows but nothing work.
after week of this problem when I open it to see if I can fix it, the touch bad mouse won’t work too.
That’s it, Please help me.