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Hardware

Laptop battery won't charge

The charger is connected but the battery stays flat, sticks at a percentage, or the machine only runs on mains power.

Easy10–15 min6 steps

Read before you start

A swollen battery is a fire risk. If the trackpad bulges, the case lifts or the machine gets hot while charging, stop charging it, do not press the case, and bring it in the same day.

This guide is for you if

  • Battery stuck at 0% or one fixed percentage
  • 'Plugged in, not charging'
  • Only works with the charger connected

Step by step

Work top to bottom

0 of 6 steps done

  1. Check the charger and the port

    Use the charger that came with the machine, or one with equal wattage. Inspect the plug and port for lint, bent pins or scorch marks and clean gently with a dry cloth.

    A higher-wattage charger is safe; a lower-wattage one will charge painfully slowly or not at all.

  2. Reset the battery driver

    Windows: Device Manager → Batteries → right-click 'Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery' → Uninstall, then restart. macOS: hold Shift+Control+Option and the power button for 10 seconds, then release all together.

  3. Read the battery health report

    Windows: run powercfg /batteryreport in Command Prompt and open the HTML file it creates. macOS: hold Option, click the Apple menu → System Information → Power.

    Below roughly 80% of design capacity on a battery over two years old, replacement is the honest fix.

  4. Cool it down and retry

    Charging pauses on a hot battery. Shut down, let the machine reach room temperature on a hard surface, then plug in with the lid open and no heavy apps running.

  5. Test with a known-good charger

    Borrow an identical charger for ten minutes. If the machine charges normally, the charger is the fault — not the battery or the laptop.

  6. Get the battery replaced

    If the report shows a worn battery, replacement is a parts job — usually 20–40 minutes on the bench once the correct cell is in stock.