Is your Laptop Plugged in, but not Charging? Here’s what to do…

Usually when you plug in your charger, you’ll see the glowing of an LED light or your battery display pop up. However when you plug in your charger and nothing happens, there could be a slight problem!

     1.       Is it actually plugged in?

It may sound like the obvious, but it’s best to just double check that it is actually plugged in 100%. So, before you start to panic, take a look at the power outlet and the laptop plug and ensure that all the plugs are firmly plugged in.

     2.       Remove the battery

A simple way to check if whether the battery is burnt out or not; is to take it out of your laptop entirely, plug in the laptop, and see if it powers on properly.

     3.       Check your charger

Take your charger and feel along the length and look out for any kinks or breaks. Are there any broken connections at the end? Has your pet chewed through the wire? Are any parts warped or expanded – If you smell your charger and it smells like plastic burning then that is probably the problem.

     4.       Is the connection solid?

When you plug your charger into your laptop, does it fit in solidly or is it a bit wobbly? If it is wobbly there could be a problem on your laptop or the wall socket isn’t secure.

     5.       Swap your cord and battery

Don’t worry; these parts are probably the cheapest parts to replace on your laptop. Make sure the replacements match the voltage specifications on your laptop and stay away from cheap ripoff parts that may cause damage to your laptop.

     6.       Inside problems

When you’ve been through all the steps, replaced your charger or the parts, then the problem could be inside your laptop. There are a few internal parts that can cause problems when you try and charge your laptop. The problem parts include: the motherboard, logic boards, charging circuits and the battery sensors. Should these parts be the issue, then it’s best to call a specialist.

     7.       Call for assistance

If you haven’t already called for help, then now is the time! Your laptop is a particular make and model, so it will have its own unique issues. Contact The Computer Guyz in Cape Town and Johannesburg on 087 001 0511/2 or email helpdesk@thecomputerguyz.co.za and a seasoned tech support expert will assist you.

If you plug your laptop in, but it is not showing any signs of life, then it’s time to use these steps and troubleshoot!