Troubleshooting the Laptop Battery that Doesn't Charge

One of the common laptop problems is the main battery not being charged. There are several factors why this situation happens. It could be improper use of the power adapter or because the battery is not being cared correctly. On the other hand, exercising the performance of battery sometimes by draining it completely before charging it again is a good method of prolonging the battery life. If you noticed that the battery is not charging, always check first the power outlet if it is live or not before doing serious investigation.

If the wall socket is not the cause of laptop battery charging failure, the following troubleshooting tips might help you.

1. Check if the AC adapter is bad or not. Detach the battery from the laptop and turn on the computer with the power plug connected. If the laptop does not turn on, try using another power adapter to verify if the first one is defective. If the second trial does not work as well, the problem might be the power circuit of the motherboard. Look for a certified computer technician to help you solve the issue.

2. If the computer does turn on, the power adapter is in good condition and not the cause the problem. In this case, try placing another battery that meets the technical specifications of the laptop for proper testing. If the second battery works well, it can be concluded that the first one is defective.

3. Determine if the problem is not caused by a software related issue. If the notebook battery status is not being displayed correctly though software, it can be considered that the software is causing the problem and not really the battery.

4. Power reset the unit by unplugging it and removing the battery. After doing that, hold the power button down for a minute. Then, attach the battery and power adapter, and start the laptop again. This method is being done to ensure that the motherboard is not holding power anymore when the battery went down causing a "hiccup" in the system. This may solve the charging failure of the battery.

5. If the battery stops charging every time the charge indicator reaches 96-98%, the laptop may need to be recalibrated for a new battery. For proper notebook recalibration, the Windows power management should be configured to prevent the system from going into sleep mode or hibernation when the battery reaches the low level. For Windows XP users, navigate to Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options. Set "Power Schemes" to "Always On". Under "Alarms", uncheck "Low battery alarm" and "Critical battery alarm". Under "Hibernate", uncheck "Enable hibernation", and then click on Apply. Doing this procedure, the laptop battery can now be drained fully until the computer system shuts off. Then, put the adapter back into the power jack and let it charge completely. Sometimes the cycle must be repeated 2-3 times before it actually reaches the 100% full charge. The charging process should last at least around 14 hours.