UniEnergy Technologies Battery » Solutions for a Lenovo Plugged in Not Charging (Common Issues)

Solutions for a Lenovo Plugged in Not Charging (Common Issues)

A Lenovo laptop may be plugged in and not charging for a number of reasons, and many of these issues have a quick and straightforward fix. This means that even if your device is not charging, you don’t need to run out and buy another one.

While it may be inconvenient, troubleshooting a charging issue shouldn’t take long and it’s something that you can do from your own home. If your laptop has a warranty, it’s best to hand it over to a certified repairman.

Otherwise, this guide goes over everything you should try to fix your battery charge problem. While most issues are uncovered with some basic troubleshooting, others require a deeper look. Keep reading as we explore your options.

Initial Troubleshooting

When you plug your laptop charger in, it should illuminate an indicator light somewhere near the charging port. If this light does not turn on, your laptop is not detecting your charger.

You can also check your battery charge status by looking at the battery indicator in the bottom tray of your screen. This lets you know how charged your battery is and whether it’s currently charging.

Before you order a new battery or charger, make sure you:

  • Double check your hardware
  • Review your power management settings
  • Perform a power reset on your device
  • Update your battery driver and BIOS

Most hardware issues or software issues are resolved in this step.Initial Troubleshooting

1. Check All Hardware

Check all charging hardware for damage, including your:

Make sure you’re using the correct charger. Even if you have a different laptop charger that fits your Lenovo, they may have different power ratings. Using the wrong charger can interfere with proper charging times.

If you have an alternative charger for your laptop, check to see if that works. This provides more information on whether the issue is your charger or laptop battery.

This is also the best time to make sure your outlet is working. Take another device that you know works (such as a lamp) and plug it into the outlet. If it doesn’t power on, you know that the outlet is the issue.

2. Check Power Management Settings

Lenovo laptops use power management tools that may interfere with charging, even if you have your Lenovo plugged into a charger. Depending on your specific laptop, this may be:

Check for a conservation mode or something similar in these programs. If this is turned on, it may prevent charging your battery above a certain percentage while the laptop is in use.

This setting aims to preserve battery health, but you can turn it off if you experience battery charging issues.

3. Perform a Power Reset

You should turn off your laptop often to allow it to cycle out any minor issues, but a power reset takes it a step further.

To do this:

  • Unplug your laptop
  • Remove your battery (Most Lenovo laptops have a removable battery that slides off, but others may require more work. Make sure this won’t void your warranty.)
  • Hold down your power button for 30 seconds
  • Plug your battery back in

Your laptop should power on without a problem. If you’re working with a dead laptop, plug in the charger and give it at least 30 minutes before trying to power it on.

4. Update Your Battery Driver

If you’re unfamiliar with drivers, they are programs that help your operating system communicate with and use your hardware. An outdated battery driver is easy to overlook, but can void the entire charging system from your computer until you update it.

To update your battery driver:

  • Go to the battery manufacturer’s website
  • Download the updated driver
  • Install it using the specific instructions

Tools like DriverEasy make it easier to recognize your system, detect driver updates, and you can even pay a small fee to automate these downloads and installations. With the correct drivers installed, your laptop should detect and use all devices properly.

5. Update Laptop BIOS

Another integral part of keeping your input and output devices usable is your computer BIOS. This basic input output system comes preinstalled on a small chip in your motherboard, and it can be used to identify or troubleshoot hardware issues.

To maintain functionality, you must upgrade your BIOS often.

To do this:

  • Go to the Lenovo support page and allow it to detect your laptop
  • Go to your product page
  • Find Driver & Software
  • Select BIOS
  • Follow on screen instructions to update your BIOS

Once you update BIOS, restart your computer and then plug in the battery charger to see if the problem remains.

Cleaning a Dirty Battery, Charger, or Charging Port

Cleaning a Dirty Battery, Charger, or Charging Port

We use laptops often enough to prevent a visual mess, but dirt, dust, and grime can collect on ports and plugs undetected. This makes it hard for the parts to make a complete connection, and your laptop battery will not charge.

When you have the opportunity (ideally while your battery is off), wipe down these metal parts with isopropyl alcohol and a soft, lint-free cloth. Allow ample time for the components to dry before reinstalling your battery or plugging in your charger.

Replacing a Faulty Lenovo Laptop Battery of Charger

If you decide that the issue is a faulty battery or charger:

  • Double check any warranty you may have on these parts
  • Make sure you use an approved replacement
  • Replace one part at a time

Lenovo allows you to look up your warranty by detecting your device or inputting your serial number. The first option works fine if your device can power on, but dead batteries require you to find the serial number on the device label.

When replacing parts, authentic Lenovo parts are the better choice. These are guaranteed to fit your device safely, and they’ve completed major safety tests that are particularly important with batteries.

A Lenovo customer service representative can point you in the direction of approved replacements.

It’s also best to replace one part at a time, even if you suspect both are a problem. You can order the battery and the charger, but start with one then add the other in if needed. This helps you determine whether the issue actually was both parts, and you might be able to return what you didn’t need.

Protecting Lenovo Battery Health

In some cases, the issue is not that your battery is not charging but that your computer is using too much energy for the charge to appear significant.

Some things you can do to improve the time between a charge include:

  • Adjusting your settings
  • Putting your laptop in hibernation mode when not in use
  • Putting away high consumption programs
  • Keeping up with updates

These will also protect your overall battery health.

1. Lenovo Settings to Adjust

Revisit your Power Management Settings for guidance on what makes a difference in battery and longevity. These settings aim to preserve power as much as possible, but they’re customizable for your needs.

You can turn on airplane mode or limit connected devices to reduce any drain on your battery. If you have a backlit keyboard, turning those lights off lets you reallocate that power elsewhere. The same applies to turning down your screen brightness.

2. Choose Hibernation Mode

It’s common to put your laptop in Standby or Sleep Mode when not in use, but this can eat up the battery’s power as it sits. While you aren’t running it fully, this mode suspends all your programs and saves the information to your RAM.

Putting your laptop in HIbernation mode does the same, but it saves them to the hard disk instead. This allows your computer to shut off without interfering with your programs, and it won’t use power until you turn it back on.

3. Dealing With High Consumption Programs

If you use your laptop for consumptive activities it will run out of charge faster. These include:

  • Streaming
  • Gaming
  • Video or photo editing

You can’t do anything about this while you’re using those programs, but make sure you close them out when you aren’t using them. It’s best practice to close anything you don’t need (including the hundreds of tabs you have on standby).

4. Routine Updates

Updates for all areas, not just your battery driver and BIOS, keep your laptop running in top form and reduce battery consumption. It’s important to stay up to date on updates for your:

  • Drivers
  • Operating system
  • Virus protection
  • Programs

On top of eating up your battery, using outdated software poses a threat to your overall computer health. Whenever possible, automate the detection and installation of updates.

Conclusion

When your Lenovo laptop is not charging while plugged in, remember to:

  • Double check your hardware
  • Adjust your Power Management Settings (turn off conservation mode)
  • Perform a power reset
  • Update your BIOS and battery driver
  • Clean your components

If you decide you need to replace your battery or charger, make sure you use authentic parts that are properly rated for your laptop.

Are you having issues with your Lenovo laptop and charging? Comment your symptoms below!

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