UniEnergy Technologies Battery » Dell Computer Battery Not Charging? (Causes & Solutions)

Dell Computer Battery Not Charging? (Causes & Solutions)

Have you ever come across your dell computer battery not charging? Well, that’s a pretty upsetting event, but definitely workable. So, in this guide, you get to know more about the possible reasons why your device is not getting the power that it needs.

More so, we will give you tips on how to maximize the battery life of your computer. Before we start, let’s have a quick discussion of the battery technicalities of Dell laptops in general.

What is the battery used for Dell computers?

Almost all modern laptops use li-on batteries, and these include Dell. Lithium-ion batteries are specifically integrated into most electronic devices because of their high energy density even in a compact size. Dell laptops, in particular, utilizes Lithium-ion polymer for better performance and longer battery life.

What is the battery used for Dell computers?
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What are the reasons why the battery is not charging?

Problems with your Dell laptop battery not charging may be associated with a lot of things. Some of the common reasons are as follows:

  • Loose AC adapter
  • Faulty cable or power adapter
  • Wall outlet not working
  • Issues with software and drivers
  • Usage of surge protector
  • Deteriorating battery health
  • Defective laptop battery

What to do if your Dell computer does not charge?

Now that you have an idea of the possible reasons for your device not charging, let’s discuss the things that you need to do one by one.

1. Connect to a wall socket instead of a surge protector

Although a surge protector is very useful to avoid power surges, this might be the reason why your laptop won’t charge. This tool is generally tasked to divert extra voltage so that the equipment gets a steady power level. As a result, it may limit the functionality of the AC adapter.

So, if your device won’t charge when using a surge protector, you may try connecting it directly to the wall socket. But before doing that, you need to turn off your laptop for safety purposes. If the charging issue still persists, move to the next tip.

What to do if your Dell computer does not charge?

2. Restart the connection.

Sometimes, the computer does not charge because of simple battery issues related to the electrical connection. So, to fix this, you simply turn off the device and then unplug the AC adapter along with the battery from your computer.

Afterward, click and long-press the power button for at least 20 seconds. This is a vital step to ensure there is no residual power in the laptop. Once you accomplish these steps, reconnect the battery as well as the AC adapter and see if it’s working.

3. Enable the hotkey option.

There are some Dell laptops that come with hotkey options. Hotkey is a combination of different keys that executes a task when pressed together. Moreso, it supports a series of applications and even the operating system. Accordingly, hotkeys are referred to as shortcut keys.

In certain Dell models, clicking Fn along with F2 enables the battery. Therefore, you may use this option if your battery is plugged in but not charging.

4. Make use of the BIOS mode.

It should be known that the computer’s operating system encompasses a variety of BIOS settings. BIOS, or Basic Input / Output System, is the built-in microprocessor that is tasked to start the computer and boot up the system.

These include power management, software update, device drivers, and such. Though these features are pivotal, it has a certain impact on the battery power and performance. Thus, experts recommend putting your computer on BIOS mode to easily distinguish and isolate the hardware problems.

So, in this method, you need to turn off the device and then restart the computer. Afterward, press the F2 button to delve into the laptop BIOS mode, and then let the device charge. Restart and check whether the battery is now charging. If not, continue with the other tips.

Make use of the BIOS mode.

5. Update the BIOS.

Considering the importance of BIOS, it’s crucial for users to keep on track with the BIOS update. This is imperative for your laptop to be up-to-date with the hardware changes, which include recognizing the appropriate AC adapter.

When updating the BIOS, you need to set the device in charging mode. This is a crucial step as most Dell laptops require having at least 10% battery before getting the latest BIOS. Henceforth, you should make sure that the laptop is connected to the AC adapter.

6. Troubleshoot the hardware.

If you are unlucky with the previous suggestions, you might be fortunate when troubleshooting your device. A hardware diagnostic test is highly recommended so that you can seamlessly distinguish the main cause of the problem.

Conveniently, there are two ways to troubleshoot the computer. Dell provides diagnostics both integrated and online. To accomplish this, you need to make use of Dell Support Assist. Thus, you should install the Dell Support Assist app first before running the test.

Once you have the app, turn on the device, and press the F12 key found on the Dell logo screen. Keep tapping until the One Time Boot Menu comes into sight. Using the arrow keys, look for the Diagnostics options and click the Enter key. Answer the on-screen prompts and finish off the diagnostics.

There are two outcomes once you complete the troubleshooting, either the test is passed and the issue is resolved or the test is failed. For a failed test, don’t forget to jot down the error code as well as the validation code.

Moreover, if you fail, you may continue with the other methods below or avail of Dell SupportAssist, which is a smart technology shaped to provide seamless assistance to users. This technological advancement helps you do tasks such as updating drivers, removing malware, and the like.

Troubleshoot the hardware.
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7. Complete a Windows Troubleshooter.

Considering that running a hardware diagnostics test was not successful, you may pursue the next step, which is troubleshooting the Windows Hardware and Devices. This is a built-in element available in the latest Microsoft Windows, including Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10.

To run this, you just click the Windows key + the R key. Subsequently, you get a Run dialog box type, wherein you should type Control, and then press Enter.

Subsequently, the Control Panel will be opened. Type Troubleshoot in the Search box of the control panel, and then choose System and Security. The last step would be to press Power and wait for the results.

8. Try reinstalling the battery driver.

The battery driver is responsible for the entire battery system. Therefore, if you install the incorrect battery driver, this may lead to charging issues in the future. That’s why it’s suggested that you uninstall this software to check if it resolves the issue.

The steps in battery driver reinstallation kick off with opening the Device Manager and then uninstalling the battery driver. You also need to make sure that you connect the laptop to the internet. Once the battery driver is completely removed, restart the computer to update the driver software.

Upon restarting, the battery driver is automatically installed. There are also other solutions like Driver Easy, which helps you maneuver the important drivers on your laptop. If the problem still occurs, you may further try the other steps below.

9. Assess the battery’s health status.

Assess the battery's health status.
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The battery health status is designed to evaluate the current performance of your battery. In general, this is established using the elements that make up the number of charges, together with the discharge cycles. Over time, the battery loses its capacity, reducing its battery life.

This means deteriorating battery life, especially in very old Dell laptops can cause problems with charging. There are a couple of ways to check the battery’s health stature. First, it can be checked in the BIOS. You may also run a diagnostic to know the status.

Another option would be in the Dell Power Manager or Dell Command | Power Manager. These two applications give you the chance to configure the battery according to your needs while also maximizing the battery life.

Lastly, you can refer to the LED indicators to see the remaining amount of battery charge. To check the battery health via the battery charge indicators, simply press the charge status button. However, these are only applicable to Dell XPS laptops as well as Dell Precision Mobile Workstations.

10. Ask for help from a technician.

If you have exhausted all the methods above but with no luck, then the best way is to ask for help from a professional. There could be an underlying issue in your device that causes the battery to not charge. And unfortunately, this might be something that is complex and needs the expertise of a technician.

Ideally, you should report the problem to an authorized Dell service partner since there is no official service center for Dell. But no worries because you can still get the assistance that you need from their contractors. Also, make sure you check on your warranty.

Conclusion

Charging issues are quite challenging and may be very time-consuming. Nevertheless, we hope that at least one of the methods above provides the solution that you need. If not, don’t hesitate to contact an expert to help you out with your concerns.

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