If you are a Dell laptop user, there is a probability that you have faced this common issue at some point with your laptop: Dell laptop plugged in, not charging. The battery indicator LED does not glow, blinks in a specific pattern, or blink continuously.
The laptop does not recognize the battery. The battery charge is stuck at a certain percentage. To fix it, Check the BIOS Settings, Connect Your Laptop to Any Wall Power Outlet, Reinstall the Power Management Driver or the Battery Driver, Check the Power Cord or try replacing the battery.
Software is as essential in keeping your laptop running as the hardware of your laptop is. With most of the Dell laptops running the Windows Operating system, the regular update cycle and drivers being updated can cause the driver to be corrupt and misbehave, so we recommend checking the software and hardware sides as a possible cause of your issue. It is widespread in Dell laptops, and you are not the only one that has experienced it. Read more in this article to understand and solve this issue.
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8 Ways to Fix Dell Laptop Plugged in Not Charging
Let us walk through the possible causes of the problem one by one. At the same time, find solutions to resolve the issue.
While many things may be wrong when a Dell laptop is plugged in but not charging, they can be fixed quickly if you know what to do. There also might be a case where the laptop battery is outright dead. Hence, can’t charge the device, or the connector can also be broken. However logical this seems, the issue can happen with the newest devices that have just come out of the box. Besides, Dell laptops plugged in and not charging can also be a software issue. Surprised? Don’t be.
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Method #1 Check the BIOS Settings
Dell laptops plugged in, not charging primarily looks like a hardware issue. However, many people continue to experience it after replacing it with working hardware.
You can try to Go to BIOS and check if the charge limit is not set to anything below 100%.
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- Shut down your Dell laptop.
2. Press the power button and immediately keep pressing F2 (Or any updated key for entering into the Dell BIOS) until the laptop enters the BIOS screen.
3. Go to power management in the BIOS menu and navigate to Primary battery charge configuration.
4. Make sure that the selected option is Standard charge and no custom limit like 95% is chosen, limiting the battery charging after 95% or whatever percentage is chosen. Fix the Laptop Battery Plugged in Not Charging Error if you face it.
5. Reboot the laptop after saving the settings, and now check if the laptop charges when connected to AC Power.
Method #2 Reinstall the Power Management Driver or the Battery Driver
Many users easily overlook the battery driver when the battery doesn’t behave properly, thinking that the battery is terrible. Still, the battery driver can also be why the Dell laptop is plugged in and not charging.
To reinstall the driver,
1. In a Windows-operated Dell laptop, Open Device Manager. You can easily do this by searching for the Device Manager in the start menu search bar, right-clicking on This PC, and clicking Manage…
2. Once the device manager is opened, go to Battery or any equivalent option in System Drivers, right-click on it, and click on properties.
3. Now uninstall the drivers by going into the appropriate tab and then uninstall the device.
4. Make sure the laptop is connected to the internet before following the next steps for ease of reinstallation of the latest drivers.
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5. Now scan for hardware changes in the device manager by clicking the Magnifier like an icon or choosing the option from the menu.
6. The device manager will identify the battery as newly found hardware that has not been initiated. Follow the instructions to install the battery drivers.
7. you should install your system’s latest battery or power management drivers.
This method should fix your Dell laptop plug, not a charging issue if it were a battery driver issue. If this doesn’t work, you can try something else.
Method #3 Connect Your Laptop to Any Wall Power Outlet
Your laptop could connect to a power outlet via a stabilizer, UPS, or an inverter. This leads to the possibility of the power supply being the problem for the Dell laptop plug-in and not charging.
This can happen if the stabilizer is under load and can’t provide enough power to your charger to charge the laptop but only enough power to keep it running. The same can be the case with UPS or inverters. If the power requirement exceeds the power output capacity of the UPS or inverter, the laptop will not charge, just like dim lights or the fans spinning slowly.
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A simple fix would be to directly connect the power cable of the Dell laptop charger to any wall outlet directly unless your house is getting low-voltage power.
Method #4 Check the Power Cord
As much as the battery can be at fault for your Dell laptop not charging, it can also be the power cord you are using.
The power cord is the cable you connect to the power socket, which goes into the rectangular brick-like adapter of the laptop charger.
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The power cords are highly compatible across devices. You can quickly get a spare power cord that you can try in place of the existing power cord of your Dell laptop charger.
If that fixes the issue, you can buy a new power cord from any local electronics store. Alternatively, buy from the official Dell spare parts shop or website for a hassle-free laptop experience.
Method #5 Try A Different Charger
The charger brick could be the culprit behind the Dell laptop plug-in not charging. It could be misbehaving and inability to charge your Dell laptop properly.
Just try charging your laptop with someone else’s charger that you know works with their laptop, and see if that fixes the issue.
Method #6 Reconnect the Battery
If your Dell laptop battery is removable, there is a possibility that the battery is just experiencing a lousy contact point situation and not anything else. Try connecting the battery correctly.
- Shut down your laptop.
2. Turn it over and disengage the locks that keep your battery at the back of your laptop.
3. Remove the battery and clean the place it goes into and the contact points on your battery. Do not use any liquids for cleaning as they may cause short circuits and damage other laptop components.
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4. Replace the battery, push the locks into the locked state, and start the machine. See if this solves your problem Dell laptop plugged in not charging.
Method #7 Replace the Battery
Dell laptops are trendy and use the same battery and battery slot design across many laptops. So you can easily swap out your battery with a battery from someone else’s laptop.
Just ensure you are swapping the battery with a battery you know works.
Remove batteries from both laptops and try charging both the laptops with battery interchanged.
If your laptop charges correctly and the other laptop starts experiencing an issue, the battery is at fault, so you should replace it.
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Method 8# Go To The Service Center and Check the Motherboard
As much as I hate to say it, if you have come this far without your issue of a laptop if you connect to the charger without any charge happening, it is highly probable now that the motherboard on your laptop or at least the charging station has gone wrong and needs some repair or replacement.
Warranty-covered laptops are the best in such cases. Simply contact the Dell Service Center and get an appointment for laptop servicing.
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FAQs
What causes the 'plugged in, not charging' issue?
The issue can be caused by a faulty charger, battery, or charging port or software issues such as outdated drivers or BIOS settings.
Can a faulty charger cause the 'plugged in, not charging' issue?
Yes, a faulty charger can cause the issue. Try using a different charger to see if this resolves the problem.
Can a faulty battery cause the 'plugged in, not charging' issue?
Yes, a faulty battery can cause the issue. Try removing the battery and using the laptop with the charger to see if this resolves the problem.
Can outdate drivers cause the 'plugged in, not charging' issue?
Yes, outdate drivers can cause the issue. Try updating the drivers for the battery and charging components.
Can a BIOS update fix the 'plugged in, not charging' issue?
Yes, a BIOS update can fix the issue in some cases. Check the Dell website for the latest BIOS update for your laptop.
Can a software issue cause the 'plugged in, not charging' problem?
Software issues such as malware infections or corrupted system files can cause the problem. Run a malware scan and try running the System File Checker tool.
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