Why is my Lenovo Laptop not charging?
The reason for a Lenovo laptop not charging can be due to a faulty power supply, love voltage from the power source, a faulty battery or damaged power cable.
Why a Lenovo laptop is not charging:
Table of Contents
- Incorrect power supply from the DC source/socket.
- Faulty power supply unit in the laptop.
- Damaged charging cable.
- Low voltage problems in the power source.
- Battery life is over and can’t take charge anymore.
- Damaged battery charging circuitry.
There could be several reasons why your Lenovo laptop is not charging and you will have to conduct a series of checks to identify the exact issue. You can start with the battery and the power supply and then move on to others.
Check if Your Charger is working correctly
You use a charging cable with the adapter to charge your Lenovo laptop battery. Check it thoroughly. It should be plugged into the power socket firmly. If there is a tiny LED indicator, it will show if there is power in the circuit.
There can be a light at the point where you connect the charger to the laptop. It may light up to show that power is being received. If despite all this, the battery is not charging, then you must check the battery. Another way to check the charger is to connect to another Lenovo laptop and see if it is working.
The Power Supply Unit
The power supply unit in the laptop is a critical component. The problem you are facing could be due to either a faulty power supply or in the connections. If it’s the power supply unit that is faulty, it can be attended to only at the service center and you will have to carry your laptop to the center to get it fixed.
Using a Old Battery
Your Lenovo laptop’s battery may be old. Laptop batteries typically last 2-3 years depending on the usage and how frequently the device is run on the battery power alone. If the battery is weak, it won’t charge beyond a point or it might stop charging completely.
The only way you can check this out is by removing the battery and powering the laptop on. If the laptop works fine on direct power then the battery certainly needs to be replaced. If you feel the battery is new and can’t be faulty, you can fit it on another laptop and confirm.
The Battery Charging Circuitry
In a typical Lenovo laptop battery charging ecosystem, there are several elements at play. The battery driver may need to be updated. There is a power connector that is soldered on to the PCB and if it has been disturbed for any reason, the battery charging process in Lenovo laptop may not be complete.
Lenovo Laptop Troubleshooting Table
| Issue | Solution | |
| 1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. |
Old battery
Damaged charger Driver outdated Power supply unit faulty Other charging issues If nothing else works |
Replace the battery
Get a new charger Uninstall and reinstall the driver Take the laptop to the service center for repairs Power reset your laptop Try switching over to a different OS |
Why Is My Lenovo Laptop Plugged in and Not Charging?
You may be getting the message ’Plugged in not charging’ on your Lenovo laptop mainly due to two reasons. Either the battery needs a replacement or the charging essentials like the adapter etc. could be faulty. Check each element thoroughly to identify the reason.
Given below are the different ways to fix the issue of ‘Plugged in not charging’ problem on a Lenovo laptop.
Power reset your laptop
- Switch off your laptop.
- Remove the battery.
- Remove the charger unit from the charging port.
- Now, press the power button and hold it down with your finger for 30 seconds.
- Release the power button.
- Now, re-fix the battery in the laptop and connect the charger and plug it to the power source.
- Switch the laptop back on.
The charging should be normal now.
Resetting the BIOS setup
- Go to the Lenovo Support page.
- It will then detect your computer.
- If you see your product page go there.
- Look for the Driver & Software>BIOS menu.
- Follow the directions on the screen to update the BIOS for your Lenovo laptop.
Once the updating process is complete, you can reconnect the battery charger and check if it charges the battery now.
Updating the Battery Driver
One of the reasons for seeing the message ’Plugged in not charging’ on your Lenovo laptop could be an outdated driver.
The solution for this is to visit Lenovo’s dedicated website and search for the latest version of the battery driver for your laptop.
There is an alternate method of getting the right driver. You can use Driver Easy. It will do the job of scanning your computer and identify the areas where the drivers need updating and will automatically download the correct drivers and install them.
How to Fix Lenovo Laptop that Won’t Charge or Turn ON
Follow these steps to fix this problem.
- If your battery charger is connected, detach it.
- Remove the battery from the laptop (it is easier in laptops where the battery is fitted outside).
- You must then press the power button and hold it down for a full 15 seconds.
- Release the power button.
- Reconnect the charger to the laptop (battery is still not fitted back).
- Now press the power button as you usually would, to start the laptop.
- If the laptop comes to life, allow it to boot and leave it like that for a few minutes.
- Now, shut down the laptop following the normal Start>>Power>>Shut down route.
- When the shutdown is complete, disconnect the charger from the laptop.
- Now, fix the battery back on the laptop.
- Reconnect the charger and switch on the power source.
- Then switch the laptop on and allow the full startup to complete.
- You can now check the charging status of the battery.
- Allow the charging of the battery to go to full charge if it is charging now.
Following these steps should most probably take care of the issue.
Read more: Why a Lenovo laptop won’t turn on?
Try to Factory Reset the Laptop
Lenovo laptop users frequently report this condition of their laptops not turning ON or charging. One of the solutions to this is to try a Factory Reset. The steps are as below:
- Remove the power supply cord from the laptop.
- Locate a tiny hole at the bottom of the laptop or on its side.
- Use a thin wire, like a SIM tray opener, and insert it into this hole.
- Hold it pressed there for about 15 seconds.
- Remove the wire.
- The laptop should now be allowed to turn ON automatically.
That should fix the issue of the laptop not turning ON.
Another similar option is the Onekey Recovery button.
Most Lenovo laptops come with a dedicated button, called Onekey Recovery button. The following steps may be tried out to fix the problem of your Lenovo laptop not turning ON.
Here is a word of caution before you do this. The use of the Onekey Recovery button will mean that all the data that you have stored in your laptop will be deleted. You must create a backup before you attempt this. If you don’t have a backup, then this must be resorted to only if you have exhausted all other options.
- Switch your Lenovo laptop OFF.
- The Onekey Recovery button also called the NOVO button will be on your laptop, usually on the side of the machine – press it.
- When you switch the laptop ON again, the NOVO button menu will show up on the screen.
- You can select the System Recovery option from the menu.
- The machine will then set about the System Recovery or Reset process.
This should resolve the issue in most cases.
Lenovo Laptop Won’t Charge to 100
Lenovo laptops are designed to ensure that that battery does not get damaged due to overcharging. Therefore, you may see that once the battery reaches a 95% charge it shows the message ‘Plugged in not charging’. This feature may be unique to Lenovo.
This is based on the premise that the ideal way is to keep the battery charge in the 20% to 80% range to extract maximum battery life.
One interesting solution being offered is to unplug the charger from the laptop and allow the battery to drain itself out. The laptop will switch itself off when the battery charge reaches zero. Leaving it like that for some time and then powering it back ensures that the charge goes up to 100%.
Another reason for the Lenovo laptop battery not charging to 100 could be the new Windows 10 update. If your Lenovo laptop is operating on Windows 10, the following steps could fix the issue.
- Go to Settings by pressing the Windows launch key and click on the wheel icon for Settings.
- Next click on the Update & Security menu.
- Of the options on the left side of the window, choose Troubleshoot and click.
- Go down to the menu option ‘Power next’ and click on it.
- You will find a button ‘Run the troubleshooter’ appearing within the box; click on it.
This should fix the issue you are facing.
Lenovo ThinkPad not Charging
One reason your Lenovo ThinkPad is not charging could be the charging circuit. If you wish to confirm this, you will need a meter to check the connector between the ThinkPad and the battery.
There are 5 connectors and even if one of them is not showing any reading (negative or positive; 3.3v on three connectors), then your ThinkPad won’t charge.
If your ThinkPad shows the correct readings, then the motherboard will need to be repaired to solve the issue.
You can also try some of the other suggestions given in the previous paragraphs.
A simple solution being offered for ThinkPad users facing the charging issue is as follows:
- Switch the Lenovo ThinkPad laptop ON.
- Let the charger be connected.
- Login to the operating system (Windows).
- Close the laptop.
- Open it again.
You may find the charger showing on the battery icon and your laptop being charged a usual. It has worked for some; it may work for you as well.