When your new laptop battery is not charging, it’s important to act quickly to avoid bigger issues.

A new laptop battery might not charge due to several electrical, hardware, and software issues. I’ve tried various technical troubleshooting options in experimental conditions to find the ones that will actually fix the problem. I’ve prepared a list of tried and tested fixes to get your laptop ready for action in no time.

Let’s fix your laptop battery!

Basic Checks and Fixes

Before trying more elaborate and technical troubleshooting, start with the following common slip-ups:

Power

• Check the AC power source: Unplug the power plug from the AC mains source and plug it back in snugly. Also, ensure to switch on the mains outlet.
• Try a different mains outlet: Likely, the mains socket isn’t working. So, try a different power outlet.
• Inspect the charger & cable: Are there any cuts on the charger cable? Does the cable snugly fit in the appropriate socket of the power adapter?
• Restart the PC: The battery charging indicator of the device is likely stuck and unable to show real-time progress. Reboot the PC.

Accessories and connectors

• Clean connectors: If your laptop has a removable battery pack, open it from its compartment. There should be two latches on the left and right edges of the battery pack bay. Slide those switches to remove the battery. Clean its golden pins with a dry and unsoiled cotton cloth. You can also try to wipe off any dirt or carbon deposition from the battery pack compartment pins.
• Use a different adapter and cable: Try to charge the new laptop battery with a different but compatible adapter and cable and see if it’s charging.
• Disconnect all external accessories: Remove all external hardware and accessories from the laptop, like removable HDDs, USB DVD writers, USB video cards, USB TV cards, and so on.

Battery pack

• Try a different battery pack: Use the existing laptop battery to see if it’s charging. If it does, the battery compartment is okay.
• Battery pack compatibility: Did you physically check the battery pack specifications on the laptop before buying a replacement? For example, the battery pins might not be pairing snugly with the pins in the battery bay due to incompatibility. Look for printed information, like the laptop make and model, max charge voltage, output voltage, amperage (e.g. 4,000 mAh), wattage, etc., on the new battery and match that with the existing one. If these data don’t match, replace the new battery with a compatible one.
• Test the battery on a different device: Insert the laptop battery into a different device of the same make and model to see if it charges. If it does, the battery compartment is faulty.
• Cool down the device: Most laptops will stop charging the battery pack if the device, battery, or the ambient temperature exceeds the auto shut-down threshold. For most laptop batteries, this cut-off temperature is 60°C. Do you feel the device is hot? Wait for the device temperature to cool down to 25°C to 30°C.

If the issue persists, continue with the more advanced troubleshooting methods outlined below.

1. Power Cycle the Device

Follow these steps for removable battery-based laptops:

1. Shut down the PC.
2. Remove the battery pack.
3. Long press the power on and off button on the keyboard.
4. Keep pressed for 30 seconds.
5. Release the power on/ off key.
6. Connect the battery pack to the laptop.
7. Plug in the battery charger adapter.
8. Start the laptop and see if it’s charging the battery now.

If your laptop has a fixed battery pack, keep the power on/off button pressed for 30 seconds. Don’t forget to remove all cables from the device before attempting a power cycle.

2. Disable the Battery Charge Threshold

When a new laptop battery is not charging, it is often because of incorrect settings for the battery’s charge threshold. However, not all laptop batteries come with this feature. The only way to determine if your device has this setting or not is to install the battery management software provided by the manufacturer.

Below is a list of different battery management tools and their manufacturer names:

• Dell Power Manager
• HP Battery Check
• Lenovo Energy Management
• ASUS Battery Health Charging – comes built-in with compatible devices

Download and install the appropriate battery management tool for your laptop. You should find the Battery Charge Threshold or Battery Charge Power options on the dashboard. Use one of these options to change the charge level to the maximum setting.

3. Fix the Battery Driver

It’s possible that the battery driver is no longer being used for the new laptop battery that’s not charging. Or the driver may be broken. Here are all possible battery driver troubleshooting ideas:

Update Battery Driver

1. Right-click on the Start menu.
2. Select the Device Manager option.