Laptop not charging, or the battery dies fast

"Plugged in, not charging" usually comes down to one of three things: the charger, the charging port, or the battery.

Try this first

1. Try a different outlet, and check the charger's cable for kinks or damage near the ends
2. If the laptop charges over USB-C, try a different USB-C port on the laptop, and a charger with enough power (cheap phone chargers often aren't)
3. Look into the charging port with a light: lint and dust can stop the plug going all the way in
4. Restart the laptop with the charger connected

Is it the battery?

Batteries wear out with age. On Windows you can see how worn yours is: open Command Prompt, type powercfg /batteryreport, and open the report it saves. Compare the "full charge capacity" with the "design capacity". A battery holding much less than it was designed to is due for replacement.

Stop using it if the battery is swelling

If the case is bulging, the touchpad is lifting, or the laptop no longer sits flat, the battery may be swelling. Stop using and charging it, keep it away from anything flammable, and bring it in. Don't press on it or try to puncture it.

When to bring it to us

We test the charger, port and battery to find which one has failed, and replace the part, rather than guessing. Loose or worn charging ports can often be repaired at board level.

Other common problems

• Cracked, black or flickering laptop screen
• Spilled a drink on your laptop? Do this right now
• A pop-up says your computer is infected and to call a number
• Printer won't print
• All common problems