When laptops or Chromebooks shut down on their own, the battery is usually dead, especially if it wasn’t powered. So you get popup messages indicating the battery has 10% left before it is powered off. To prevent the laptop from shutting off, you quickly find a power source and plug in the charger. But what happens when the Chromebook laptop refuses to charge, this can be really frustrating. This is why this post covers all you need to do to get your Chromebook laptop charging again. But first, Why Is My Chromebook Not Charging?
Why Is My Chromebook Not Charging?
To figure out why a Chromebook won’t charge, try troubleshooting both a Chromebook that won’t charge but still has some charge left and a Chromebook that has run out of power entirely.
- If the Chromebook battery not charging, look for rust or damage to the charging port.
- Next, check the laptop for evidence of physical damage, such as a fracture in the screen.
- If your Chromebook battery is not charging, it might be because of a faulty charging wire.
- If this is the case, your primary power supply may be malfunctioning. You need a functional power source to charge any gadget.
- The LED light on your Chromebook should come on to show that it is charging as soon as you plug it in. Again, a warm, amber hue is ideal.
- If the light doesn’t come on, wait a few seconds and check again. If the Chromebook is completely dead, there’s a good chance that the lights won’t operate.
Do not examine the LED light again for 30 minutes after the first inspection. Amber indicates that your Chromebook is charging, so don’t worry. Unplug the Chromebook if the bottom is warm, but the light is not on.
What does the Chromebook battery indicator mean?
- Green or Blue light: Either 94% or more of the battery’s original capacity remains, or the charger is starting up. Then turn it on and let it charge for 15 seconds.
- Amber/Orange light: 94 percent or less of the capacity is left. Try to turn it on many times during the last up to 24 hours of charging.
- Red light: The battery and computer are unable to interact.
How to fix Chromebook battery not charging
The Chromebook won’t charge; the battery is drained.
If your Chromebook’s battery is completely depleted and it still won’t charge, we’ll go through several possible solutions in this section. When this happens, it’s usually because your Chromebook was running low on battery life and was left alone overnight. As a result, it won’t turn on or charge when you get up in the morning, and you can’t use the device at all. Here are a few things you can do in these situations:
1. Use a working outlet to charge your phone.
- The charger is always the first item to check.
- Parts of the AC adaptor are the adapter and the floral cable.
- The adapter is hooked up into the wall socket and the floral cable, while the other end is connected to the Chromebook.
- Every component must be appropriately installed and connected. We often mistakenly assume that the AC adapter is connected to the socket when it isn’t.
Without realizing it, you can unknowingly connect the AC adapter to a dead socket. When using an outlet, make sure that it is one where you can plug in any other gadget, like a TV. Try the charger one more time if the Chromebook still won’t charge. Another option is to find another Chromebook charger and try charging it. But make sure the Chromebook charger model is the same as the one you have.
2. Make sure that the LED indicator light is working correctly.
The battery indication LED should be visible when the charger is properly connected. The amber light indicates charging. Wait until the charger’s indicator turns amber before turning on your device. It is possible that the battery has been exhausted, and the indicator light does not turn on. Keep an eye on the laptop’s bottom as well, since overheating may be detrimental.
3. Reset the EC (Embedded controller).
Because it’s frozen, your Chromebook might as well not respond to the charger at all. You need an embedded controller to reset in this situation. Make sure your laptop charger is still plugged in when you do this. For an embedded controller reset, hold the Refresh and Power buttons for three seconds. If your laptop starts up, that’s a positive indication. If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to consult a tech professional.
The Chromebook is not charging but still has power.
Before trying these additional methods, make sure you follow the guidelines above to confirm that the charger wires are connected.
- Close the Chromebook’s lid and turn it off completely.
- Make sure to unplug the laptop and its charger from the wall.
- Reconnect the Chromebook’s charger and plug the AC adapter into a working power outlet to complete the process.
- Ensure that the lid is securely shut.
- Make sure you check the LED indication.
- It is charging if it turns amber.
- Close the cover and let it charge for an hour.
- Go ahead and try to turn the laptop on.
AC adapter charge verification.
Chromebooks’ charging methods are usually simple. However, whether or not the AC adapter is charging your Chromebook’s battery may be determined by doing this below:
- To connect the adapter to your laptop, you first need to plug the floral wire into a power socket.
- Turn the laptop on once ready.
- Use the Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut to launch crosh.
- Run the following command:
- Battery_Test 1
- Battery test
- Use the displayed result to check if the Chromebook battery is charging or not.
If the battery is charging, it should say “battery charging.” Next, ensure the adapter isn’t broken by unplugging it from the wall outlet. Then, try a different charger or visit a local electronics store if the problem persists.
Check the discharge rate of the battery.
If the battery is still okay or poor, below is how to check it.
- Generally speaking, a battery’s predicted wear limitations are met if its health is more than 50%.
- Unless the battery has been in the gadget for more than a year, it is time to replace it.
- You must replace the battery if the test results indicate that it is unknown.
How to check the battery health on a Chromebook
- Disconnect your Chromebook’s power cord.
- Sign in with your Google account on the Chromebook.
- Reduce the brightness of the screen to its lowest setting.
- Type chrome:/extensions in the URL of your Chrome browser.
- Toggle all the blue switches at the bottom right of each extension to grey to disable them.
- Extensions
- To launch Crosh, hold down the Ctrl, Alt, and T keys on your keyboard simultaneously.
- Run the following command:
- Battery_Test 1
- Battery test
- Use the displayed result to check if the Chromebook battery is charging or not.
Tips on how to take care of Chromebook
Once you’ve assessed your Chromebook’s battery’s present condition, you should take steps to extend its life. While Chromebooks have replacement batteries, it is cheaper (in both time and money) to use the OEM battery as long as possible.
Modify Bluetooth and brightness.
The more you charge your Chromebook, the worse the battery becomes. Reduce battery drain by eliminating or turning off unnecessary features and settings. Adapting the display’s brightness to your environment is one example. Also, switch off Bluetooth when not in use.
Avoid defective sockets.
You may be tempted to connect your Chromebook to communal outlets in public. If you’re at a coworking or coffee shop, make sure the outlet works correctly. Avoid using public outlets to reduce the danger. Instead, use a well-fitted and matching outlet’s plug type and avoid using third-party chargers.
Try Chromebook power-saving features.
Another great feature of Chromebooks is their ease of use. So it’s no surprise that Chromebook OS has battery-saving functions. To use these options,
- Navigate to the Settings-Power menu.
- Specify whether you want the Chromebook to sleep or stay awake when closing the lid.
Power-saving lets users manage their Chromebook’s behavior, whether asleep or closed. You may opt to keep your Chromebook’s display on, turn it off and stay awake, or turn it off and sleep. The option to turn off the display and sleep on your Chromebook saves the most electricity.
Ventilate your Chromebook.
Your gadget may be manually ventilated through a USB cooling fan. This will keep temperatures down and prevent overheating of the Chromebook battery. You might also use a laptop stand to raise the computer.
Use this stand-mounted cooling pad with six silent led fans to keep your laptop cool. It’s a USB-powered ultra-slim laptop cooling pad with a fan speed control switch.
Keep your Chromebook cool.
To avoid overheating your Chromebook battery, you must be mindful of how you use it. For example, don’t overload your Chromebook’s CPU, causing the battery to overheat.
Keep your Chromebook out of direct sunlight to avoid overheating.
Keep it cool if you can, never run it in direct sunlight, especially in the summer, and keep it away from heating vents, so it doesn’t become too hot in the winter.
Use a smart plug to automate charging.
Smart plugs seem like power strips, but they can assist your Chromebook’s battery. Unlike a regular power strip, you can program a smart plug. For example, you may configure your smart plug to cease charging your Chromebook when the battery reaches 80%. This can assist in optimizing battery potential without wasting it.
Try the BN-LINK WiFi Heavy Duty Smart Plug Outlet, compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, on a 2.4 GHz network, which does not require a hub to operate.
Invest in a surge protector.
Connect your Chromebook to a power strip with a surge protector. This can help you avoid power outages, improve charging efficiency, and extend battery life. However, using a power strip with a surge protector is more difficult in a public area. If you’re worried about broken outlets or power surges, you may carry a tiny portable surge protector.
Try the Belkin Wall Surge Protector, which has 3 AC multi-outlets and 2 USB ports, a flat rotating plug splitter-wall outlet extender for your home, office, or travel.
Monitoring your Chromebook battery’s health.
All batteries ultimately deteriorate, and Chromebook batteries are no different. However, you must constantly monitor its health to plan its care correctly. You can use Crosh to check your Chromebook’s battery life. Knowing the battery’s power capacity can also help you plan effectively using it without exposing it to undue degradation.
Keep the battery life between 40% and 80% at all times.
Chromebook batteries, like other parts, require rest. By repeatedly letting your Chromebook run out of electricity and then charging it to 100%, you’re reducing the battery life. Instead, maintain the battery between 40% and 80% charged to avoid overstressing it.
When done using Chrome tabs, close them.
Google Chrome is one of the significant battery drainers on Chromebooks. This is because the web browser might use many of your computer’s resources depending on your addons and open tabs. While Google has improved Chrome’s speed, you may also reduce the browser’s effect. One option is to use a third-party Chrome extension to suspend unused tabs. Stopping open tabs saves battery power by reducing resource usage.
Using the extension button on Tab Discard (Suspender), you may suspend all inactive tabs or only the current one. In theory, suspending tabs can decrease browser memory usage and improve your surfing experience.
Conclusion
This guide is intended to be educational and easy to follow when it comes to Why Is My Chromebook Not Charging and How to Fix a Chromebook That Won’t Charge. However, if it continues to be unresponsive even after you have completed the methods outlined above, you may choose to get it checked out by a professional technician.
Please let us know which strategy worked best for you in the comments, and check out more tips on gawkygeek.com.
