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One good reason to buy Chromebooks is for the long battery life – it's not unusual to get 10 hours or more of runtime from many laptops running the low-power Chrome operating system. But even a Chromebook needs to be charged eventually.
What do you do if your Chromebook is plugged in but not charging? This perplexing problem is not uncommon; even though it's plugged in, your Chromebook simply won't charge. There are a number of reasons this can happen, but it's usually something you can solve on your own. Here are five of the most common ways to fix your Chromebook when it is not charging.
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AdvertisementWhile a Chromebook that won't charge might seem like a serious problem, sometimes the fix is surprisingly simple. For example, make sure the power cable is securely inserted at both ends – in the laptop and into the power outlet in the wall. You should also check to make sure the outlet has power by plugging something else in and make sure it works as expected. The outlet might be defective, or it might be controlled by a wall switch.
A welcome trend among laptop makers is to dispense with proprietary chargers and let you top off the computer with a standard USB-C cable. But even if your Chromebook's power adapter has a USB-C cable, that doesn't mean just any similar-looking USB-C power adapter will charge your laptop. Many chargers are low–wattage devices that can't supply the juice to charge your laptop. If in doubt, go find the original power brick that came with your Chromebook and try that. If you're already using the original power adapter, try swapping it out for another high-capacity charger.
AdvertisementIt's possible there was a fault with your Chromebook charging system, which you can often reset just by unplugging everything and then trying again. When you try again, plug the charger into your Chromebook first, then plug it into the wall.
If you've gotten this far and the Chromebook still won't charge, there could be a problem with your laptop's battery. Google includes a diagnostic tool that can assess your battery and let you know if it is experiencing any serious issues. To do this from the Chrome desktop, select the time at the bottom right and then select Settings (the gear-shaped icon in the pop-up window). In the Settings window, select About Chrome OS and then Diagnostics. Finally, on the Diagnostics page, select System and choose Run Discharge test in the Battery section.
AdvertisementIf all else fails, it's likely that there's a critical problem with your Chromebook. To see if there's a software glitch, factory reset your Chromebook. Sign out your Chrome OS account. Then press and hold the Ctrl + Alt + Shift + R keys. Choose Restart when the option appears. In the popup, select Powerwash, then Continue. Then sign in again and see if the Chromebook can be charged.
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.
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