PC is charging slowly or discharging while it’s plugged in - Microsoft Support

Learn about things you can try to fix things if your Windows 10 PC is plugged in and charging slowly or discharging.

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[DVDR_Dog]

These kinds of problems are so brand specific so other than some Intel power schemes that didn't mesh well with some Windows major updates, Microsoft is the wrong people to be answering this question.

 

[Diguelo]

Ive seen this with both Apple and Windows Laptops. Generally this can be one of three main possibilities.

1. Depending on the age and mobility of the machine the Multicore charging wire between laptop and power supply may have become fraid or broken inside particularly at the cable ends. Only cure is to purchase a dedicated charger for that particular machine. In the case of Apple the charger may be a multi wired mini USB plug or a single pole standard connector. Whichever only buy the genuine charger, the extra money is worth it.

2. Again depending on the age of the machine and its general use the battery inside doesnt last forever regardless of claims, Heavy use on a power supply constantly will kill the battery making it swell and sweat in the case. General use and charge overnight is the best way for longevity of the battery. In these4 type of work conditions with the power supply constantly on the battery becomes nothing more than a capacitor in the circuit to smooth out the workload use.

3. This one is fairly common if you move your machine around a lot the connection between power socket and motherboard becomes frail on the solder joints and requires either changing for a new power socket or the joints under it need to be reworked properly to make the contact firm and smooth. Occasionally with single pin connector I have had to replace sockets where the contact is in temporary contact with the socket. Kids love to move around with machines.

Generally in using laptops, one particular cause of problems with batteries is overheating and the fan is constantly on. NEVER EVER EVER place your laptop on fluffy or material surfaces that can block the vents underneath. My own daughter thinks im an idiot because she lives with her laptop on her knees wearing fluffy pyjamas or its on the bed with the vents blocked and constantly overheating then I get a call Dad this laptops crap it wont switch on now. laptops of all makes and brands require breathing under them, high internal temps kill components from M.2 drives through batteries and the higher the workload the higher the temp gets, use it on a tray or laptop stanf or better still a dedicated laptop stand with fans to blow extra air in them.

Preaching over and your cure is to take it to a local engineer and get the power system properly checked and most likely will be the power supply is fried.

 

[DVDR_Dog]

Ive seen this with both Apple and Windows Laptops. Generally this can be one of three main possibilities.

1. Depending on the age and mobility of the machine the Multicore charging wire between laptop and power supply may have become fraid or broken inside particularly at the cable ends. Only cure is to purchase a dedicated charger for that particular machine. In the case of Apple the charger may be a multi wired mini USB plug or a single pole standard connector. Whichever only buy the genuine charger, the extra money is worth it.

2. Again depending on the age of the machine and its general use the battery inside doesnt last forever regardless of claims, Heavy use on a power supply constantly will kill the battery making it swell and sweat in the case. General use and charge overnight is the best way for longevity of the battery. In these4 type of work conditions with the power supply constantly on the battery becomes nothing more than a capacitor in the circuit to smooth out the workload use.

3. This one is fairly common if you move your machine around a lot the connection between power socket and motherboard becomes frail on the solder joints and requires either changing for a new power socket or the joints under it need to be reworked properly to make the contact firm and smooth. Occasionally with single pin connector I have had to replace sockets where the contact is in temporary contact with the socket. Kids love to move around with machines.

Generally in using laptops, one particular cause of problems with batteries is overheating and the fan is constantly on. NEVER EVER EVER place your laptop on fluffy or material surfaces that can block the vents underneath. My own daughter thinks im an idiot because she lives with her laptop on her knees wearing fluffy pyjamas or its on the bed with the vents blocked and constantly overheating then I get a call Dad this laptops crap it wont switch on now. laptops of all makes and brands require breathing under them, high internal temps kill components from M.2 drives through batteries and the higher the workload the higher the temp gets, use it on a tray or laptop stanf or better still a dedicated laptop stand with fans to blow extra air in them.

Preaching over and your cure is to take it to a local engineer and get the power system properly checked and most likely will be the power supply is fried.

Good point about overheating. It seems that in a move to make portables thinner and thinner, there are fewer opportunities to provide cooling air inflow and outflow. It's critical that those ares not be restricted in any way. Heat is the enemy of Lithium batteries. It also worth noting that current batteries have a fixed number of charge cycles, 1 cycle = 100%-0% usage, 100%-50% after recharging to 100% the first would count as 1 complete cycle and the second as 1/2 of a cycle. Once the battery reaches a certain count, it is more or less "used up". This is done as a safety precaution. In the "old days" there were instances of Li batteries catching fire after some prolonged usage. Li battery fires are very tricky to extinguish which prompted manufacturers to install usage counters.
Something to keep in mind for future electric vehicles.

 

[Diguelo]

Agreed. Most of my former clients had kids and they are a breed that needs on, off and WIFI and little else will they listen too because "My mate says its fine so why doesn't it work" usage on top of the bed quilt, under the quilt for those long nights of chats they never have.

Applying Logic to kids is fairly easy to re-educate once the machine packs up send them off to school without it and put it out of the way, on their return inform them you took it too the repair person and its with them. Replys will range from
"But its important to have it tonight"
"You just hate that I have friends and you don't"
"Why did you do that its mine"

Then the mobile phone gets the same abusive behaviour and so it continues.

The coolest style and cure are the fan included trays now available, get one with RGB lighting and it never gets taken off till of course it time for sleep and then I recommend to parents lose the WIFI after certain hours.

Its true the batteries are a lot slimmer and hence the heat coefficient is a lot worse as they are expected to do a lot more with a lot less. Kids and power supplies / chargers don't mix at all far to restrictive on their dance around the bedroom and launching the laptop on the bed or floor is definitely what they are made for.

I personally have a Lenovo touch screen laptop plugged into my old TV through a HDMI lead and instead of buying the latest 84" monster with ULtra Mega super X VHD I just use the laptop to do what the new tv set or Alexa Fire box does, its been on its charger now for 4 years and never been turned off apart from the 5 seconds in reset. Its sat on a flat tray with three 20mm fans blowing air under it silently. Both are at least 7 years old and still run as fast as the day I got them. I dont call that abuse I call it recycling old to get new response.

Heat has been a laptop killer for their entire existence. Batteries take a massive amount of hammer every day. Gaming laptops can blow a battery in under 12 months and surprisingly when the machine is sent back to get fixed under warranty 90% of the time a little known clause is usually the method used to say the battery is destroyed therefore it has been abused and trhe warranty is void, would you like the machine returned the postage and packing will cost you £40.

I forgto another major problem with excessive current usage in computers, blocked and jammed cooling fans. Hair from humans and pets, fluff off the bed quilt they never ever put it on and leave it there for hours, one machine and I had to take picture to prove it has happened I retrieved a 4" strip of leg waxing paper out of the ducting and other querky things. They used to put fine mesh on the vents to stop entry of objects.


Tell me im wrong.............................