Laptop only works when docked

It's been almost three years since any laptop was sold under the Compaq brand, so I suspect that's the case. But, as I said, I don't have enough information to say definitively — it could well be a power management problem. Try turning on the computer and following the instructions to enter set up. Then leave the computer on until the battery dies completely.

After this, charge it and see if that helped. Best of luck. Rajaa Chowdhury That was the reason I suggested him to take it to the nearest HP customer care outlet and got negatively dinged. If you have it set to "always on" it will shut off when you pull the power cord, even if the battery is charged. Hope this helps! Rajaa Chowdhury Kalyan,. Then, with the battery still removed, plug in the power cable and turn the laptop on. If the laptop powers on properly, that means the power adapter is working properly and the problem is likely a bum battery.

You can always re-install the battery and try again—maybe the battery was just poorly seated. If your laptop doesn't have a visible battery compartment on the bottom, it may be built into the laptop like most Macs are , and you'll either have to open it up yourself or take it to a repair specialist to test the battery.

USB-C is a popular cross-platform standard for connecting peripherals, transferring data, and charging your battery. The new standard allows for thinner devices, but might also cause some confusion. Some manufacturers have opted to make certain USB-C ports data-only, so they won't charge your device.

In some cases, you may find a device with two USB-C ports: one that can be used for charging or data transfer, and one that is only designated for data transfer. If you run into a non-charging issue, make sure you are connected to the correct USB-C port. You may even be able to see a little icon on the side that indicates which port is meant for charging.

A lower-wattage charger might keep the battery from draining while you use it, but it won't be enough to charge it any higher. If it does manage to recharge your computer, it will do so much slower than usual. Feel along the length of the power cord, bending and flexing as you go, to check for any kinks or breaks.

Check the ends for any broken connections, such as plugs pulling loose or spots that may have gotten chewed by a pet or caught in a vacuum cleaner. Inspect the AC brick. Is it discolored? Are any parts warped or expanded?

Give it a sniff—if it smells like burnt plastic, that's likely where the trouble lies. You may need to replace the power connector. Contact the manufacturer and see if they'll send you a new one under warranty. Or, barring that, if they'll sell you one directly. When you plug in the laptop's power connector, the connection should be fairly solid.

If there's dust or other buildup inside the jack, it may not be able to make a clean connection. Try cleaning out the jack with a toothpick, and plugging in again. In more extreme cases, you may find the jack is wobbly or loose, or gives when it should stay firm. This could mean the power jack has broken inside the chassis, and you'll need to take your computer to a repair shop or, if you're comfortable opening it up, doing some at-home repairs.

Batteries are susceptible to heat, so if your laptop is overheating, that could cause a problem. As the temperature rises, the battery sensor may misfire, telling the system that the battery is either fully charged or missing completely, causing the charging problems. You may even find that your system shuts down to prevent overheating a battery and causing a fire. These problems become far more likely when dealing with older laptops, which have lower-quality cooling than more modern devices—or if you tend to use the laptop on the couch or in bed, which can block the cooling vents.

Turn the system off, give it some time to cool down, and take a moment to make sure the air vents are free of dust and unobstructed by blankets.

If you have tried all the methods above and you still get the problem, it is recommended that you ask Dell for more help. Contact them and let the support crew from Dell help you fix the problem.

If your laptop is still under warranty, you can have the laptop or the battery replaced or repaired. Windows is a very old technology. Now that we have the internet, fast connection speeds, free cloud storage, and endless web apps like Gmail, Google Docs, Slack, Facebook, Dropbox and Spotify , the entire Windows way of doing things — with locally installed programs and local file storage — is totally outdated. Why is that a problem? Plus the way Windows manages installed software and hardware has always been a problem.

For most people, the simplest way to solve Windows problems is to ditch Windows altogether, and switch to a faster, more reliable, more secure, easier to use and cheaper operating system…. Google ChromeOS. ChromeOS feels much like Windows, but instead of installing heaps of programs to email, chat, browse the internet, write documents, do school presentations, create spreadsheets, and whatever else you normally do on a computer, you use web apps.

Jonny, a Microsoft Certified Professional, is a technical writer and technology enthusiast who still fiddles with computers and tech toys in his spare time.

He believes technology should bring users satisfaction, not annoyance, so he writes to help people overcome their tech troubles. To install Driver Easy Click. Jonny Lin Last Updated: 2 months ago. To do so: 1 Power off your laptop. Method 2: Plug your laptop to a wall socket It is possible that your laptop battery cannot be charged because you are using a surge protector.

Method 4: Reinstall your battery driver The problem can also occur if you are using the wrong battery driver. You can also use the Pro version to uninstall the battery driver: 1 Open Driver Easy. Make sure your laptop has enough power before updating the BIOS.

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