My laptop stopped charging about 24 hours ago. It charged normally the night before, but when the battery got low, the original USB-C charger no longer worked. I tried several outlets and cables, including a phone charger that has worked with this laptop before, although it charged slowly. The USB-C port looks clean, but the small piece inside the port seems loose and wiggles when touched. Could the port be damaged, and is there anything I can do to get the laptop charging again? I need it for schoolwork.
2 Answers
First, make sure the replacement charger supports enough USB-C Power Delivery wattage for the laptop. A phone charger may fit and work slowly but still be unable to charge the laptop, especially while it is running. Try a known-good laptop USB-C charger with the correct wattage, and check whether the charging indicator comes on when the connector is held still. If the port is physically loose or charging cuts in and out, the laptop likely needs a port repair rather than just a new cable.
If the USB-C port itself is loose or wiggling, the port is probably damaged or has come partially detached from the motherboard. A different cable may not fix it. Stop poking inside it, since that can bend the contacts or cause more damage, and have a repair shop inspect it. Depending on the laptop, replacing the port may be straightforward or may require motherboard-level work.
Would repairing the port usually be easy, or is it a complicated and expensive fix?
I tried multiple outlets and cables, including the phone charger, but I’ll check with a proper laptop charger before assuming the port is broken.