Battery/Charging Questions and Concerns

“XX% available (Plugged in, Not Charging)”

When you have your PALCS laptop plugged in/charging, you may notice when you hover over the battery icon that it will give you a message saying “XX% available (Plugged in, Not Charging)” Usually between 90-99%, it will display this message.

This is nothing to be concerned about. This is a measure to preserve the longevity of the battery. To prevent cycling on and off it will simply draw power from the charger instead of topping the battery up to 100% constantly. If you notice this message when the battery is not close to full (less than 50%), please let the Helpdesk know.

Charger Indicator Lights - LB1 Model (HP ProBook 450 G5)

You may notice that there is a little light next to the charger port (number 6 in the illustration above), this is what those lights may mean when charging:

  White: The battery charge is greater than 90 percent.

  Amber: The battery charge is from 0 to 90 percent.

  Off: The battery is not charging.

When AC power is disconnected (battery not charging):

     Blinking amber: The battery has reached a low battery level. When the battery has reached a       critical battery level,the battery light begins blinking rapidly.

     Off: The battery is not charging.

Charger/Battery Troubleshooting Steps

If you are having problems with your computer’s charger, here are a number of troubleshooting steps you can try to see if this will fix or identify the issue:

1. Unplug the charger from the laptop and from the outlet. (The charger looks like two cords connected to a brick. One cord connects the brick to an outlet and the other cord connects the brick to the laptop.)
2. Inspect these cords for any noticeable wear or exposed wires.
3. The cord that connects the brick to an outlet is removable. Unplug the cord from the brick and firmly plug it back in.
4. Inspect the silver piece of the cord that is inserted into the laptop for any damage.
5. Try using a different outlet and also try plugging the computer directly into a wall outlet instead of an extension cable or power strip.
6. If your computer has a detachable battery (LB1 and LB3 models do not have removable batteries), try removing the battery and try to power the computer on.

(Illustration for removing battery in the LY model of laptop)

If you are still having problems with the charger after following these steps, please let the Helpdesk know.