Laptop Power Cord Troubleshooting

A laptop power cord, also known as an AC adapter or charger, connects the laptop to a standard electrical outlet. The cord also contains a switch, which turns the laptop on and off, and a connector tip that fits a specific type of laptop power port (called an adapter jack in some cases). If your computer takes longer than normal to charge or doesn’t turn on when you plug in the laptop, there may be a problem with the laptop power cord.

Generally, laptop power cables are built by third-party manufacturers on behalf of the computer company that designed it. The computer company might also offer its own branded laptop charger, though this is less common for newer laptops. A genuine OEM laptop charger typically has a label with the laptop’s name printed on it, but it is possible to buy a generic one that works just as well for half the price.

The power cord’s connector tips vary in size from laptop to laptop, with some having rounded small pins and others flat USB-C-type ones. The output plug also varies, with older laptops having 2-pin ports and newer computers having 3-pin plugs. Some laptops even have a data pin in the power output plug that signals to the laptop that the adapter has reached its maximum wattage, which can trigger a system shutdown or limit the power usage of the laptop.

While it might be tempting to wrap a power cord in a tight loop or to wrap it tightly around itself to keep it neat, this practice can shorten the life of the cable and might also crimp or pinch the thin copper conductors inside. If the cord comes into contact with water, it could also damage the circuit board and shorten its lifespan. It’s best to use a dedicated cord for travel and reserve another for your living room or bedroom, to avoid frequent handling and repeated stress.

If the power cord is properly connected and the laptop is still taking a long time to charge, it may be an issue with a poor connection in your home’s wiring or a power strip surge protector. Try plugging the laptop into a different AC outlet that you know works and bypassing any surge protectors to see if the laptop battery charges more quickly.

You can find a laptop’s power input specifications by checking its service tag or looking at the brick of its power charger. The volts and amps that the laptop requires are listed on this information, and you can then match these numbers up to find a compatible power supply adapter. The same number will tell you whether the laptop can safely accept more wattage from an adapter than it needs, but if too much power is fed to the machine, this can cause internal damage. Also, the higher the wattage of the power supply, the heavier it will be, and some adapters are quite bulky.