Why does my laptop turn off when I unplug it?

Answer: If your laptop turns off immediately when you unplug it from a power source, it means your battery is not working. Most likely, your battery reached the end of its useful life and stopped holding a charge.

In rare cases, laptop batteries will simply stop working out of the blue. This can happen if there is a short in the internal components of the battery. While most batteries are pretty rugged, extreme heat or cold, contact with liquid, or a sharp jolt from bumping or dropping your laptop may damage the battery.

Another possibility is that the battery connector inside your laptop is damaged. This can happen for the same reasons the battery itself might get damaged. Additionally, a power surge could affect the components that connect to the battery. However, this is unlikely since the power supply (which is located outside most laptops in the charger) will take the brunt of the power surge, protecting the laptop itself.

What to do when your laptop doesn't hold a charge

1. If your battery's charge was getting pretty short before it died, the best choice is to simply buy a new battery. You can either buy a replacement from the laptop manufacturer or buy a third party battery that matches the exact specifications of the original battery.
2. If your computer stopped holding a charge unexpectedly, it may be worth bringing your computer into a repair center. Then you can have a technician check if the problem is with the battery or the laptop itself before buying a new battery.

Important: Many laptops and tablets do not have removable batteries. If your battery is not user-servicable, you will have to bring the device to an authorized technician to determine why it is not holding a charge.

Published: August 6, 2013 — by Per Christensson