Laptop won't turn on unless plugged in

[Kathug26]

My computer's screen is black when I try to turn it on--no messages or blinking lights.

It's plugged in and the plug light is on and showing a steady orange light, so I know it has access to power. When I tapped the power button to turn it on initially, the power light turned on (white) and is steady. I can also hear the fans inside whirring quitely. The screen is completely blank though. 

I've tried unplugging it and doing the "hard reset" as recommended, holding down the power button for 15 seconds. When I plugthe charger back in, and try to turn it on, the same thing as before happens. 

What should I try next? 

Thanks! 

[GeoDan]

Hello there! I Am not a specialist but your battery might be dead , well depends on how many times have u charged your laptop and how old is it , if you see an plug besides the battery icon in windows , it's time for a replacement battery! The one ur using now is dead , I have the same issue with mine, laptop batteries only last 2-4 years

[Kathug26]

Thanks for the quick reply GeoDan!

So I actually just tried again, doing the 15 second hard reset with it plugged in still--and now my laptop turns on. 

Prior to this black screen issue though, I had been noticing that my laptop wouldn't turn on unless it was plugged in, even when I was sure that the battery was full prior to last turning it off. The laptop would work without the charger for a while once it was turned on, so I'm imagining the battery wasnt completely dead.  You think this might be an indication that the battery is dying? 

This laptop is almost 2.5 years old, but I don't use it very often (3-4x/wk for ~2-3 hrs), so I'd be surprised if the battery was already worn down that much.