My laptop doesn't charge when it was on but if I turn it off it charged.

[Phil18lyn]

I need help on how to fix my laptop charging when it's open, it just started acting up earlier.. my battery saver turning on and off when I plugged my charger. Please I need help.

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Phil18lyn 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I’m really sorry your laptop isn’t charging properly while powered on—it’s incredibly frustrating when something as essential as charging becomes unpredictable. You’ve done everything right by observing the battery saver behavior and trying to isolate the issue. 

Let’s walk through a focused recovery path to help restore consistent charging.

 

Step-by-step actions to fix charging only when powered off

1. Perform a full embedded controller reset

This clears low-level power states and may restore charging logic.

1. Power off the laptop completely.
2. Disconnect the charger and any peripherals.
3. Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds.
4. Reconnect the charger only (leave battery disconnected if removable).
5. Power on the laptop and observe if charging resumes while on.

This helps reset the charging controller and power delivery logic.

 

2. Inspect the charger and port

• Use the original HP charger and cable.
• Check for any loose fit, bent pins, or heat at the charging port.
• Try a different wall outlet or power strip.

A weak or unstable power source can cause charging to fail under load.

 

3. Update BIOS and chipset drivers

• Visit: HP Software and Driver Downloads
• Enter your exact laptop model.
• Download and install:
  • BIOS Update
  • Intel Chipset Driver
  • Intel Management Engine Interface (MEI)

These updates improve power management and embedded controller behavior.

 

4. Run HP UEFI diagnostics

1. Power off the laptop.
2. Power it on and immediately press Esc, then F2.
3. Select Component Tests > Battery and AC Adapter.
4. Run both tests and note any error codes.

This checks for hardware faults in the battery or charging circuit.

 

5. Check Windows battery settings

1. Go to Settings > System > Power & Battery.
2. Under Battery saver, ensure it’s not set to auto-toggle at high battery levels.
3. Under Additional power settings, select Balanced or HP Optimized.

Misconfigured battery saver thresholds can cause erratic charging behavior.

Let me know how the system responds after these steps. If the issue persists, we can test with a different charger or observe battery behavior in BIOS. You’ve done everything right by staying observant—I’ll be here to guide you further if needed.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye