Why Does My Laptop Charger Only Work in Certain Positions?


We all know how important the laptop charger is whenever we are working or playing using our laptops. It is precisely that importance that can make us feel annoyed whenever the charger isn’t working well enough such as when it needs to be in a certain position or angle for it to work properly. But why is it that your laptop charger only works whenever it is connected to your laptop in a certain position?

There could be many culprits why this happens such as when the wire of your charger is faulty, when the port in your laptop is damaged, or when there are problems with the laptop charger’s tip. All of these issues will require you to either replace or repair some parts in your laptop or its charger.

It can be annoying whenever a laptop only works in certain angles because you always have to look for the sweet spot so that you can get it to actually work properly. So, whenever that happens to you, the first thing you need to do is to pinpoint the reason why it is happening so that you can immediately find the remedy or the solution to your problem.

HDMI to USB c connected to laptop

Why does my laptop charger need a certain position to charge?

The laptop’s charger is one of the most important components of the entire laptop because, without it, you won’t be able to properly charge your laptop or even use it at all. When your laptop can’t even get the power it needs from a power source or from its battery, it becomes entirely useless. That’s why you need to make sure that your laptop charger is actually working well enough.

One of the problems and issues that a lot of people experience regarding their laptop charger is that it needs to be placed at a certain angle or position for it to actually work. This can be something that people who have older laptops and chargers experience on a regular basis as the wear and tear of using their laptops and chargers have already damaged these devices to the point that they no longer work properly.

Such a problem can be quite annoying because you won’t be able to work properly unless you actually find the sweet spot that will allow your laptop to charge from its power adapter or charger. And the sad part is that something as simple as a slight movement can actually disrupt the entire charging process to the point that you would have to look for that sweet spot once again.

Acer predator gaming laptop

So, why is it that your laptop only works when it is placed at a certain angle or position? Here are some of the more common reasons why:

1.    Faulty charger wiring

One of the more common reasons why your charger needs to be in a certain position to work properly is that the wires inside the cable of the power adapter have become too damaged to the point that they are no longer working properly. As much as we would want the copper wires found in our chargers to last indefinitely, they too have their own lifespan as the constant flow of electricity running through these wires and the different movements that the wires do such as when you fold the cables can actually damage them.

To that end, your charger needs to be in a certain position to work because you need to tinker the charger’s cable and put it in certain angles for the wires inside the cable to actually find the right connection that would allow electricity to flow through them. This can be problematic because there isn’t an exact position or sweet spot that would allow the charger to work. And it might even take several minutes for you to find the right angle and make sure that the charger stays at that angle for it to actually work.

2.    Faulty charging port in your laptop

Another reason why your laptop’s charger needs to be in a certain position for it to work is that the charging port in your laptop has become faulty as well. If you have an older laptop that has its own unique charging port, this can be quite common especially when the charging port is circular in shape as the charging head on the charger will be more prone to moving around while it is connected to the port.

So, when the charging head moves around so much, it might also end up moving the different components found in the charging port. And there might be a point where the components have moved around so much that you need to place the charger at an exact position for the connection to happen. In some cases, you may even need to wiggle the charger around to put the components back in place.

3.    Damaged charger tip

Finally, another common reason here is when the charger’s tip is actually damaged. This can happen if you always leave the charger unattended and people may end up stepping on it. You might even have a pet that loves chewing on the tip of the laptop charger.

You would instantly notice that this is the problem when there are visible damages on the tip. Because of the damages on the charger tip, it needs to be placed at the correct angle so that the charger tip and the socket or the charging port in your laptop can actually connect with one another and allow power to flow through from the charger to your laptop.

Notebook power adapter 90 watt

How do you fix your charger that needs to be in a certain position to charge?

The good news here is that you can have your charger or your laptop fixed whenever you notice that your charger needs to be at a certain angle for it to work properly. And the best part is that these fixes are relatively easy and inexpensive.

For faulty chargers with faulty wires or damaged tips, the best way for you to have it fixed is by sending the charger over to an authorized service center. This problem can be fixed in a relatively affordable way because all they need to do is to remove and replace the cable that connects the power adapter to the charging head. But, if the power adapter is actually the one that is damaged, you might need to buy an entirely new charger.

Meanwhile, if your laptop is the problem here such that the components inside the charging port or socket have been damaged or have been dislodged, you may need to have those parts re-soldered for them to work well. Again, this is a relatively easy fix that any laptop repairman can do as long as he has the proper training and tools.

Rob

I'm Rob, the founder of theonetechstop.com. I’m a Marine Corps vet with a master’s degree in Information Systems and have been working in the technology field for over a decade.

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