Give It Time

• It sounds like an obvious suggestion, but try giving the battery some time to charge. Sometimes it may not seem like much is happening when you plug your AC adapter in, but it can take time to charge a battery with low power. Give it at least two hours to charge and then check the status. If there is no change in the power indicator, you know you have a charging problem.
  
  

Check the AC Adapter

• Check to make sure the adapter is plugged securely into the wall outlet, connected firmly to the adapter box and to the back of your laptop. Most AC adapters have a little light in them -- on that rectangular box in the middle of the cord -- that lights up when it's getting electricity. If that light isn't on, try a different outlet. Check your fuse or circuit breaker box and plug a different device into that outlet to make sure there is power to it. If it still does not light up, your adapter could need replacing. Also check the adapter box for signs of warmth, as it will generate heat when it's plugged in. No heat means no power.
  
  

Remove the Battery

• Sometimes it's as simple as a misseated battery. Remove the battery entirely and clean out any dust, lint or hair that may be clogging the connectors and preventing a proper connection. Reseat the battery securely and make sure the little locking pins that hold your battery in place are securely fastened and there is no movement.
  
  

Check the Software

• Through routine installing and uninstalling of various updates and other programs, it's possible that your operating system's power-management software has become corrupted. Corrupted power-management software can prevent the proper operation of your battery, including charging. Try finding the proper device drivers under your system's device manager tool and uninstalling, then reinstalling them. Alternately, uninstalling the drivers and then performing a "hardware scan" may identify the battery and install the proper drivers for it, correcting the charging issue.
  
  

Replace the Battery

• If other troubleshooting methods do not repair the problem, you could simply have a faulty or dead battery. Contact your laptop's manufacturer for a replacement, or research third-party batteries, which are usually cheaper and work just as well. Until you find a replacement, use the laptop with the AC adapter.
  
  

Seek a Technician's Help

• If all else fails and you simply cannot find the problem, a trip to a laptop repair technician is in order. There may be a faulty connection or malfunctioning part inside the computer that is preventing the battery from charging, which is hardly a do-it-yourself fix-it job. If your laptop is still under warranty, this may be covered and would require contacting your laptop manufacturer for additional information.