How to Fix Surface Pro Plugged in and Not Charging Issue

Surface Pro is one of the best compact computing devices offered by Microsoft. Launched in 2013, it has stood the test of time, as people using a few years old version of the Surface series have negligible issues. However, some users have repeatedly complained about the Microsoft Surface charger not working properly.

Charging older Surface Pro devices has become a nightmare for several users as they face this issue when their Surface Pro is plugged in but not charging. This primarily happens when –

Either your charging port is not working properly,
Or your charger has malfunctioned.

However, the errors are not limited to these two factors only. Many factors account for the malfunctioning of a Surface Pro charger.

In this post, let’s examine all of them and explore working ways to resolve the issue. Read the post thoroughly, as this blog might save you a lot of hassle and money!

What Causes Surface Pro Charger Not Working Issue?

Handling issues with a particular device can be tricky, as physical and software errors must be addressed. The same goes for the surface plugged-in not charging situation.

Some of the prominent factors that create a situation where your Surface Pro is plugged in but not charging. These include –

Physical damage to the charger
The charging port not responding
Problems with the device power supply
Errors with battery drivers on PC
Dirt or debris stuck in the port

And a lot more!

Remember that your Surface Pro won’t charge even if the wall port you use is fried or damaged. All these issues are random and may occur at any time. They can become irritating at first, but the good news is that they are fixable. Check out the next section to find 5+ ways that may help you fix the Surface Pro not charging problem once and for all.

Ways to Resolve Surface Laptop Not Charging [Must Try]

Fix #1 – Hard-Restart Your Device

The first thing to always try is restarting your device to drain any battery power. It is easy to do so. All you have to do is –

Step 1 – Close all the applications so that none of your data or work progress is lost.
Step 2 – Press and hold the power button on your Surface Pro for 10-15 seconds.

Step 3 – Stop once you hear a clunk from the device. That is your hard disk stopping completely.
Step 4 – Now, wait 15 to 30 minutes to let all the power drain from your device’s battery cells.
Step 5 -Plug in the device with a Surface Pro charger to see if the charging indicator turns on.

If it does, you can restart the device, and it will start charging. If the Windows Surface charger is not working, do not worry; we are just starting with the fixes.

Fix #2 – Try Using a Different Charger

Next, try changing your charger. This will help you identify if the issue is with your Surface laptop or the charger itself. Since almost every Surface Pro laptop supports a type-C connector, finding a power delivery charger should not be a problem. Connect it to your PC and check if it charges with a different charger. If it does, you now know for a fact that it is the Surface Pro charger that is causing the problem.

In this case, you need to either get it replaced (if it is under warranty) or you can simply buy a new one from the official Microsoft website.

Note : Avoid using a third-party charger with the same connector. They might fry your port, and Surface Pro will not charge

Fix #3 – Eliminate Any Sort of Accessory

If you use any external dock that transfers your ports to a third-party accessory or your charger is connected with a different adapter, eliminate them all.

Try plugging the charger directly into the device port. The Surface laptop not charging is an issue that can be caused due to third-party accessories malfunctioning. Use the charging port built-in to the device, and you might get the laptop charged up.

Tip : If you use the device charger directly, do the opposite of the above-shared fix. Use a docking station with a power port to support your charging. Ensure you use a certified product, as an unreliable device may cause additional issues, like Surface Pro plugged in and not charging.

Fix #4 – Use Power Troubleshooter on Windows 11

If none of the hardware issues appear on your system, there may be a software error that causes the Surface Pro battery not charging problem. The first thing you should do is use the Windows Power troubleshooter that you can find in the system settings. Here’s how you use it –

Step 1 – Press Windows + I to open System settings.
Step 2 – Scroll down to find the Troubleshoot option.

Step 3 – In the Troubleshoot option, click on Other troubleshooters.

Step 4 – You may find multiple troubleshooters listed there. One of them will be labeled as Power.
Step 5 – Click on the Run button to initiate the troubleshooting for power.

After starting the troubleshooting process, follow the instructions that appear on the screen. This will help sort errors related to the battery, power consumption patterns, and device power supply.

Fix #5 – Run Device Diagnosis Using Surface Diagnostic Toolkit

If the Windows troubleshooter did not help you resolve the issue, try using the dedicated diagnosis tool for Surface Pro devices. It is usually available on your PC by default. However, if not, you can easily download it from the Microsoft Store.

Step 1 – Find the Surface Diagnostic Toolkit in the Start menu’s search bar.
Step 2 – Allow the User Account Control Prompt to run the diagnosis.
Step 3 – On the opened screen, you have the option to choose the tests you want to run on the device according to the issue you are facing.

Step 4 – The diagnosis tool will run a few of these tests and identify the issue with the device.
Step 5 – Check the solutions the tool advises and work with them to resolve the problem.

Fix #6 – Update Device Drivers

A common factor that often causes a device to malfunction is outdated drivers. There are multiple types of drivers that a PC needs to work perfectly. You must keep updating these components consistently. But that is not the problem.

The issue lies in the process one must follow to update a device driver. The generic method is to open the device manager and manually click on the “Update Driver” option for all the connected devices.

This means finding out which driver is at fault before malfunctions is a next-to-impossible task. Fortunately, there are other ways to update the device drivers on your PC, like using the Advanced Driver Updater tool. You should check them out!

Fix #7 – Check Battery & Other Hardware

If you can no longer charge your device, you should consider getting the hardware checked. There have been instances where the battery was causing charging issues. If it is a device older than 5 years, you should get the battery checked/replaced. Otherwise, if the battery being used cannot be charged, the charger or charging port may not be of any use. Needless to say, you can always make things work by contacting the official service centers to diagnose the issue and resolve it.

The Surface Pro Not Charging Issue is Now FIXED!

If none of these work for you, it may be time to replace your charger and get the device serviced by an expert. The Surface charger light on but not charging or not working properly is a serious issue and probably the only one that has occurred to several devices. Fortunately, it is not that severe of an issue and can be fixed quite easily. Consider trying the above-mentioned methods, and you should be good to go!

That brings us to the end of this post. I hope you find it helpful. Thanks for reading, and good luck.

Preeti Seth

A UX writer who loves explaining technical details in a clear, crisp, and concise manner. She loves writing about technical troubleshooting, How-To's, product reviews, etc. In her free time, she loves reading, meditating, and traveling.