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Troubleshoot Charger | No LED light | LED Flashing | Not Charging

Surface device have no LED light or LED flashing.

Troubleshooting steps:  Clean the charging port

What you you need:

  • Rubbing alcohol and cotton ball swabs, If your using a ear pick, you may need to remove the top part in order for it to fit into the port, You will dip it into the alcohol and then clean it.  

Step 1: Inspect the Charger

  1. Check the Power Source

    • Plug the charger into a different outlet to rule out a faulty power outlet.
    • Check your ID of your power supply Or check your wattage HERE. 

  2. Examine the Charging Cable and Brick

    • Look for any physical damage, fraying, or bent pins.
    • Ensure the power cable is securely connected to the charging brick.

  3. LED Status Indicator

    • No LED Light: This might indicate no power or a loose connection. Go to step 2
    • Flashing LED Light: This might signify an error or insufficient power delivery.  Make sure your using the Correct Power ID or and wattage. 

Step 2: Clean the Charging Port

  1. Prepare Cleaning Tools

    • Gather rubbing alcohol (preferably isopropyl alcohol, 90% or higher) and cotton swabs.

  2. Clean the Surface Charging Port

    • Dip a cotton swab lightly in rubbing alcohol. 
    • Clean the metal pins inside the charging port to remove dust, lint, or corrosion.

  3. Clean the Charger Connector

    • Repeat the cleaning process for the charger’s connector pins.
    • Ensure no residue is left behind. 

Note, You might need to use a thin Layer of cotton in order to fit the surface Port. 

Step 3: Test the Charger

  1. Plug the charger back into the Surface device.
  2. Check if the LED light on the charger comes on:
    • If on and steady, proceed to charge the device.
    • If flashing, check for damage or test with another compatible charger.

Step 4: Check the Device

  1. Restart your Surface device by holding the power button for 20 seconds.
  2. Connect the charger and observe if the device starts charging.

Step 5: Try Another Charger (if available)

If cleaning does not resolve the issue, test with a different Surface-compatible charger to determine if the problem lies with the charger or the device.

If the LED light is on but the device wont charge. 

Your device turns on but it wont charge above 0%

  • Make sure your using the original charger, If not, Make sure your using the recommended wattage. 
  • Please only use a charger that is on Either Min, Max or Actual, from this list. 
  • If your using a device that has 2 batteries such as the Book, See Battery 1 and Battery 2, What is it charging?

  • Turn on PC and then hold down the power button from on, to off, to on again, do not let it go until you see the Windows logo come back up.

  • Do windows updates. Sometimes Drivers, Firmware Updates, Resolves Battery issues. 

    Please note. Microsoft is Known to block Firmware updates if battery is under 40%.

  • My device wont charge more then 80%, this is normal. Microsoft does this intenchally in order to keep long lasting battery on your device. 
  • My Battery wont charge more then X (EG 50%). This sounds like your Device Battery is at end of its life time. 
  • If your device can be charged via USB-C, Charge it for 15 min, and then try using the original charger. or until 40% in order to be able to update firmware. 


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