Which step is a recommended first action when troubleshooting a laptop that won't charge?

Which step is a recommended first action when troubleshooting a laptop that won't charge?

• A. Replace the motherboard
• B. Use the original power cord only
• C. Test with a known-good charger
• D. Disable BIOS updates

Answer: (C)

Testing with a known-good charger lets you quickly determine whether the charging problem comes from the power adapter or from the laptop itself. If the laptop begins charging with a different, verified charger, the original charger or its cable is the fault and you can address that without touching the laptop’s internals. If it still won’t charge, the issue is on the laptop side—possible problems include the charging port, battery health, or the motherboard’s charging circuitry—so you can target those areas with further checks, like inspecting the port for debris, reseating or testing the battery, or reviewing firmware/BIOS settings as needed. This approach is the fastest, safest way to narrow down the cause and guides the next steps without unnecessary hardware replacement.

Testing with a known-good charger lets you quickly determine whether the charging problem comes from the power adapter or from the laptop itself. If the laptop begins charging with a different, verified charger, the original charger or its cable is the fault and you can address that without touching the laptop’s internals. If it still won’t charge, the issue is on the laptop side—possible problems include the charging port, battery health, or the motherboard’s charging circuitry—so you can target those areas with further checks, like inspecting the port for debris, reseating or testing the battery, or reviewing firmware/BIOS settings as needed. This approach is the fastest, safest way to narrow down the cause and guides the next steps without unnecessary hardware replacement.