In the 21st century, laptops no longer tend to be a luxury. They have arguably become a necessity for most, if not all, users.
Talking about this evolution, I could majorly attribute it to the various functionalities of this device. It is the quintessential machine – robust, multi-functional, and portable.
Having established a sturdy foundation of the fact that if you own this device, it is practically impossible to stay a few days without it, there could be various situations that could lead you to spend time off from it forcefully.
One of the reasons may be the sudden disappearance of your laptop’s charger.
Just imagine yourself in a situation where you are all set to stream your favorite movie or write an urgent email to your boss when suddenly a pop-up appears stating, ‘your battery is very low.’
You get up and scavenge the drawer you usually keep your charger in only to strike you in dismay that the charger isn’t there.
You now look all around, ask every possible member of the house, and practically turn the house upside down, but it just isn’t there. That is when from a far-flung corner of your brain do you get the reminder that you left it in your office!
This is just one of the various events that could occur and lead you to wonder How to Charge a Laptop Without Charger.
Minds like mine are forced to ponder over how there can be an effective way to charge a laptop without the official charger it comes with.
Since forever, laptops have been accompanied by their brand-specific chargers, which are inherently the most suitable ones for their respective device. With such importance being laid on this peripheral, how could there possibly be an alternative to this?
Well, most certainly there is!
Having said that, it is undeniable that these are hacks, and therefore, they do inflict certain effects on your battery health.
Never is it recommended to use these ways when you have your laptop charger in hand or even if there is a chance to go without it or purchase a new one.
Must read my favorite longevity laptops for long hours.
How To Charge a Laptop Without Charger?
There are several ways to aid you in circumstances where you are away from your laptop’s charger.
Although they may not deliver the same charging speed, they still provide a helping hand in situations that can worsen out without their presence.
1. How to Charge a Laptop with a Power Bank?
Power banks are the go-to options for people these days.
Whether it is traveling or the absence of an AC port, users tend to have a power bank in hand to defy any possible occurrence of a situation where they may have to go without their device.
Quite similar is the case with laptops. In case you lose your laptop’s charger, the first and perhaps the easiest way to counter this problem is to get a power bank.
This portable battery pack is the most convenient solution to overcome a charger shortage. All you need to do is simply connect the data cable to your laptop, and you’re good to go.
Let’s now assume an even worst case where you don’t even have access to a power bank.
Again, this could be due to any reason, one of which is the mere incompatibility of your existing power bank with your laptop (heads up, check whether the power bank supports laptop charging prior to purchasing it.)
In such cases, your dilemma is heightened and now you are left to wonder how to charge a laptop without a charger and power bank. Here’s the answer to it!
How to Charge a Laptop without a Charger and Power Bank?
The next best way to charge your laptop without a charger is via the USB connector. However, this option’s effectiveness, speed, and practical workability depend on the type of USB port you have on your laptop.
The most commonly found and referred to the USB port in most laptops is a USB type A.
This is rectangular in shape and is primarily used to connect a wired mouse and other peripherals.
It is also used to power your smartphones but to your dismay, it just doesn’t support enough wattage to power your laptop. Hence, if put shortly, a USB-A port will not help if you lose your charger.
On the contrary, advancements in technology gifted users with the strength of a USB-C port. This slot in your laptop is oval-like and enables high-speed data transferring.
This gives an implied indication that it supports high-wattage connectivity and, thus, can be ideally used to charge your laptop.
2. How to Charge a Laptop With USB-C?
The answer’s pretty simple; you need to have a USB-C cable with a power adapter at the end of it. You can then connect the plug to the outlet and the cable to the USB-C input, and voila! You are good to go!
However, considering the spontaneousness of the situation that we are talking about, it seems fairly unreasonable to expect that you will have such a cable in hand or will be able to grab one from a nearby computer store (because if you could visit the store, then you might as well get the charger, why get into this mess?)
This leads us to the next option that we could ponder over and consider its reasonableness and efficiency.
3. How to Charge a Laptop with the Car Battery?
This is perhaps the most common situation where not having the laptop charger in the car seems quite evident. You could be traveling for a long and have the charger in a backpack not close to you, or you may forget to pack it in the first place.
Also, it could be possible that you are on a road trip and need to use the laptop there and then (obviously, the charger won’t work in the car).
To counter this situation, we have a simple and effective remedy that’ll only need a USB-A to USB-C cable.
All you have to do is connect the Type-C end to the laptop and the Type-A connector to the car outlet to get the device charging.
A particular advantage this way of charging has over others is the fact that a car battery continues charging as it is running and so you don’t need to worry about it losing its potential to charge.
However, having stated the importance of a Type-C port in your laptop earlier, if this isn’t available, you won’t be able to take advantage of this method of charging a laptop without a charger.
4. How To Charge A Laptop With HDMI?
An HDMI cable has long been used to view movies and other visual content on a bigger screen. Who would’ve thought it could come to this use too?
There are 2 ways to benefit from this option; one is if you have an HDMI port in your laptop, and the other is if you have a USB Type-C port.
Most certainly, if you have the availability of an HDMI port on your device, it becomes an easy task to charge your laptop through HDMI.
- Connect the HDMI cable to your TV
- Plugin the other end to your laptop
On the other hand, if your laptop does not include an HDMI port but supports USB Type-C, you then have to get your hands on an additional device that is an HDMI to Type-C connector or adapter.
- Connect one end of the HDMI cable to your TV
- Insert the other end of it into the USB Type-C connector
- Plugin the USB Type-C connector to your laptop’s USB inlet
Although this isn’t the most efficient and reliable way to charge your laptop as it has minimal wattage transferring capacity, it is an effective option for your last-minute problems.
5. How to Charge a Laptop with a Universal Charger or an External Battery Charger?
I wouldn’t hesitate to call these two items a must-have for laptop owners. They not only aid you in times when you lose your charger but, in general, are great saviors.
As deducible by its name, a universal charger is a peripheral that works for almost every laptop brand with nearly every input type. It comes with various tips to suit multiple makes and therefore is a perfect item to own for times like these.
Similarly, an external battery charger can be used for various devices. Its mechanism is quite simple; you take out the laptop’s battery, connect it to the charger, and plug it into the socket.
However, this isn’t as universal as the formerly mentioned device.
An external battery charger is usually brand-specific, and therefore, you have to ensure that you buy the one that suits your laptop.
Final Wrap-Up
A laptop is undeniably a device we ought not to live without. And why shouldn’t it hold such eminence? After all, it’s an all-rounder. Be it work, entertainment, or even general connectivity, it’s all possible with this device.
Plus, now that portability is being considered explicitly by so many brands, traveling with it isn’t a problem too. With such importance, it is unimaginable how it must feel to lose a peripheral that practically gives life to it.
A device is so vital that the mere thought of losing it gets us thinking of ways to counter or protect this from happening.
With that said, it indeed is a consolation to know that there are ways How to Charge a Laptop Without Charger. They are surely not as effective and as safe as the laptop’s adapter, but they assertively prove to be a helping hand in emergency times.
