How to fix
Windows laptop lagging when charging
on Windows

Hello. When I plug in my laptop to charge, it starts lagging. The performance difference is significant. Is there a way to fix this issue?

When your Windows laptop is connected to a power source and you notice lag, there are a few possible causes that might interfere with your device's regular operation. Processor throttling or improperly adjusted power settings might be one of the main culprits. A laptop's processing performance may be limited when it is configured to save power while charging, resulting in a noticeable lag in the device's activities.

Furthermore, slow performance when charging may be caused by resource-hungry background activities or a possible malware infection. System resources are used by these activities, delaying response and reducing the amount of resources available for other important tasks.

The performance of the laptop may also be affected by graphics drivers that are out of date or power-saving graphics settings. A sluggish experience may occur when the graphics settings give energy efficiency precedence over performance. Likewise, out-of-date drivers[ref en-1] could not be entirely compatible with the charging procedure, which could cause glitches in functioning.

The lag problem when charging has the potential to negatively impact users' general experience and productivity. People who depend on their computers for business, school, or leisure may find the slowdown to be inconvenient and time-consuming. Work that would often be completed quickly and easily might become laborious, irritating others and perhaps impacting deadlines or obligations.

Depending on the precise source of the lag, users can investigate several options to remedy this problem. Crucial actions include finding and ending resource-hungry activities, adjusting power settings to favor performance, and making sure the system is virus-free. Easier charging can also be achieved by upgrading graphics drivers and scanning for system updates in general. Finding the source of the lag is essential to apply the best fix for the user's particular situation.

In this guide, you will find 5 steps that should help you fix Windows laptop lagging when charging. You can also run a maintenance tool like [d1] that can fix most system errors, BSODs,[ref en-2] corrupted files, and registry[ref en-3] issues. Otherwise, follow the step-by-step instructions provided below.

Solution 1. Close Background Processes

• Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Esc.
• Navigate to the Processes tab.
• Right-click on each unnecessary process or app individually.
• From the context menu, choose End task for each selected process or app.

Solution 2. Edit the Power Settings

• Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I.
• Navigate to System and select Power & battery.
• Find Power mode and choose Best performance from the drop-down list.

• Press the Windows key, type control panel in the search box, and click Open.
• In the Control Panel, set the View by option to Category.
• Select Hardware and Sound.
• Click on Power Options.
• Under the Selected Plan option, choose High Performance.

Solution 3. Update the Drivers

• Open the Run window by pressing the Windows key + R.
• Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to launch the Device Manager.
• In the Device Manager, go through each category of drivers, expanding them one by one.
• Check for a yellow triangle exclamation mark beside any driver.
• Right-click the driver with the exclamation mark and choose Update driver.

• Click Search automatically for drivers and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update.
• If you encounter The best drivers for your device are already installed, follow these steps to reinstall the driver.
• Right-click the driver and select Uninstall device.
• Click on Action and choose Scan for hardware changes to reinstall the driver.
• Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Solution 4. Modify the Processor Power Management Settings

• Press the Windows key and type control panel in the search box, then click Open.
• In the Control Panel, set the View by option to Category.
• Select Hardware and Sound.
• Click on Power Options.
• Choose the Change plan settings option. 

• Select Change advanced power settings.
• In the Power Options window, click the Plus icon next to Processor Power Management.
• Click the Plus button next to Maximum processor state.
• Change the percentage next to Plugged in to 95% or lower.
• Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

Solution 5. Reset the BIOS Settings

• Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I.
• Navigate to System and select Recovery.
• Under the Recovery options section, find Advanced Startup and click the Restart Now button.

• On the Choose an option screen, choose Troubleshoot.
• Select Advanced options on the Troubleshoot page.
• From the Advanced options screen, choose UEFI Firmware Settings.
• Click Restart.
• In the BIOS menu, go to File.
• Select Apply Defaults.
• Choose Exit to save the changes.