HP touchpad won’t charge? Don’t worry, it’s probably not a brick!

The HP Touchpad is a great piece of kit. This dual-core tablet was released with a buggy version of the webOS operating system back in mid-2011 and failed to capture the imagination of app developers, leading HP to release the device a few weeks after launch.

The ensuing fire process resulted in the tablets being purchased brand new for less than $100 on both sides of the Atlantic and ensured that this powerful tablet (with a spec not so far from that of the iPad) found an audience (many of whom wanted install) after the port has been made).

It’s a hardy device that has good battery life, but there are some things you need to do to make sure that’s the case. One wrong move (or turn…) and your touchpad might look brick.

Additional tips for resolving HP touchpad issues see my previous guide .

Caring for your cable

The HP Touchpad only requires—no, it does—that you charge it with the included adapter and USB cable. This can sometimes be frustrating, and power supplied from alternative cables is quickly recognized as «wrong» by the device (regardless of the operating system), resulting in a «failure».

Hp brick touch panel

You should try to keep the cable from twisting by wrapping it carefully when you are on the go. If an original HP charger and cable are not available, charging from a PC is possible, but much slower and a full charge will not be achieved; however, this option is open.

For best results when you don’t have an original HP charger, you should take steps to purchase a replacement HP charger.

Is free? Reset!

From time to time, your HP TouchPad may not be able to charge, possibly because the device’s battery is completely drained and the tablet is unable to start.

You shouldn’t let this happen wherever possible, as it can take quite a long time to recharge. If you have connected your HP touchpad to a charger only to find that the charging symbol is constantly displayed, you may need to restart your tablet.

This can be done by holding the power and home buttons for about 15 seconds. During this time, the tablet should shut down, reboot, and then boot into the installed operating system — albeit with a very low charge.

That’s usually what happens, anyway…

Help! My HP touchpad won’t charge!!!

However, this is not always the case; From time to time you may find that the touchpad refuses to charge and does not respond to the reset command as described above.

Before heading to the webOS support forums in a panic to be told you have to send your tablet back to the manufacturer (not a good idea, under the circumstances), there’s still time for a level. You see, unless your battery is broken (unlikely in my experience), you need to unplug the HP touchpad and unplug the adapter from the mains.

This barrel-shaped device has a twist-and-lock feature to switch plugs (we use different plugs in different countries, after all) and this can loosen up a bit over time. The result of this is that your HP touchpad gets a little charge, but not enough to charge the battery.

brick hp touchpad

If this happens, don’t worry. All you need to do is unscrew the adapter mount, make sure the connections are smooth and shiny, and then reattach it, listening for a satisfying click. You can then reconnect your HP touchpad to the wall charger and it should boot up after a few minutes.

This is a quick 5 second check that can save you a lot of money when you buy a new tablet!

Conclusion: Don’t worry if your HP touchpad won’t charge!

Charging your HP touchpad should be easy, but it isn’t at times. It’s the same for most battery powered devices, but with an HP touchpad, there’s always the possibility of a device getting muddled.