Windows 10 displays a battery/power icon on the taskbar on devices that have a battery. The battery icon displays the status of the remaining battery life. When connected to a power source and charging, it displays a charging icon.
Clicking on the battery icon gives you more information and options. You can quickly optimize Windows 10 for battery life, view the estimated amount of time battery life remaining and the number of batteries on your PC via the battery flyout.
At times, the battery or the power icon may go missing from the taskbar. In the event of a missing battery icon, one should first check if the same is turned off by navigating to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and then clicking the Select which icons appear on the taskbar link. The problem is, sometimes the power icon in the Settings is greyed out and cannot be turned on.
If the power icon is greyed out, you can follow the given below troubleshooting tips to enable the power icon in the settings.
NOTE: If the battery icon is not showing up even after turning on the battery icon via the Settings, refer to the directions in our battery icon missing from the Windows 10 taskbar guide.
Remove and then install the battery
Step 1: Turn off your Windows 10 device, unplug the laptop, and then remove the battery from its place.
Step 2: Connect the power cord to your laptop (without inserting the battery) and then turn it on. Turn it off again after a minute or two. The laptop will turn on even without the battery when plugged in.
Step 3: Now that you have turned off the laptop, remove the power cord, and then insert the battery.
Step 4: Finally, turn on the laptop. Check if the issue has been resolved.
Restart the AC adapter via the Device Manager
Step 1: Right-click on the Start button on the taskbar and then click the Device Manager option to open the same.
Step 2: Expand the Batteries tree. Right-click on Microsoft AC Adapter entry and then click the Disable device option. Click the Yes button when you get the confirmation dialog.
Step 3: Next, right-click on Microsoft AC ACPI-Complaint Control Method Battery entry and click Disable device. Click the Yes button upon getting the confirmation dialog.
NOTE: If your Windows 10 device has one battery, you will get one Microsoft AC ACPI-Complaint Control Method Battery entry. If the device has two batteries (like my ThinkPad), you will see two entries. Right-click on all of them and click the Disable device option.
Step 4: Finally, right-click on these entries again and select the Enable device option.
You should now be able to turn on or off the battery icon via the Settings.
Our how to display battery percentage on Windows 10 taskbar guide might also interest you.
RAHUL AGGARWAL says
Restart the AC adapter via the Device Manager, this method worked for me. Thanks a lot!!
Simanta Sarma says
Thanks a lot. I learned a lot today. The second method worked for me.
Bret Hull says
Thank you.
Deborah says
Thank you so much, the second method worked a treat, all sorted in seconds!
Simon says
Awesome, The second method worked perfectly. Thanks
Sylvie A says
Im glad this worked nothing else did and I thought my computer was broken forever
Ian Redington says
Thanks a lot for this, the second method worked perfectly
Kara says
Wow, this did actually work. Thanks a lot. It’s amazing how Windows 10 just disappears and disables crap. I’ve had to uninstall Bluetooth repeatedly, I’ve lost my touchpad… it’s insane. So again, thank you for this. It’s such a simple fix, but I wouldn’t have ever thought of it.
Christine says
This is awesome, solved my problem. Many thanks!