Skip to main content
Start a Conversation

Unsolved

This post is more than 5 years old

Closed

FC

Fat Cat

131 Posts

13023

November 2nd, 2004 21:00

AC adapter not recognized - suggestion for DELL

Is it possible to include in a future BIOS update the option to be able to manually enable or disable the DELL Proprietry Adapter Recognition feature. You can turn SpeedStep on or off so why not adapter recognition.
 
This would allow the large number of owners of PA-10 adapters that have "lost their little brains" to continue to use their laptops normally and still recharge their batteries. When these adapter's brains fail (which they do regularly), customers get very angry and start thinking rather un-nice things about DELL. Allowing them to switch off the recognition in these circumstances would allow them to avoid these bad thoughts and preserve their faith in DELL hardware. It is a sore point. 

doug_k

66 Posts

November 3rd, 2004 01:00

I'm not too familiar with this concept... what's this mechanism for? Are there special features in dell adapters, or do they want to restrict you from using 3rd party power adapters?

amazingspeed11

103 Posts

November 3rd, 2004 20:00

Most probably they did it for their own good.

If they wanted to restrict users from using 3rd party adaptors, it could be because of compatibility problems. It would nearly be the same as someone installing a 3rd party product/replacement part into a brand new car. Most car manufacturers want you to install their genuine products. Same here, if you put in a 3rd party adaptor and cancelled the 'adaptor recognition' software or whatever is it, it would work fine for one minute, but for how long?

It could probably cause some damage to the motherboard if the adaptor is not suitable, and thus, Dell made it so that when 'unfavourable' outcomes are expected, it refuses in this case to recognise the adaptor, most probably to protect itself. I think from an engineering point of view would be much more desirable than having smoking electronics and possibly data loss.

Cheers.
Amazingspeed11 :)

Fat Cat

131 Posts

November 3rd, 2004 22:00

All 3rd party adapters (with the correct plug) are able to power Dell laptops (they are just not recognized by the system). So its nothing to do with incompatible hardware - electricity is electricity after all. It is simply the laptop that is then restricted in how much power it is allowed to draw through the adapter. Fair enough - don't want the laptop drawing more current than is good for it, could cause expensive bits to heat up and fail. Since in the 8500 nearly everything is on the one mobo - read very expensive bits. 
 
What would be really, really, really helpful for owners of Dell adapters  is if the unrecognized Dell adapters were still able to charge the battery. After all we bought laptops not desktops didn't we. If Dell would prefer not to allow the Adapter recognition to be disabled, perhaps they could compromise and allow their own Dell-produced adapters to be able to recharge the battery when the laptop is shutdown. Few of us have non-Dell adapters anyway, why bother when they cost much the same and are specifically designed to work with our systems.  

SacCindy

3 Posts

December 3rd, 2004 23:00

I'm in desperate of an ac adapter for my laptop and I called dell to order a replacement last week. They wouldn't be able to ship until the 10th so I bought a universal adapter. I'm no computer genius, but I made sure the input and output info was the same and the adapter also listed my laptop model as compatible with the adapter (Inspiron 5100). Well, the laptop did not recognize the adapter. I called Dell support and was told that it was a problem with the adapter and that it was possible the input/output was incorrect (but it's exactly the same!!!). From reading this thread, I'm coming to the painful realization that there is absolutely nothing I can do about this other than wait for the Dell replacement (and in the mean time I will have to handwrite all my final examinations!!). Am I correct? There is no way I can make my laptop recognize the 90W power I am trying to supply it with?

SacCindy

3 Posts

December 5th, 2004 22:00

Well, maybe there really is something wrong with the universal adapter. The computer will stay on for a couple of minutes (if that long) and then shuts itself off. I've given up . . .

Fat Cat

131 Posts

December 5th, 2004 22:00

The fact your laptop doesn't recognize the adapter doesn't mean it won't run with it.  It just means you have to keep it plugged into the AC power supply because the battery won't recharge. When you get the boot message "adapter not recognized" just hit the F1 key and continue booting up. When your new Dell adapter finally does arrive, then and only then will the battery start to recharge.

 

View More

View All

No Events found!

Top