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Laptop Battery: Plugged In, Not Charging
I got a Dell Inspiron 15 in 2012 and it worked well for about a year. Now, whenever I turn the computer on, a message pops up that says:
"The AC power adapter type cannot be determined. Your system will operate slower and battery will not change. This problem might be solved by: Ensure the plug is inserted completely for best system operation. Connect a Dell 65W AC adapter or higher."
My current charger is a Dell 65W AC adapter so I don't think that is the issue. I have already replaced the original charger that came with my computer because it only worked for about two months. This current charger worked for about a year, but it's doing the same thing now that the last charger did. When I went into my BIOS, the adapter comes up as unknown...
The battery charge has fallen to 39% and says "39% available (plugged in, not charging)". When I go to more power options, it says that my battery is performing normally, but that the battery charging is disabled.
My sister is having the same problem I have and she also has a Dell Inspiron 15 that she got shortly after I got mine. Both of ours will not charge so we can't unplug them. If anyone knows of anything that I can do to get my laptop charging, I would appreciate it so much.
Admiral Smith
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December 19th, 2014 15:00
I had the same problem when I bought a reconditioned Dell laptop. The ac adapter it came with was a D series 65W adapter and I needed an E series 90W one. It worked for me. There was a prompt somewhere that stated a laptop battery may not charge fully with a 65 watt power adapter. I actually had a 130 watt one. They are expensive for being power adapters but that is the cost of quality.
ejn63
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December 19th, 2014 14:00
If multiple adapters haven't solved the issue, and they're Dell adapters (not third party units), the next thing to replace is the DC jack. On most of these, the jack is cabled to the mainboard or on a small plug in card - the exact design depends on the specific model (Inspiron 15 refers to over a dozen different models). If you need further information, we'll need the exact model number (i.e.., N5110, 5521, etc.). Look on the BIOS boot screen (F2 at powerup) for that.
jgriffith10
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December 19th, 2014 14:00
They were both Dell adapters. The first one worked for about two months then stopped working and the second one worked for about ten months then stopped working.
I have an Inspiron 3521.
jgriffith10
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December 19th, 2014 15:00
Did you buy the adapter from Dell then? I don't know how you figure out what series of battery you need. I just bought the replacement one that I'm using right now based on what Best Buy told me. Thanks for your help!