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The dreaded "The AC Power adapter type cannot be determined."
"The AC Power adapter type cannot be determined.
your system will operate slower and battery will not charge.
This problem might be solved by:
Ensure the plug is inserted completly for best system operation#
Connect a Dell 130W AC Adapter or higher"
I have a 6 month old XPS15 L502X, and have been getting the above message over the last couple of days.
I have checked the battery, the full 5 dots light up, and i have also rebooted into the bios whilst connected to the mains and beside AC adapter type it says 130w, but i unintentionally knocked the cable and the 130w changed to unknown.
My laptop also booted up ok without the battery, after receiving the initial "AC power wattage cannot be determined, the battery may not charge." I hit F1 and was able to boot into the OS
The cable appears to be fine, and the blue led indicator at the connector pin is clearly lit as always
i have done a fair bit of research before posting here, and this problem is very common.
I am an advanced user, so know what I am doing and take great care of all my technology, and the charger cable is only ever plugged in, in a straight line from the power socket and never bent or twisted at the connection.
I assume that after all these tests that it is an issue with the charger itself? Where does that leave me, because I assume that the charger is not covered under warranty?
6 months old and £1000 spent, and I can barely use it right now, cheers Dell
MicroTest
934 Posts
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March 16th, 2012 22:00
If you knocked the cable you might have broken the wire for the control pin.In that case the message "adapter = unknown" appears....
jonmac69
10 Posts
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March 17th, 2012 05:00
Thanks for your reply Micro Test, but when i say knocked I literally mean brushed against very lightly, this changed the text in the bios from 130w to unknown at the precise moment i was checking it. It was certainly nowhere near enough force to break any wires in the control pin. If it broke at that modicum of force it is either shoddily built, or if one was to be more cynical, designed to do so.
Anyway, the issues with regards to the "AC Power adapter cannot be dertermined." message, was happening before i brushed against the cable, how is that explained?
Seems to be a rather large percentage of folk out there that have had to replace the charger cable inside 1 year. Coincidence, design fault or something more sinister?
Who knows?
Anyway, if i am expected to buy a new charger at extra cost to myself, then the laptop will go on ebay minus a charger, and the money from its sale will go towards buying a Macbook or even an HP Pavillion. This is my first Dell product, and it will certainly be my last
My Mum and sister have recently asked me to source them new laptops, guess which brand I won't be recommending?
ejn63
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87.5K Posts
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March 17th, 2012 05:00
Before you make the mistake of buying anything HP, do your research.
As for Apple, their power adapter design is excellent - as it should be when you pay a 50-100% premium to purchase one of their systems.
MarcMarc
37 Posts
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March 17th, 2012 09:00
If it only 6 months old then contact Dell Tech Support.
ejn63
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87.5K Posts
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March 17th, 2012 09:00
If you're expecting perfection -- i.e., no hardware failures -- with a Mac, you're going to be disappointed. They do fail - and when they do -- mainboard/logic board failures aren't that uncommon - you will find out another Apple secret: the mainboard that costs $300-400 for a Dell, costs $1,000+ for a Macbook.
The hardware inside a Mac is no different than what you find inside a Dell - in fact, Macbooks are made by the same companies that supply Dell - and all the other "brand name" notebook companies.
jonmac69
10 Posts
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March 17th, 2012 09:00
*** should be b.u.t.s, as i no ifs or b.u.t.s swear filter is filtering b.u.t.s out. :-D
jonmac69
10 Posts
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March 17th, 2012 10:00
It cant be any more disappointing than my first (and last) dell.
Regardless of the merits of individual manufacturers, when you part with £1000 of your hard earned cash, you should not be having to replace chargers at your own cost after a mere 6 months.
It's akin to a stealth tax post purchase
Thanks to everyone for their replies, its much appreciated
ejn63
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87.5K Posts
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March 17th, 2012 10:00
You keep insisting you're replacing the adapter at your cost - why? If the system is six months old, it's under warranty - have it replaced. The cost will be zero.
MicroTest
934 Posts
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March 17th, 2012 12:00
Just turned on my system - St. Patricks day today - and my mailbox is flooded with emails.....
"ejn63" - thanks for answering the questions
simonmaust
4 Posts
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December 25th, 2012 16:00
Hi,
I have the same issue as you do but unfortunately mine isnt under warranty :(
was it the power supply or battery?
thanks
simonmaust
4 Posts
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December 25th, 2012 16:00
Hi,
I have the same issue as you do but unfortunately mine isnt under warranty :(
was it the power supply or battery?
thanks
jonmac69
10 Posts
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December 27th, 2012 13:00
Simon, apologies for the delay in getting back to you.
It was the Power Supply that was causing my issue
Dell sent out a new one.