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Two AC Chargers Suddenly Won't work
I am having an odd problem with the AC charging on my Windows 11, Dell XPS 17 laptop. I have owned the computer for about two years (so it is out of warranty) and never had a problem until a few days ago. Although the power cord was plugged into the USB-C port, I noticed that the battery was not charging and had dropped to well below 50%. I unplugged and replugged with no effect. Although the computer showed the battery level dropping, the light on the plug going into the laptop was on, presumably indicating that there was power being received by the charger. I tried the other three USB-C ports on the computer, but the result was the same. By wiggling the cable a bit and plugging and unplugging, I was eventually able to get it to resume charging. I assumed the charger was bad, especially since I could plug my phone into the USB-C ports and each charged my phone ok.
Fortunately, I have a second charger, so when I switched them out and plugged in the new charger, all seemed fine and the computer resumed charging with no problems. That was fine for a couple of days, but today it did the same thing using the alternate charger. The unit simply stopped charging again and the battery level was shown as dropping and the charging indicator showed it was not charging. At some point, because the charge had gotten so low (below 20%) and I didn’t realize what was happening, the computer actually gave me a warning that the charger was not plugged in, even though clearly it was. I switched chargers again and the other charger initially worked until it didn’t. Then I did more wiggling and pushing up and it resumed charging again.
I ran a cmd level utility to check the battery, and it indicated the battery was fine. I cannot actually access the battery without removing screws and taking the bottom off the laptop and I don’t particularly want to do that. The battery, of course, is only two years old. I uninstalled and reinstalled the actual battery driver and that had no effect.
I am at a loss as to what to do next. I know that there are known battery issues on laptops, but the usual problem I’ve read about is the system saying the unit is charging when it isn’t. In this case, the computer says the charger isn’t plugged in when it is. I also know there is a theory that the 130 watt charger the computer uses is inadequate and should really be 180 watts. I have no idea if that’s an issue here.
Any suggestions on what I can do?
Chino de Oro
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August 14th, 2024 04:15
That was the reason I pointed to the USB-C connectors from the charger as the issue, not the laptop ports.
Because the chargers were not recognized, the suggestion was to flip the charger connectors around 180°. And a different BIOS firmware can be tested to see if the chargers can be recognized.
If none of that no cost resolutions can fix the issue, a third OEM charger adapter maybe your next option to resolve the issue.
Chino de Oro
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August 14th, 2024 03:00
Assuming you have an XPS 9710, it was shipped with 130w power adapter. There was no 180w power adapter being offered for that model.
By wiggling the connector and it could change the charging status, the USB-C connector could be the issue. You can access BIOS settings to verify the charger connection status. Flip the USB-C connector 180° to see if it makes any different.
At worse, flash your system with a different BIOS firmware version for testing.
Rickwm
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August 14th, 2024 03:55
@Chino de Oro The thing is, there are four USB-C ports and I get the same result with each. I can also charge my iphone on any of the ports, so it seems the ports work otherwise.
In the BIOS, it shows charger not plugged in when it actually is.
Rickwm
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August 14th, 2024 04:20
@Chino de Oro I did flip the connectors around and it had no effect. Although it's odd both charges would go bad at the same time, I have ordered another charger to see if that works. I'm also going to try updating the BIOS.
Rickwm
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August 14th, 2024 04:31
@Chino de Oro I updated the BIOS and it had no effect. So next step is buying a third adapter, which will be in on Thursday. Thanks for the suggestions so far.
niko_ke
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August 14th, 2024 06:39
unplug the adapter, press and hold the power button for 40 seconds to release static electricity, then plug in the charger and turn it on normally for observation
Although this suggestion is strange, sometimes unexpected surprises can occur when typc malfunctions occur
Rickwm
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August 14th, 2024 15:29
That was an interesting suggestion, but unfortunately it did not work.
Rickwm
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August 14th, 2024 16:32
@niko_ke Here's another update. I have not received the new charger yet, but I tried something new just now. I have an Anker external battery that I sometimes use to charge the laptop when I'm not near an outlet. I connected the Anker battery to the laptop and it appears to be charging just fine. The Anker records the wattage going in and it appears to be around 85 watts. This again makes it seem either that both AC chargers are bad which still seems odd or there is something I don't understand related to the fact that the adapters are 130 watts.
niko_ke
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August 15th, 2024 00:43
The following suggestions come from copilot AI
It sounds like you’ve been quite thorough in troubleshooting your Dell XPS 17 charging issue. Here are a few additional steps and considerations that might help:
Check the AC Adapter and Cable: Ensure there are no visible damages to the adapter or cable. Sometimes, even minor fraying or internal damage can cause intermittent charging issues1.
Inspect the USB-C Ports: Since you’ve tried multiple ports, it’s less likely to be a single port issue, but it’s worth checking for any debris or damage inside the ports.
Update BIOS and Drivers: Ensure your BIOS and all relevant drivers are up to date. Dell often releases updates that can resolve hardware compatibility issues2.
Run Dell Diagnostics: Use the Dell SupportAssist tool to run a full hardware diagnostic. This can sometimes identify issues that aren’t immediately obvious2.
Battery Health Check: Although you’ve run a command-line utility, using Dell’s built-in battery health check can provide more detailed information. This can be accessed through the BIOS or Dell Power Manager2.
Consider Power Settings: Sometimes, power settings can interfere with charging. Ensure that your power plan settings are optimized for performance rather than power saving.
Test with a Higher Wattage Charger: If you suspect that the 130W charger might be inadequate, testing with a 180W charger could help determine if power delivery is the issue. However, ensure that the higher wattage charger is compatible with your laptop model.
Check for Known Issues: Dell has acknowledged charging issues with some XPS 17 models in the past34. Although your laptop is out of warranty, it might be worth contacting Dell support to see if there are any known fixes or if they can offer any assistance.
If none of these steps resolve the issue, it might be worth considering professional repair services, especially if the problem lies with the internal charging circuitry.
I hope these suggestions help! Let me know if you need further assistance.
Rickwm
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August 15th, 2024 17:29
@niko_ke I received the new charger today and it works fine in charging the computer. I also notice that the connector fits very snugly into the port, so there is no play or "wiggle" room. I don't really know what this all means - it's like metal must have gradually worn off both of the other connectors over the two years I had them? It's all pretty strange but at least the new adapter seems to be working just fine.