Alert! The AC power adapter wattage and type cannot be determined

[gsmithy]

Hello – I could use some help. I know there have been similar posts. I have a Dell Inspiron 15-7569 and have really liked it. I have not had it that long, but long enough the warranty expired.

Issue:
• Getting this message when booting up “Alert! The AC power adapter wattage and type cannot be determined. The battery may not charge. The system will adjust the performance to match the power available.” It will then say ‘plugged in not recording’ if you look at the charging icon in the bottom right.
• It was intermittent it seemed for a while, once in a while it would work (and still does on rare occasion) but we get this basically every time now, and so the laptop adjust the performance so using it becomes very slow.
• I researched significantly online and see others have dealt with similar issues.

Based on what I found I have:
1. Updated the System BIOS
2. Used the diagnostic tools, and it confirmed the battery is good
3. The adapter seems in good shape and fine (and has the green light indicator)
4. Disconnected the internal battery to fully reset – when I did that I visually checked the adapter plug and it all seemed okay

I’m really open to suggestions! Thanks.

 

[webworkings]

Just because the charger 'seems' OK doesn't mean it is. Now I am going to assume then it isn't charging the battery when turned on, by your statements, but what about when off? Not sleep or hibernate but off. Does it charge then?

If yes, then it probably is the charger going bad. While it is working somewhat, it sounds like it is not putting out the right amount of power. This shows up in your start up and also in the lack of battery charging.

Now if it won't even charge when off, it could be both the charger and the battery.

 

[gsmithy]

Just because the charger 'seems' OK doesn't mean it is. Now I am going to assume then it isn't charging the battery when turned on, but your statements, but what about when off? Not sleep or hibernate but off. Does it charge then?

If yes, then it probably is the charger going bad. While it is working somewhat, it sounds like it is not putting out the right amount of power. This shows up in your start up and also in the lack of battery charging.

Now if it won't even charge when off, it could be both the charger and the battery.

Thanks for the quick response! It is getting charged somewhere because I have been able to prevent the battery from running out. So, I just drained some and will test if it charges back up when off.....

 

[bignastyid]

MERGED QUESTION
Question from gsmithy : "Alert! The AC power adapter wattage and type cannot be determined"

Hello – I could use some help. I know there have been similar posts. I have a Dell Inspiron 15-7569 and have really liked it. I have not had it that long, but long enough the warranty expired.

Issue:
• Getting this message when booting up “Alert! The AC power adapter wattage and type cannot be determined. The battery may not charge. The system will adjust the performance to match the power available.” It will then say ‘plugged in not recording’ if you look at the charging icon in the bottom right.
• It was intermittent it seemed for a while, once in a while it would work (and still does on rare occasion) but we get this basically every time now, and so the laptop adjust the performance so using it becomes very slow.
• I researched significantly online and see others have dealt with similar issues.

Based on what I found I have:
1. Updated the System BIOS
2. Used the diagnostic tools, and it confirmed the battery is good
3. The adapter seems in good shape and fine (and has the green light indicator)
4. Disconnected the internal battery to fully reset – when I did that I visually checked the adapter plug and it all seemed okay

I’m really open to suggestions! Thanks.

 

[bignastyid]

Please stick to 1 thread.

 

[matthewphilipdixon]

I'll save you some time and agony with this.
Those Dell laptops have an extra pin in the power plug that is used to tell the laptop how much power it is capable of providing. I have never seen the actual power adapter cause the issue you are having. However, the actual socket in the laptop goes bad pretty often. Usually, people replace the adapter first, and sometimes they see this issue less for a while, my guess is because the new adapter fits tighter, and the loose pin is held in a way that allows a better connection. However, often replacing the adapter does nothing, or the slight improvement only lasts a few days or weeks.

The only way to actually fix the root cause is to replace the connector inside the laptop. I believe this is the one for yours:

https/www.parts-people.com/index.php?action=item&id=21841

It isn't the easiest repair job. I've been fixing laptops for years, so it only takes me like 30 minutes. But if you haven't torn into a laptop before, you'll want to find an experienced person to do this.

Good luck!