Laptop Battery Not Charging

[NeedMoreFans]

I have a Dell laptop that is 3 years old. About 6 months after I got it, I started receiving an error message when I booted up the computer (before Windows loaded) that said, "AC power adapter type cannot be determined. This will affect system performance. Press any key to continue." It would do this off and on. There would be times I didn't get the error, other times I did...there was no rhyme or reason.

 

Yesterday, the problem became worse. Not only does it do it right away when I turn the computer on, but I get an error message when Windows loads. The Windows error says power adapter cannot be determined, my system will run slower, and the battery will not charge. So now my battery is not charging.

 

Has anyone else experienced something similar? My computer runs fine when it's plugged in, but I would like my battery to charge. The internet boards are not terribly helpful. Some say to get a new adapter, some say it could be a motherboard issue. I have seen very few solutions. Thanks for anyone's help.

[Invader3K]

I am no laptop expert, but it sounds like you may need to replace the battery.

[JimH5]

3 years seems about the life of the battery. . .and generally, the technology increases in those three years often make people consider buying a new notebook vs. the cost of replacing the battery.

 

I had a Dell and after about 2 1/4 years, the battery went from lasting around 2 or 3 hours to just 40 minutes, and then finally it just died.

 

I doubt that the problem is limited to Dells. My wife's Sony Vaio had the same issue.

[Rightomac13]

I used to get this message all the time. I also have a Dell laptop that I got in June 2006 and in spring of 2009 I had to replace the AC adapter which ran me around 100 and then I had to buy a battery in fall of 2009 which ran me 70 I believe. To solve your problem, I used to unplug the cord from my laptop, let Windows load, and then plug it back in and that used to work every time.

[TheEndless7]

I had this exact same issue with my laptop, except mine was about eight months old at the time. I called Dell and they said it was actually a motherboard issue and shipped the part to a Dell representative in the area, who came to my house and fixed it. Took him maybe 30 minutes, haven't had an issue since. They also didn't charge me but I think I was still under warranty.

[NeedMoreFans]

Yeah, mine is definitely not under warranty any more. I don't think it's strictly a battery issue. It's been doing this off and on basically since I got it. I'd rather not take it in anywhere to see if it can get fixed, and I really don't want to contact Dell. They charge you just for making a call if you are not under warranty. I may try a new charger, just to see if that is the problem.

[RightFieldCoder]

I have a Dell laptop, and it was the charger that went on it. All signs pointed to the battery, but it was the charger. It seemed like a lot of people online complained about the same charger I had. Luckily, mine went right before the warranty expired and I was able to get it exchanged for free.

[MJLiverock]

If you need to buy a cord or a battery check eBay the prices are much much better than buying from Dell. After my last cord got accidentally cut I think I paid about $10-$15 including shipping for a new one. I know when I bought a new battery since my old one wouldn't hold a charge anymore it was about $40 vs. the $80-$100 Dell wanted.

[TheRealMattKain]

I've had the same problem with 2 Dell laptops. There are three possible things wrong here.

1. Bad AC adapter/power cord. Usually not the problem, but if it is, it can be easily replaced. The only thing to keep in mind is that there are many complaints with using offbrand AC adapter replacements. If this is the problem, then go with something name brand (or at least read reviews of what you are buying). Before buying one, I’d borrow someone else’s AC adapter and test if this is really the problem (or go to Best Buy and have Geek Squad do the test – they’ll usually do little things like this for free).

2. Battery is dead. If you've had the laptop for a while or use the battery frequently, the battery may be dead. Again, easy to replace. Again, you probably want to test with a different batter first to see if this is really the issue.

3. Bad powerboard. The powerboard is a component attached to the motherboard that contains the jack where the AC adapter is plugged into the laptop. Some bad news here. This component is VERY poorly made on Dell laptops and breaks VERY easily with every day use (the powerboard contains a very fine pin which is used to detect if an AC adapter is connected - this allows the battery to charge. This pin can break from strain or pressue on the jack when the AC adapter is plugged in or from normal plugging/unplugging of the AC adapter. Once broken, you’re battery will not charge). If you search Google, you’ll see that thousands of people have this problem with various models of Dell laptops. Dell is very well aware of this and knowingly ships laptops with shoddy components. Despite complaints, they refuse to address the issue or do anything about it (several groups are trying to get a class action suit against Dell for selling laptops with components that are known to be defective or of poor quality). There are three ways to fix this:

- Have Dell or someone replace the part. Prices can vary here (free if you have a Dell warranty), but I would expect to pay 100-200 bucks.

- Try to fix the powerboard by reconnecting broken pin. Requires precision soldering (I know I don't have the guts to do it).

- Replace the powerboard yourself. Replacement powerboards can be had for 30-60 bucks. Luckily in most models the powerboard is only connected to the motherboard with 2 screws. It's not a very hard fix. If you've ever replaced something simple like a hard drive or CD/DVD drive, then you could probably replace the powerboard.

I know it's too late, but my advice is to avoid Dell laptops. They're poorly made and suffer from known problems that Dell refuses to address. Pay the extra hundred bucks to get an HP, Toshiba, Sony, etc. You won't regret it. I know I haven't.