AC Adapter currently connected is not supported?

Hi!

I have an m17x r4 (still under warranty) with an issue identical to ReeceRox2's, in that it has just recently begun to have serious charging issues. For about a week it has worked to disconnect the AC adapter then reboot and reconnect the adapter to get the battery charging again, but today it's decided to stop charging entirely, even when I remove the battery, hold the power button for up to a minute and then reconnect the battery then boot and plug in the adapter (which has worked in the past.)

I've checked the BIOS (A04) where it says that the AC adapter is unknown, I've uninstalled the Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery in the Device Manager and rebooted to see if it was a problem there, which it isn't. I've searched about every forum post there is about this issue, and none of the easy fixes are working--at this point I'm almost certain it's either the connection on the motherboard end or the AC adapter itself, the latter of which I plan to take in to a shop as soon as possible to see if it is delivering the proper amount of power.

Seeing as how I'm using this laptop as both a gaming system and as my school computer, I bet you can see how this is frustrating. Fortunately, the system still works with the adapter provided--it just doesn't charge, and considering that I take the laptop with me frequently, this does pose a problem, not to mention the fact that it barely works for gaming on the adapter's decreased settings. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated!

radftw067, I emailed Alienwareupgrades@dell.com like NataliaatAW told me to, but its been almost a week with no response. If I find a solution I'll be sure to let you know.

@ReeceRox, I added you as a friend, please accept my friend request and send me a PM with the info requested above, I'll take care of you. I apologize for the delay.

@radftw067, Try this, remove the battery and the ac adapter, hold the power button down for 30 seconds, put the battery back in and connect the ac adapter, power on the system and update the BIOS, here's the link for the download:

www.dell.com/.../alienware-m17x-r4

Hi, NataliaatAW!

Thanks for the quick response, but unfortunately, this solution didn't work. The first step, to unplug the adapter and disconnect the battery and hold the power, has worked well until yesterday afternoon, after doing this process it still didn't recognize the adapter. I tried it again this morning, but once again, nothing. I've also tried to update the BIOS, both last night and again this morning--but in the process of trying to get the battery to charge using the method described above, I've managed to run the battery down below the 10 percent required to flash the battery, which is required for the update. (I plan to change the critical battery level way higher than the factory settings as soon as I can so I can avoid anything like this in the future!)

Thanks for the help, but is there anything else I can do?

@ReeseRox2, I'm still going to take in the adapter to see if it's functioning properly, and I'll keep looking for fixes as well...It sure would be great to find a quick fix for this, but at this rate it looks like that's becoming more unlikely. I hope you get a response on the email--It would be a heck of a lot simpler if it turns out to be the adapter, which I'm hoping is the issue with mine.

Thats okay NataliaatAW, PM has been sent.

Hi radftw067,

Try clearing the CMOS battery, follow the steps in this article to learn how to remove it:

How to remove the CMOS battery on the Alienware M17x R4

Leave it out for 10 seconds, hold the power button down while the CMOS battery is out, and then put everything back in and test the system

I received a meesage like that once when I plugged into a ups with batttery backup outlets,  fix was to plug into a nonbattery backup outlet on.

I am currently having this same issue with my M17x. Very frustrating. Was wondering if there is one solution that has been discovered for this.   I have already updated the Bios. Tried removing the battery as well. I haven't removed the CMOS battery yet however. My service tag is G1Z83R1 M17x-r3. Thanks for any help you can provide.

The only fix for me was to get a new charger. luckily enough, they're fairly cheap.

I am having the same problem on a m17xR4 and it is driving me crazy! I have tried everything suggested on this thread and nothing seems to work. My Alienware is still under warranty (only few months old), is there any chance I can get a replacement adapter because it has come to a point were it is almost impossible to charge the battery.

Hi 212nycowboy,

In case you have already performed the steps suggested in the post, I recommend you to check with a known good Ac adapter. In case the issue persists even with a known good Ac adapter, you may consider replacing it.

Since the warranty as expired, let me know the region you belong to, to provide the contact information to replace the Ac adapter.

Funny that mine is doing this too and the warranty just expired...hmm...