{MOVED}M17x r3 "plugged in, not charging problem"

> the problem could be the power adapter(electronic or damaged cable),the power jack(loose connection) or the mainboard

> watch the video to see how Dell's power adapter system works - it is a different design compared to standard adapters from other manufacturer

> you may also read this post from Dell Terry B

en.community.dell.com/.../19369809.aspx

[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_QxHb8aito]

I have reformatted the computer, but still I get a warning that I'm not using the correct charger, even though it's the charger that came with the computer.

Now the battery level is at 0% and it says "plugged in, not charging"

So what should I do, is it the battery or the charger?

The message  "plugged in, not charging" is generated by the BIOS and not by the operating system - formatting the hard drive was unnecessary.You could even remove the harddrive and would still get the same message.

> press F2 at powerup and check if the BIOS properly identifies the power adapter (obviously not) The video

  in my previous post shows the BIOS screen of an inspiron 1545

> Dell adapter utilize a 3 wire system: plus.minus and a centre pin which is connected to the "control wire".

  It's highly likely that the control wire is either broken or the power jack is loose.In such cases the power adapter

  will still be able to power the laptop but with reduced performance.

> If you can hold of a second power adapter try this first,If this doesn't fix the problem either the power jack  or mainboard is broken.

> Please review my previous post - Dell Terry B's post is worthwhile reading !

Sorry I have to correct myself regarding the message "plugged in, not charging". I confused it with a typical BIOS message - please press F2 and check if the BIOS recognizes the power adapter and follow the other steps given in my previous posts.

Hi Brad,

     This problem is typical with Alienware laptops. It is a very stupid condition that you think would have been remedied by now; however quality asurance seems to be a thing of the past. In order to work around this ridiculous problem here is what you have to do.

1. power down the machine

2. unplug the power cable

3. remove the battery

4. press and hold the power button to discharge any leftover electrons

5. put the battery back in

6. plug the machine in

7. power it back on

This is something that happens all the time to everyone who owns these systems. It is a design flaw.

Good luck and have fun dealing with the machine. (this post was written on a MacBook Pro)

This works. However as soon as i relocate to my room and unplug my laptop from the battery it happens again and again. It is really annoying that i have to do these steps every time i unplug laptop from the battery. Should i get a new AC adopter or maybe new battery..? 

Hi lutke,

I would advise you to update the BIOS for issue resolution. Please enter your service tag # on the link below, select the OS, then download the BIOS from BIOS section onto the system and install it.

http://dell.to/ZaQuel

In addition, please follow the steps mentioned below to check if the adapter is detected properly.

1. Start the computer by pressing the power button
2. Press the F2 key 2-3 times
3. You will now be on the BIOS screen
4. Under the Main Tab look for the option that says AC Adapter Type
5. If the Adapter Type says Unknown or None with the adapter plugged in.
6. Reconnect the adapter to the machine and if the status now shows as Unknown then the AC Adapter needs to be replaced.
7. Also check for Battery Health status under Advanced Tab 

Please let me know the findings.

I have the same issue, but i do not find the resolution. I have left the pc unplugged for a day or so, and it comes back up with no issue

i read that this is a BIOS feature, i will like to disable this dam BIOS feature so i can run the laptop as ususal 

Has anyone came up with a solution to the problem? I have had this problem for the past year and it is still persisting. Every once in a while, if I change outlets, my PC will charge, but it quickly goes back to the "Plugged in, not charging" pathway and I feel like my computer is losing performance because of it. My battery has yet to die, so I am wondering if it is my charger, or if it is my motherboard. I'm really hoping it is as easy as a new charger.

Thanks,

Aaron

I just changed the Charger and still have the same issue 

the BIOS diagnostinc detects either of the charger as 225W, so i think this the charger is not the problem but the BIOS diagnostic told me that my battery is 37% of his life. Alienautopsy told me the same 

Bios and Alientopsty tells me that the battery is the only issue. So i just order a new one 

i will keep posted what  is the outcome 

Unplug the power from computer. start the system on battery only. when you see starting windows on the screen plug in the power cord and boot to windows. works every time and fully charges battery.

PAPAMCQ, that fix didn't work for me 

while doing some try and tests, i notice that the only common factor was the battery. 
My battery is 37% of Life according to the alientopsy and the BIOS diagnostic 

at the moment i do not have a battery replacement, but when the Laptop works fine this is what the BIOS diagnostic shows 

when it fails 

as you can see, the BIOS detects the correct Power but the battery do not charge 

what i have done to try to extend my battery life is putting it on the freezer for 12 hours, still the results is random but the sucess rate is better 

i have bought a battery on ebay, hopefully that will solve my issue, once i get the new battery i will update the post 

Also another thing that I notice is the use of the CPU, and the multiplier 

when booting on a reduced performance the multiplier is 9

and when on normal performance is 19

maybe the issue can be resolve by overclocking, i will explore that possibility 

cont.  

in windows I ran the Alien Autopsy and now the battery it shows that passed the test also now the Multiplier is steady and do not change 

i will keep an eye on the performance and let you know if there is any update 

here is the latest update PT1 

i been freezing my Dead Battery in order to try to recover it as it says on this wiki 

www.wikihow.com/Revive-a-Dead-Laptop-Battery