Update BIOS without battery. Dell Latitude E4200

Question

hello,

In brief: Battery doesn't charge, empty now, I want to update the BIOS, to see whether this helps. BIOS update is refused without battery.

In greater length:

In January, my Dell Adapter stopped working and I bought an all purpose adapter that worked fine for two months. Then the battery wouldn't charge anymore. The BIOS setup says: communication problem with battery. At startup I get:

“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. Please connect a Dell 45W AC adapter or greater for best system performance. To resolve this issue, try to reseat the power adapter Strike the F3 key (before the F1 or F2 key) if you do not want to see power warning messages again. Strike the F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility. Press F5 to run onboard diagnostics.”

I am not sure in which order these problems occurred, but it's around the same time.

I am currently at BIOS version A17. The most recent version is A24. If the adapter and the battery are connected, the battery LED flashes 3 times orange and once blue.

First I went to an official DELL repair center (in Peking). They plugged in an original Dell adapter, got the same message at startup and said that I would have to buy a new battery, online as they didn't have it. Then I went to a normal computer repair shop that had different fitting batteries and adapters. The batteries were recognized, but wouldn't charge, as the error about the “AC power adapter wattage” remained, even with Dell adapters. So luckily I didn't just buy a new battery.

So basically it can be a motherboard problem or a software problem that may have been solved by a more recent BIOS version (or maybe by an older version that checks less carefully the adapter).

Before I give up this still nicely running computer, I'd like to try to update/downgrade the BIOS, to see if this might make the computer charge the battery again, as has been suggested many times for different dell computers that stopped charging.

I can get the BIOS to perform the update process with the /forceit /forcetype options, but then, when rebooting, the BIOS update refuses to flash: “The BIOS Update could not be performed because a battery was not present. Press 'Y' to continue”. The option /jabil doesn't seem to work on this BIOS update at it gives the message invalid command line parameters.

I also extracted the hdr file, updated via ubuntu, following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DellBIOS, ending up with the same message at reboot. So I'm still stuck with the old BIOS version.

How can I override that “battery present” rule?

Thanks in advance for any hint or anything else I could try!

Sachin Erande · Accepted Answer

Hello all,

I am also suffering from this issue.

My Laptop is like desktop. :) I tried almost everything but not able to charge the new original battery also.

Solution: If you face such problem consider purchasing new laptop other than dell.

Dell Service Centers are also weak to repair such issues.(Thanks and Switch from dull dell.)

DELL-Sujatha K · Answer

Hi kmgrds,

You will be unable to flash BIOS without the battery. Dell does not recommend force flashing BIOS. It may impact the motherboard.

Check if the Ac Adapter is detected in BIOS. To go to BIOS restart and at the Dell logo tap F2 key every two seconds. Check the Ac adapter type. Highlight Battery Information under General and check the battery status and also Ac Adapter. Ac adapter should show 90W.

If in case Ac adapter is detected in the BIOS, you may check with a known good battery.

kmgrds · Answer

dear sujatha,

thank you so much for your immediate answer.

i just checked again the bios settings (using the f12 key), and, no, the adapter is not recognized, but as i said: the same adapter worked before for 2 months, and i tried a whole set of different dell chargers in a shop, the ugly old ones with the round edges, and the cute new and small ones, with various wattages. all of them gave the same startup error (asking for a 45W adapter), and none started charging the battery, the same with a new battery. That's why i suspect a software or a mainboard error.

i know that force flashing the bios is not great, but i'd like to do it anyway. it's the last chance to make this computer usable. that's why i'd like to know how to do it (on my own risk of course).

best

kmgrds

ejn63 · Answer

A BIOS flash won't solve the problem.  First thing to try is a replacement DC jack: www.parts-people.com/index.php If that doesn't solve the problem, a replacement mainboard will be needed.

kmgrds · Answer

hello ejn63,

thank you for your suggestion. this looks indeed like a thing to try.

i guess you get your certainty concerning the uselessness of a BIOS update from knowing more about what these updates are about?

i'll buy the thing, try to fit it in, and keep you updated.

cheers

kmgrds

kmgrds · Answer

hi,

so i replaced the DC jack and nothing has changed. :-/

however, i don't have an "original" dell adapter to try as i'm on holidays, so there is a chance that the whole thing does work with a different adapter. if this will work out i'll post it here.

oh, and i got the DC jack here: http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.0.0.9t3Kl5&id=21296815288 for a 5th of the price, if anyone is on this side of the globe, this might be useful.

i still find it strange that dell imposed this security restriction preventing a bios update without a battery, the most common thing to do on any desktop...

thanks again for your help.

best

kmgrds

ejn63 · Answer

You need a Dell OEM adapter - non-Dell adapters won't charge the battery.

The restriction is there because a power failure during a BIOS flash can permanently damage a system - and unlike most desktops, most notebooks have no means of recovering from a bad flash.

ahd8888 · Answer

Hi, my L702X has an OEM AC adapter, but the adapter type is still not recognised in the BIOS. Also, the battery LED still flashing orange and white light. Please advise any more solution you can think of. PLEASE!!!

Thanks in advance

Philip

ejn63 · Answer

First thing to try is a new Dell AC adapter. If that doesn't solve the problem, replace the DC jack:

http://www.parts-people.com/index.php?action=item&id=10298

and if that doesn't solve the problem, replace the mainboard.

ahd8888 · Answer

Thanks for your suggestion, EJN63. My AC adapter is the only source powering my laptop, if there is problem with the adapter why I still got power to my laptop and why it detect my battery and not charging it? There must be some logic explanation, u can't just keep charging parts until u fix the problem. It will cost more than buying a new one. This problem has been there for ages, surely Dell would have known how to fix the problem. If not, they are losing consumer confident in them.

ejn63 · Answer

The adapter can easily power the system and still not charge the battery. It's the center pin that makes the contact with the logic circuit. If it becomes damaged, the adapter needs to be replaced. You can easily bring the computer to just about any shop and ask them to try a Dell adapter -- if that doesn't solve the problem, the jack is the next likely point of failure. That can be inexpensively replaced. And if it's not the jack, then it's the charge circuit (which means the mainboard needs repair or replacement).

kmgrds · Answer

hi,

just the follow-up for my computer. i got home to good old europe and to my original dell adapter. and helas nothing changed. so the change of the jack-piece was a nice exercise in computer disassembly and reassembly but didn't change anything. the battery is still not charging. i guess, it's the main board...

i got a new computer this week. dell again (no choice at my lab :-s ) and it's working perfectly well with dell adapters and all-purpose ones, too. this communication thing at the center pin must be quite limited.

good luck

ahd8888 · Answer

Thanks for your update.  I really appreciate your update on your laptop.  Even though it is not a solution to fix the problem, at least we can pin point what is the problem.  This seems a common problem (faulty mainboard) to Dell's laptop.  I really wish Dell offer some solution to royal user like you and me.  PLEASE, DELL DO SOMETHING!!!

VaporStore · Answer

I have the same issue with 2 Dell Latitude e4200 laptops.  I have 3 OEM Dell power supply's (1 PA12, 2 PA20's) that work fine since years in the USA on 120v and in Thailand on 220v (although I was getting SHOCKS on my wrists in Thailand when they touched the metal parts of the casing while plugged into AC power, that's another issue...).  So I have 3 known working power supply's, 2 known working e4200's with good batteries, and as soon as I got to Germany and used 230v they won't charge the battery.  The funny thing is they all charge our older Dell Latitude x1 fine without no warnings.  The e4200's all give the unrecognized power supply warning in BIOS when booting each time though.  We have a step down voltage converter to offer 120v from 230v, using it solves the issue but is a pain to travel with a heavy voltage converter.  I'm about to order a new Dell power supply to hopefully resolve it, but I suspect it's a motherboard or mainboard issue as others have mentioned.  I wish some Dell tech folks would share more info about this issue, as these e4200's are 5 years old now and my favorite Dell of all time.  I don't want to be replacing motherboards to resolve this issue, not even worth the time considering the cost of e4200's on ebay is around $100-$150 now, but 2 from ebay have this issue=(   I even tried downgrading the BIOS to A00 (the very first BIOS) and no change, so that 'trick' doesn't seem to work for the e4200.  Is this really a design flaw to sell more motherboards or power supply's?  C'mon Dell, I'll buy 100 more if you help me;)

jobiman · Answer

The same happened to me - E4200 from Ebay purchased without power adapter.I tried it with many adapters and batteries. Thank you guys for letting me know my fight is useless.

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Update BIOS without battery. Dell Latitude E4200

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