Alienware Experiences SupportAssist Diagnostics Error Stating Your Port Does Not Accept Power
Summary: Alienware computers may receive a SupportAssist onboard diagnostics error while powering on, stating "Your port does not accept power."
Symptoms
Alienware computers that have USB-C that do not support Power Delivery (PD) cannot charge the battery using a USB-C cable connection. As an example, an Alienware M15 R6 supplies 3.3A at 5v on one USB-C port to charge an external device but cannot receive power to the laptop to charge itself from a power adapter or a third-party USB-C device that supports PD power.
Some USB-C monitors support PD to charge the battery on a laptop while connected to the monitor. The following error may be encountered after connecting the PD USB-C device, or after booting. SupportAssist onboard diagnostics may indicate: "Your port does not accept power. To supply power to your system while docked attach a power adapter to your system." Users may also receive a message upon boot at POST with this message.
Affected Platforms:
- Alienware M15 R6
Affected Software:
- SupportAssist for Business PCs
- SupportAssist for Home PCs
Cause
Resolution
The message is working as intended. The message lets users know that they have hooked up a device capable of supplying power to the computer, but the computer does not support it.
Some monitors and third-party devices may support turning off Power Delivery which would avoid the message being seen. For external components that do not have this option, there is no option to turn off this message from the computer side.