[SOLVED] Dell laptop doesn't recognize Dell AC adapter

[backwoodsman]

Got an old Dell Latitude D630 that won't charge the battery and gives me the "wattage and type cannot be determined" message, and "Please connect a Dell 65W AC adapter..." which is exactly what's plugged into it. The cable is a tiny bit loose at the DC plug, as though it's been yanked once too often; maybe the wire from the center pin has come loose. I don't have another Dell adapter to try. Is there a workaround that'll make it charge the battery?

 

[Markverhyden]

If I remember correctly it will charge when the machine is powered off. Is the BIOS up to date. Seem to remember I had that issue on mine when it had an older BIOS.

 

[backwoodsman]

Well, I'm not sure "up to date" and this machine belong in the same paragraph, but I digress. It does have the most recent BIOS. And it doesn't charge when the machine is off, with either the Dell adapter or an HP adapter.

 

[Markverhyden]

By up to date I simple meant the most recent. I think for that one the most recent was 5 or so years ago. What about the battery? OEM?

 

[backwoodsman]

Sorry, meant to mention that. The original OEM battery is dead and the battery light gives a flash code when it's installed, 3 or 4 ambers then a green. Now it has a new generic battery that arrived partly charged but is now dead. I've had mixed results with off-brand batteries; probably should've stuck to OEM.

@Computer Bloke, the center pin is fine.

 

[Markverhyden]

Ahh.... I see, I see said the blind man. LOL!!! Yeah, I've had horrible luck with non-OEM batteries.

 

[coffee]

I would first double check that it is indeed the correct charger for that Dell Laptop. Then I would disassemble the laptop to the board and check the condition of the DC Jack. Take a meter and check the voltages on the DC Jack pins on the board. Perhaps that model has a seperate DC Jack board in it instead of being soldered to the main board.

There are no shortcuts or workarounds..

 

[coffee]

Just checked prices on replacement board. Not that bad and the DC jack is on the main board. If the Charger checks out ok then perhaps a dc jack or just replace the board. They are cheap enough on ebay.

 

[Porthos]

 

[backwoodsman]

Thanks for all the replies. Got another Dell AC adapter (at a yard sale, of all places), and the machine works fine with it. Dell can't even figure out how to make sure their machines work with their own AC adapters? Remind me never to buy (or sell!) a Dell laptop.

 

[coffee]

Thanks for all the replies. Got another Dell AC adapter (at a yard sale, of all places), and the machine works fine with it. Dell can't even figure out how to make sure their machines work with their own AC adapters? Remind me never to buy (or sell!) a Dell laptop.

" The cable is a tiny bit loose at the DC plug, as though it's been yanked once too often "

So its all Dell's fault and they should be avoided?

Dell makes great laptops. Dells tend to last a very long time and I am quite happy servicing them too.

 

[Altster]

Remind me never to buy (or sell!) a Dell laptop.

That's too bad 'cause Dell DOES make some great laptops - as long as you stay away from the consumer line!

 

[backwoodsman]

" The cable is a tiny bit loose at the DC plug, as though it's been yanked once too often "

So its all Dell's fault and they should be avoided?

In the unlikely event a broken cable is the source of the problem, yes, it's certainly Dell's fault. No customer ever asked them to make laptops that won't even charge the battery unless they can identify a Dell AC adapter; they did that for their own benefit, at their customers' expense. I don't need extra headaches and wasted time, energy & money caused by a company that does that sort of thing just to try to make an extra buck by causing completely unnecessary trouble for their customers. HP Elitebooks and Probooks aren't perfect either, but at least they've never wasted my time with something stupid like this.

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Remind me never to buy (or sell!) a Dell laptop.

You could pick out a flaw from all vendors,

In the unlikely event that's the source of the problem, yes, it's certainly Dell's fault. No customer ever asked them to make laptops that won't even charge the battery unless they can identify a Dell AC adapter; they did that for their own benefit, at their customers' expense. I don't need extra headaches and wasted time, energy & money caused by a company that does that sort of thing just to try to make an extra buck by causing completely unnecessary trouble for their customers. HP Elitebooks and Probooks aren't perfect either, but at least they've never wasted my time with something stupid like this.

Did you even read what @coffee quoted, because your response has nothing to do with the quote.

 

[coffee]

In the unlikely event a broken cable is the source of the problem, yes, it's certainly Dell's fault. No customer ever asked them to make laptops that won't even charge the battery unless they can identify a Dell AC adapter; they did that for their own benefit, at their customers' expense. I don't need extra headaches and wasted time, energy & money caused by a company that does that sort of thing just to try to make an extra buck by causing completely unnecessary trouble for their customers. HP Elitebooks and Probooks aren't perfect either, but at least they've never wasted my time with something stupid like this.

Just go into the bios and turn off the charge adapter detection.

 

[backwoodsman]

Did you even read what @coffee quoted, because your response has nothing to do with the quote.

Sorry, but you've lost me. What did I not respond to?

Just go into the bios and turn off the charge adapter detection.

This machine has no such option; only an option for a warning at startup, which makes no difference in charging the battery. Of course I would've tried that first if it had been an option.

 

[Altster]

Quite frankly I'm rather surprised you are working on this old of the laptop computer - it came out in 2007 according to: https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/Support/KB/Docs/DellModelYears

If I were in your shoes I would be recommending to the customer to replace said unit. You could tell them that the parts aren't readily available to repair said unit and with your time and labor to make necessary repairs that it would be cheaper to purchase a new (or newer) unit.

But that's up to you. Personally I remember when these units were fairly new and have worked on many of them in the past but they are now considered to be of scrap value only and we / I don't sell them anymore!

One more thing that I don't believe anyone else mentioned - to set the BIOS to all default settings and see if the problem(s) either go away or lessen.

 

[coffee]

Simple search provides this:

https://www.dell.com/community/Lapt...pter-although-it-is-working-well/td-p/3879749

 

[backwoodsman]

were in your shoes I would be recommending to the customer to replace said unit. You could tell them that the parts aren't readily available to repair said unit and with your time and labor to make necessary repairs that it would be cheaper to purchase a new (or newer) unit.

That's what I do in many cases. But when a machine still does what the user wants it to do, and needs only minor work, it's hard to make a case for it being too obsolete to be useful. In this case it was just a nuke & pave and, as it turns out, an AC adapter. Yes, it's just a Core 2 Duo and Vista, but someone will still get a couple more years out of this dinosaur.

 

[Diggs]

I've expressed my frustrations with Dell in the past. Good hardware but they don't get my recommendation except for business equipment.