Troubleshooting: `The AC power adapter type cannot be determined`

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To easily solve this ‘The AC power adapter type cannot be determined’ problem, you will need another original charger with the correct voltage/amperage.

First, try using a new Dell power adapter. If that doesn’t solve the problem, replace the power plug. And in the unlikely event that it’s not the adapter or plug, replace the motherboard.

Why is your ‘AC power adapter type cannot be determined’?

As the error message implies, this means that your computer cannot detect the connected charger. The power connector has 3 pins, 2 are power and ground and the third is a signal line for identifying the power supply as a compatible device (Dell). If the laptop does not receive the signal, the power supply cannot charge the battery, but it can power the laptop. This protects the battery from high currents if the charger power is higher than the manufacturer’s specification. If you ignore this message, system performance will decrease and you will notice that your CPU clock speed has halved.

This problem may be caused by using the wrong charger. It could also be due to a broken data link to identify the charger; it could be due to a problem in the charger (cable, plug, or center pin) or in the laptop (power input jack or motherboard). A new adapter is a good idea; replacing the battery is not. This error has nothing to do with the battery. You will get the same error message if you plug in the adapter without the battery.

How to solve the “Power supply type cannot be detected” error message?

Restart your computer unit

To solve the problem of not being able to determine the type of power adapter, you can turn off the computer.

1. Remove all external devices (flash drives, printers, external hard drives) from the computer.
2. Unplug the battery charger, turn off the notebook and remove the battery.
3. Press and hold the power switch for at least 30 seconds.
4. Then reinsert the battery, charge it and start the computer.
5. Then check if the “Cannot detect power supply type” error has been resolved.

Deactivating the power outage warnings

If you are able to charge your computer normally, but often get an error message that the power supply type cannot be determined, you can disable the power supply alerts. Note, however, that this action does not mean that the error message will be removed.

1. Restart the computer and press the key combination as soon as the logo appears to bring up the BIOS.
2. In the BIOS, click the Advanced tab, then click the Adapter Warnings option.
3. Then select Disable.
4. Save your changes and exit the BIOS.
5. After following all the steps, restart your computer and check if the “Power adapter type cannot be detected” problem occurs when you load the computer.

Replace the adapter

To solve the problem of not being able to determine the type of power adapter, you can check if there is a problem with your adapter. To do this, you can check to see if the adapter works on another computer or if another adapter on your PC works. If it is, it means that your own adapter is faulty and should be replaced.

If you are sure that your adapter is fine, the problem could be anywhere. For example, the cause could be loose soldering in the charger, a broken contact, blown capacitors, or a faulty connection. In these situations, you need to replace the adapter to solve the problem.

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Carter Blakefield