I am BEGGING you . Please make the power adapter connecters for your notebooks in the shape of an L like on acer laptops.

IT helps TONS  because it makes it less likely for the connecter to make the power conenctor on the motherboard pull off of the motherboard itself when banged into.

 Please I am begging you.

Don't forget to look at the bright side of providing the same AC adapter for 4+ years.  If you happen to forget yours, you can use almost any other DELL AC adapter in the room.  My whole family uses DELL notebooks and at family gatherings we usually only have one adapter out and we just pass it around when someone gets low on power.  Change just to change isn't always a good thing.

I did fill out the survey and made the same comments.
 

I purchased a 64 bit system in Jan of 07 and just recently activated the system due to reasons I won't take the time to explain. When I activated the system I discovered Dell hadn't installed a 64 bit OS. They had it listed on the initial system as an option, but when customizing the system was not listed in the drop down menu. I assumed it was 64 as standard. I recently called Dell to discuss this and was told initially they wouldn't do anything to correct it. I had found some information on a Microsoft article that said the licence would be upgraded on 64 bit systems purchased with 32 bit operating systems. A second call and this information yielded better results initially, as the first three departments agreed that the right thing to do was to upgrade the OS. The resolution department changed that decision and wouldn't correct the problem. I am in contact with Microsoft at and expense of $59 and they tell me that Dell should correct the problem since it is OEM software which is the same thing I told the helpful people at Dell. I am an area Geek and have purchased a large quantity of systems and helped many people purchase new systems. My current plans since they aren't honoring their commitments of warranty and OEM licencing are to cease my purchases and recommendations. If someone from Dell can check the number of systems I have purchased and the small amount of tech support they have had to provide for these systems you will realize you are making a mistake by not honoring your commitments.

 Stewart Riding

Eagle River Consulting

I started using a Dell Inspiron 8500 in February of 2004 and got a 3 year extended warranty, which was the best thing I ever did because, as I soon found out, a lot can go wrong in 3 years!  Until my warranty expired at the end of October, I was probably calling Dell service every few months for one thing or another.  A Dell service technician had to come to my house at least 3 times to replace parts (one of those times was the motherboard, I can't remember what the other replacements were for).  But the most frequent reoccurring complaint has been my AC adapter. 

 I have had to have Dell replace my AC adapter three times during my warranty.  Each of those times, the green light on the product would not turn on, and it would emit a beeping noise.  This problem is not unique:  I have seen other people gripe about the same issue on other blogs.  The three replacements also all came within the span of about a year.  Unlike a Dell service technician told me on the phone today, this does not seem like 'normal wear and tear'.

I do transport my laptop from home to school- I believe that is one of the greatest benefits of having a laptop.  I am very careful with handling the cord:  I coil it around the brick-  a service technician advised against doing this too tightly, but I am pretty careful and it is not tightly coiled.  It certainly does not seem like an abnormal way of handling the adapter, and if that really is the reason why they have been breaking, it should come with transportation instructions!

 My reason for writing now is that my warranty is up, and in a timely fashion, my AC adapter has stopped working once again- same symptoms.   To list some positives about my experience with Dell, I have had excellent (but far too frequent) experiences with the service department.  The computer also runs very smoothly which is important.  But I have had other laptops in the past where I have not had to replace the AC adapter ONCE, as opposed to my experience with Dell.  This, combined with other negative experiences will certainly stop me from buying Dell products in the future.
 

I've had about 4-5 dell laptop over the years but have seem to have gone through about 12-15 adapters (I'm on my 3rd adapter for this new computer I bought a few months ago.)

The biggest thing I've noticed, is that most laptop users, put the computer on their laps---either sitting against a wall or lying down---having the adapter in the back sticking straight out will bend and fray over time because it's placed right where someone's knee/leg is.

Create a special place inside the laptop for the actually metal connector such that the only thing sticking out is flexible cable.  should be fairly straightforward no?

-b
 

I would LOVE to see you make the cord that runs from the supply itself detachable and replaceable.  I am on my third supply in a year, each replacement having been necessitated by something happening to break the connector that plugs into the laptop.  Unfortunately, a broken connector on that wire necessitates replacing the entire PS because the wire running from it to the computer is fixed which means rather than purchasing a $10 wire I have to buy another complete unit.

 I think having an "L"-shaped connector would be beneficial as well and go a long way towards reducing the incidence of broken plugs.

 I'm sure this has been asked, answered, and commented on a thousand times but what was the logic behind adding the third wire and requiring only a genuine Dell PS to charge the battery on your laptops?  How are you guys getting away with that?  I'm sure there is some smokescreen logic about ensuring quality but it seems to me to be a thinly-veiled, Applesque attempt to force customers to buy only genuine Dell products.
 

My battery is no longer charging.  When I reset the BIOS I received an error message that stated the 90-W AC Adapter was NOT a DELL adapter but it is!

 Something needs to be done about this, I've seen a lot of posts on this failure and possible internal mother board failure.  I NEVER had this problem with my old 8100 model but am now having it with my E1705 that is only 18 months old!

I have been experience intermitten power interuptions with brick for the last six months. Now the brick is completely powered off, and the green light won't come on to charge the battery. The baterry charges fine with brick working.

 Is there a fix available?

My laptop just died and I just finish to write a post on the power section of the forum (hopping for some help). This time my laptop died because of the power tip pour design. As "majortom1981" on this poll is suggesting make a power tip L shaped so the cable take the direction that wants to take and avoid to take that much stress on the bit of cable in between the ferride (you don't have to invent here you can simply copy from other brands).  All metals snap after many bend ups and downs. So if L shaped the connector could freely twist taking the best direction for the cable it self. My laptop died because one of the cable broke and shortcut with the other one and most probably I will have to buy a new motherboard and of course new charger for my dell D400. I would suggest you to also make some sort of magnetics links in the middle of the cable too, so if someone step on the cable the 2 magnetic tips will separate before the full Leigh of cable pulls the laptop on the floor. If you need help whit the design I can help you as I was about to design a laptop life saver "magnetic tip twister and slpitter" and make it available on the market. (As I already destroyed a laptop by accidentally stepped on power cable and pulled the laptop on the floor). I think most of dell users experienced already a second AC converter. I work for IT company and I do suggest Dell to all my customers and I do get lot's of calls because of the Faulty AC (all the rest of the computers are fine).

Do I have to believe that Dell didn't know about their pour design AC converter? or maybe it was an excuse to make a bit of more money after sale? it cost me already 2 AC convers already... and now my laptop it self (of course out of guarantied) I'm not happy at all.

I purchased a Dell Inspiron E1505 approximately two years ago.  Since then, I have gone through four adapters.  Whereas my Toshiba laptop I purchased in 2002 still uses its original adapter.  What's the deal?  Am I using the wrong wattage?  What is wattage?  The 90 watt adapters are a few bucks cheaper than the 65 watts.  I assumed the more watts the better...am I wrong?  For some odd reason, my adapters end up burning up...when I plug them in they will beep and I have to mess with the prong to get the green light to come on.  This enables me to limp along until it ultimately fizzles out, and then my stepson is having a kanipshion because he can't continue his online war game that expires by the day.   Anyone...please advise....am I not doing something right?

 Sincerely,

jstobb

frustrated New Mexican

Inspiron V6000... generally it has been a good laptop.  We've been using it for 2 1/2 years and although nearly every key has fallen off (another issue with poor design) the most problematic element has been the AC power supply.  We have replaced it twice with parts ordered directly from Dell; then, this last time we ordered what is supposed to be an authentic Dell product through Ebay.  I believe it is, too because everything about it is exactly like the two previous ones.

This machine has been heavily used but well taken care of ... although, again by the looks of it you'd never know it.

We are a family of 5 and each of us has a laptop.... this is the only Dell... this is the only one with power supply issues... COME ON DELL... step up to the plate and admit poor design.  I find it impossible to believe that so many consumers could be using the parts in less than desirable ways.... it has to be the product itself.

Our latest issue... is not the supply cord itself but like I've read from other posts... the hub on the back of the laptop that the supply actually plugs into is no longer stable so it does not maintain a constant supply...with the slightest movement the circuit is broken and it is back to trying to run on battery.

 I HAVE BEEN SO DISGUSTED AND WOULD NOT COME CLOSE TO CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF ANOTHER DELL unless I saw Dell stepping up and making good on all of these pieces of junk they sold to us.

I just finished recharging my laptop by HOLDING the adapter to the back of my inspiron 2650. I'm using the 2650 since my newer 6000 crashed and I lost a TON of information. What is the purpose of a warranty if everything is designed to tear up less than one week after the warranty expires.

My small company has purchased 20 Dell computers since 2003. Based upon the problems we have encountered, I don't know if we'll replace the Dell with another one.

These are problems that could be easily remedied, yet no one wants to take the time to do so. Your sales have been down; do you wonder why? 

I have a Dell Inspiron 5160, it cost well over $1100 new about 3 years ago, and one day it crashed. Thought it was the AC adapter, replaced at cost of

$250, but it did not fix the problem. Was told it was probably the motherboard, but there have been so many defects with this model, that

the recommendaton was to replace, not worth fixing it.  Indeed, I was not happy about this, and even less happy when I read about all of the other customers who are experiencing the same problem. There should be a recall, especially  if you want to keep customers at all.

I purchased a Dell Inspiron 1420 for myself in August of 2007.  I've had trouble intermittantly with the AC adapter, which is rarely transported.  Two days ago, it stopped working completely.  I called Dell and they will replace at no charge due to the warranty, but meanwhile, I'm stuck-unable to use my machine until the new one arrives.  It certainly would be nice to find a universal adapter that is compatible with my laptop that I could purchase at an electronics store or Wal-mart, which now sells Dells.  My son has a Dell laptop at college, and although this is a big inconvenience for me to be unable to use mine, for him to have the adapter fail at school and have to wait for the shipping of a replacement would be a much more serious issue.  C'mon Dell-if you're going to hold us hostage, at least make the part available in retail outlets.  I will be purchasing a laptop for my younger son within the next year, and will more than likely go with a different manufacturer. 

I cannot believe all the bad press about Dell computers.  I have had nothing but Dell laptops my entire life...  but... my Inspiron 8600 which I purchased just about 3 years ago is having a problem with the power port on the motherboard.  It sounds just like the problems everyone else is having with different models of laptops.  I am getting a big bonus tomorrow and I hate to say that unless Dell does a recall on the motherboards, I am going to have to become a loyal customer of a different manufacturer.  Oh, and I am on my 2nd power cord for this l laptop and my last one had to have 2 ac cords too. 

Dell, what do you have to say about all this?

I'm very disappointed in you.

Carol: I'm sorry to hear about the ongoing problems you've had with your Inspiron 8600. I will ask someone from Tech Support to follow up with you.

 I came across this post while checking the Net for solutions on how to go about charging my Dell laptop. I'm seriously having a lot of problems here, I have to literally hold the adapter to charge it! I cant figure out the problem since I've changed my adapter once already and the customer support here in India wasnt helpful at all. I've purchased my laptop abroad, and I cant obviously contact the customer support there! I have no clue about what to do now,hence this post. Oh, and its nice to see other people having similar problems too, atleast it doesn't make me feel like I'm the only victim of a Dell laptop...

Like Jorge wrote in December, my Inspiron is now telling me that my power adapter cannot be recognized. The system permits me to use the adapter for power, but it won't charge my battery. I checked the forum and I can see that I am not alone. I'm don't have access to a spare, so I am unable to test whether the problem is in the adapter or the motherboard. I would love to know how to fix this.

I am very upset, have always had dell desktops, so when I needed a laptop didnt hesistate to get a dell. Now my laptop is just out of warrenty (2 weeks) and the battery will not charge, the system works fine on the power cable, but if i wanted to be plugged in all the time I would of stuck with my desktop but my needs dictated a mobil computer.

When I turn the system on the message "ac power adaptor cannot be determined, reseat adaptor."

I have tried this and ive also had another adaptor and this dosn't charge the battery either, so  cannot seem rectify the issue, when I purchased the system I payed extra for an upgraded battery, now im thinking I neednt of bothered.

I cannot afford another laptop, but when I can even though we have always had dell desktops will look at the compition for a replacement.

any helpful information to rectify/solve problem gratfully received.

I too am playing the adapter game with Dell.

I have had my Dell Ispiron 6000 since 2005 and in the last two years I have gone through 6 replacement adapters.

I am now being told by Dell that they will no longer replace the adapter because they believe it is a motherboard problem.  Of course now my laptop is no longer under warranty.  First it's the battery then it's the adapter.

I have been a loyal Dell customer for some time, for business and personal use.  These power issues with their laptops are seriously making me rethink this position.

First let me apologize for the length of this post.

Well, it seems like I'm not the only one becoming disillusioned with Dell. I bought my first computer in 1995 and it was a Dell, I have since purchased 7 Dells,  both notebooks and desktops for myself, hubby and kid's use.  Being the Computer Nerd in the family I have put together systems for my family members and friends and they've always been from Dell. Now due to several issues with my Dell Inspiron 8600 and my son's XPS m170 and very poor technical support I will no longer be recommending Dell to anyone, much less buying another one for myself.
I have had the motherboard replaced 4 times, hard drive 2 times, lcd screen 1 time, keyboard 2 times, and now I'm having a problem with the adapter/charger.  Right now I am running on borrowed time as sooner or later the computer will crash, and shut down and I will not be able to power up again. I have no idea what is going on. I had the motherboard replaced  last month because the Ethernet port hadn't been working properly for months and was steadily getting worse. The on site tech replaced it, tested it and said it was working fine. I stupidly didn't check it myself before he left.  I sat down with it only to find the same problem! In order to keep a connection I had to position the cable plug just right in the port and then try not to move at all or it would lose it's connection.  So I called Dell again, talked to someone, was forced to trouble shoot again although I assured them I KNEW what the problem was.  They had me jumping through hoops, put me on hold several times, repeated themselves 5,000 times and had me ready to SCREAM!  Finally they agreed with what I said in the first 15 seconds of our conversation, yes the motherboard that was just installed must be defective so they would have a new one shipped and installed in the next few days.  Ok, fine....tech comes with new motherboard, says the port on the last one he installed was really loose.
I wanted to ask him why he didn't notice that when he installed it the last time he was here! But I bit my tongue and let him do his job. He installs the new /refurbished? motherboard, tests it and says it's fixed. I make sure I check it out before letting him escape out my door!   COOL the ethernet port is indeed fixed!!!!  This was on the last day of my 4 year warranty!   2 days later I'm working on my computer, when it shuts down on me.  I try to power it up again but no go. The green light on the adapter is lit, but the green light on the laptop doesn't light up when plugged in.  I can not power up machine. I push power button, all lights come on briefly then go out. Then I notice that the green light that indicates the laptop is plugged into AC blinks once every 7 seconds.  I stubbornly try pushing the power button about 100 times hoping it will fire up on one of them.  no go.  I find myself getting very frustrated and pushing every F button while pushing power button. No go.  By now the F stands for more than function if you know what I mean!!!  I finally give up an call Dell again. of course the tech wasted no time in telling me my warranty was expired! I explained to her that the problem didn't start until AFTER the new motherboard was installed...coincidence?
I don't know...maybe, but my guess is another bad motherboard.  After trying to communicate with this person with no success, I demand to talk to her supervisor. She put me on hold, came back and started asking me the same questions that we had gone over several times already.  I once again DEMANDED to speak to someone in charge. She put me on hold again and when she came back on she told me they would replace the motherboard again BUT I would have to send it into the depot to get it fixed as the warranty was expired.  I agreed to do so and she said she'd send me the box to pkg it in.  I had the box in 2 days.  I figured I'd try to power up the laptop before packaging it up and Voila' it started right up!  So I haven't sent it in yet as I really need my computer!  I did take the time to back up all vital info/programs to my desktop so I would have it WHEN the laptop acted up again as I knew it would. Well this morning it happened. Working fine, went dead and wouldn't power up again.  Same thing....I pushed power a zillion times, pushed all the F buttons, F12 seemed to do something, turned all the lights orange instead of green, but then they'd go out. It would sound like it was going to power up but then it would go silent again.  So, now it's time to pack this paper weight up and send it to the depot. But wait, let's just push the power button for fun one more time! Guess what? It powered up!  So here I am, not sure what in the HE_ _ is going on! I guess I'll box it up and send it to the depot and let them replace the motherboard again. Maybe when I get it back this problem will be fixed and I'll just have the Ethernet port problem again!  Or an altogether new one!  As soon as I get my tax returns, I am buying a new computer and it will NOT be a Dell. 
Sorry Dell, you need to make some major improvements to keep your customers happy. And you haven't been doing that. 
(I won't even go into the problems with defective parts that Dell has sent for my son's XPS notebook.)   Sure I got refunds when I returned the parts, but it's still a hassle and so frustrating!! 

Thought some of you might be interested in this also!  

IF you're having an ADAPTER/CHARGER issue:  Found this on another site. Very interesting! I checked the numbers as this poster recommended and indeed, the adapter that dell shipped with my laptop is not the correct one for the 8600. Could this be causing my power up problems???  Could be. I ordered a new charger and battery on EBAY today and will try them when I get my laptop back with the new/refurbished? motherboard.

Go here 

and scroll down to:

 Posted by Darrin on 4/30/2005 5:50 PM
 

Hello,

 I would really like to see Dell discontinue the 2-prong AC adapter immediately, and go back to the previous 3-prong, grounded AC adapter. I have always heard that surge protectors are somewhat useless without a ground. From a safety standpoint, I thought it was much better to have a ground wire, so the electricity will go through it instead of through you.

Even if there is some flaw in my reasoning, Dell should still go with the 3-prong just for customer peace-of -mind.

Regards,

BKC in Tennessee

I have a Dell e1505 purchased 2 years ago.  I have had to replace the power cord on it and it also will not get a charge to the battery.  I have gone through all of the help suggestions to the point where it says I need a new motherboard.  My mother bought this same model computer and hers is now starting to do the same thing.  WHY is there no recall on this????

"Kathy said:

Bought brand new XPS m1730 that was shipped to me Feb 27th, 2008. March 29th, Battery no longer charges and lappy won't turn on anymore. Contacted Tech Support and they said to send the machine back few a new motherboard. Is this a common issue with the XPS series as well??

Firstly, wrong HDD's were installed.. Ordered 2x250GB Raid 0 7200 RPM and got 2x250GB Raid 0 5400RPM..

Secondly, Vista killed itself.. One morning, Boot file missing.. (I know Vista isn't the most stable, but, this??)

And now, no charge option.. The blue light on the charger is lit up all the time, even when disconnected from lappy, which I think is normal, but now the laptop battery light flickers randomly when plugged in. 3000$ laptop thats 32 days old.. This machine replaced a Toshiba Satellite that I had for 8 years before I needed a due upgrade. Most I had to replace on the Toshiba when I owned it was the HDD that failed. If possible, I will ask Customer Care to just take the machine back.. I should be within my 30 day return period as the machine shipped Feb 27th and got here March 4th. If anyone else has had a problem with the XPS series, please post immediately as I don't want to have an on-going problem with my machine like I have read here about AC adapters! Bad enough I got a month old 3000$ door stop..

Purchasing my 4th power cord today!!! ughh!!! 

Hey,

I've got a D505 and its been great...until today when I realized the AC adapter wasn't charging the battery.  I have another Dell laptop from work and charged up my battery on that one...then put it back in my 505 so I could access some info on power prob's and realized I'm not alone.  But, what is the recommended solution?  Like most folks on this blog, I don't want to change to another laptop...and can't use the one from work like this.  What has Dell done to help us out?  Warranty has run out and my charge works, but not on the 505....it's seems to be the port.  The replicator (Dock) will not charge either?

 Any help out there?

Hi,

I have a Dell Inspiron 6400 and I an not a happy camper!!! I have went through numerous AC adaprters and my warrenty only covered one. I go through about one a month since my warrenty ran out. (at $120.00 - $160.00/each) I have called and called and the customer service and the tech. support but they keep transferring me back and fourth! I have about 7 friends/family who have the SAME computer and the SAME problems. I think that a petition should be started for people with the same problems. It should be brought to the media's attention. It is the only way to have anything done.  There sould be a recall on the battery for this make and model. The battery itself without the AC adapter will not last over 3.5 SECONDS! and this was about 11 months after the initial purchase. They can't tell me thats normal!

THIS NEEDS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY!!! IT IS NOT FAIR SPENDING ALL OF THIS MONEY ON A "QUALITY BUILT" PRODUCT! LIARS!

If you can't make a computer then don't make them! AC adapters and/or batteries should be free if they are going to be faulty!

My family bought a dell a year up until 2005. First we bought a computer for the house, it was wonderful, then my brother got a laptop the following year for college, and the year after that I did as well, and the year after that my husband got one. In 2005 we moved to a new home, and decided we needed a desktop, since our laptops were getting a little out of date, we could just get a nice desktop for all the heavy duty stuff, right?

 We ordered the computer, an xp, got it in the mail, opened the box and there the problems started. First they forgot to ship a sound bar for the speakers, so they sent that, simple enough fix (although the 4 hours spent on hold explaining this weren't as easy as they could have been) next the memory card was aparently not good, or something, the computer wouldn't work so they sent someone to fix it, the next week we discovered the fan was broken, they send someone to fix it, the video card was messed up, the keyboard wouldn't work, ect. by the end of the month they had replaced every part on the computer, but were completely unwilling to just send us a new computer. Keep in mind each of these problems made me wait on hold for HOURS, I am not exagerating. I was transfered to department to department, no matter how many times I said I had an xp computer they always had to connect me with the xp people because the auto system kept connecting me to the wrong people, it got to the point where someone would answer the phone and I would just start by saying

"I don't care what department this is, if you don't get someone on the line who can understand the words I am saying, and respond back to me in English, I swear to God I might just lose my mind. Get your supervisors supervisor on the phone NOW!"

BTW, I'm a really nice person, but for some reason screaming at an automated voice for four hours that thinks it knows when I said one verses two, got my temper a little frayed. I pity the people who work for dell, because no one can be in a good mood after dealing with that horrible phone system.

The computer's waranty is now up, and of course it's not working. My laptop has not worked since the day its warrenty stopped working, my brother, and mother just replaced all their computers with Macs, and now my husband charger won't work. It beeps, and the light won't turn on.

 Dell, if anyone from your company actually reads this, you are the most horrible computer company in the entire world. It is pathetic that a computer I am still making payments on did not work from the DAY I GOT IT on. Different problems every week. And now this charger crap.

You claim people matter to you? That our opinions make a difference? Cute speach, if you meant it you would have replaced my 3,000 dollar computer the day after I bought it and it wasn't working. We will never ever ever buy another computer for you again. I tell everyone I meet this story btw, just so everyone knows how bad you suck. The rest of my family complains about you all the time as well. Everyone in the world knows your customer service sucks, and so do your computers. They used to work really well, I don't know what happened between 2003 and 2005, but you have become completely insuficient.

Good enough feedback for ya?

 Ive had my e1505 laptop for under a year and the ac adapter part has already become desoldered from the motherboard. My battery won't charge, meaning the whole purpose of having a laptop (portability) is now gone. The exact same thing happened on my old dell laptop from 3 years ago, and both times is because the wire bends so much unless the cord is an exact straight line away from the back of the laptop. The slightest tug bends and eventually detaches the internal AC adapter. Dell customer service could barely speak english, let alone fix my problem. This is the last Dell product I will ever buy. Such an obvious design flaw could be fixed, as had been said many times by many people, with an L shaped plug. Personally, I'm not rich, and i had to work alot to buy this laptop. Because i know i'm just 1 person, and my computer was "only" around 1,000 dollars, I wont be getting any kind of reimbursement for the trouble this horrible company has caused. I am going to college in a few months and I will surely have to buy a new laptop because of this. Do you make them break on purpose so people will buy more? I am going to buy from a respectable company, one that has a good record of quality. My father is a professor at a university here, and im sure they have a huge budget for laptops for professors (he has 3 laptops from work, and with the number of total professors times multiple computers, thats a few hundred). I'll see how many people there have the same problems with dell, and recomend switching to something else.

We have an Inspiron E1705. We also have problems with the ac adapter. It was replaced twice already. Also the motherboard was replaced after the computer wouldn't start anymore. Now the battery is not charging and we get the message that the ac adapter is not recognized.

We also have a dell desktop and are satisfied with it but in the future, if and when we buy a new laptop it won't be a dell.

 It there any point in leaving a post!?! It seems that there is a lot of people on this site with the same problem, as I came to get help in fixing.  And I don't see any solution - except to buy another adapter which i don't believe is acceptable.  The adapter should be the last thing to go.

I'm an instructor and I use my laptop quite a lot and decided to buy a Dell laptop as I was led believed that they are the most reliable on the market, but now I don't think so.

I think the solution is to move to a competitor. 

I have an M90.The ac adapter quit working after about 8 months use. Lots of beeping and a flashing amber light. The failure was where the output harness attached to the pc board in the ac adapter. I roll up the cord and shove the adapter in a laptop bag twice a day (I try not to bend the cord too sharply.) In my opinion the output strain relief is not robust enough. It twists back and forth too much in the plastic case. Here are pictures of the repair job if you are interested.

I was a fand of Dell , I purchased Inspiron 510m used it for 2 yrs and then I HAD TO sell it , then I purchased Inspiron 6400 remain happy with it just for 1 year now again I will HAVE TO sell it reason both the time was power adaptor. the power adaptor got damaged both the times. Now I dont think that I will purchase DELL system ever again also will not recommend it to my friends. better put little bit extra money and purchase Toshiba or HP .

I would like to say good buy to DELL

The adaptor of my Inspiron 1720 behaves erratically, some times the light wont come on and it would make a beeping noise at other times it works fine. I'm always worried when it will fail completely leaving me high and dry! I have now ordered an adaptor online as a back-up. This beeping issue seems very common and the internet is full of similar complaints 

I own a a Dell inspiron 9300 -- I am on my second 90W-AC power adaptor -- I was on a business trip and  suddenly the computer no longer "recognizes" the power adaptor and will not charge the battery.  I read on the net Dell puts some kind of chip in the adaptor to recognize the computer adaptor match -- it will not charge the battery -- now the portability of the laptop is useless -- likely I have to buy a third adaptor -- why doesn't my computer
"recognize" that the chip failed and send a message to deal to send me another one? -- Dell you suck.

Apple has the answer for the AC adaptor problem. The use a manetic connection that just breaks away when forced out or tripped on, bringing no damage to the computer or connection. My daughter has an \Apple for school. This is a great solution.

Every computer manufacturer should adapt this type of connection.

I purchased a Dell Inspiron 6000 in 2005 and have gone through FOUR adapters. I found this blog and saw that everyone has been having similar problems. Dell will not replace my latest adapter even though it's less than 5 months old. Their warranty on replacement parts is only 90 days. Besides the fact that they charged me over $80 for this last one, while my first one was only $35. I've gone on to search the internet and found several for $25, brand new, genuine Dell parts. So not only did they over charge me, they won't stand behind their products. The laptop runs fine, never had a problem with it, but what good is it if I can't charge the battery. I originally purchased a refurbished Dell laptop in 2000 and my brother still uses it and THAT adapter has never been replaced. Go figure. I guess my next laptop will NOT be a Dell. I can't even get to talk with someone at Dell. They keep passing me around from one department to another. I guess no one wants to take responsibility for my problem. So I once was a fan of Dell but no longer.

I will never by a Dell computer ever again. I have gone through 4 power cords working on my 5th one as we speak. I have to order it today. Just after I received my last one which was in May did i realized it is the back connection on my computer that is faulty. So all of these years that i have asked for new power cords it could have been corrected by just getting a replaced connection on the back of my computer. I still have this problem any suggestions?

MI resident

I purchased a Inspiron E1705 in 2007, it runs okay but the ac adapter has failed as of 06/2008.  What gives DELL??? I never had a ac adapter quit before.  The plug design into the charger is poor.  Who would ever design it that way.  As of today, I bought another ac adapter (06/24/08) I this one will last longer than year....  Otherwise, I will sell this piece of crap and go to MAC.

I've had an Inspiron 1501 for about a year and a half now, and have gone through about 6 ac adapters, two keyboards, and now using a mouse because the touchpad is acting up.   I just bought a Lenovo.  I still have the Dell, but am playing with the idea of either trashing it, or rebuilding it--of which I'm still wondering if it's worth going to the trouble to rebuild.  From what I see here it's not.  My biggest problem is the ac adapters.  Would a higher wattage adapter help?  I see where it would take a 90w (and higher).  I'm using a 65w so far.

I too am experiencing the extremely frustrating situation of a Dell XPS M170 laptop which won't boot. I always get an error message something which says:

The AC power adapter type cannot be determined. The system can only boot with a 130 W power adapter or greater.

Strike the F1 key to shutdown.

For a while I was able to avoid this by having the power unplugged while whatever boot-time process is responsible for this adapter check, and then plugging it back in - then the battery would recharge maybe 50% of the time.

Now the computer is a damn paperweight.

I accidentally let the battery run down while it was on, so now I can't use my hack of having it unplugged to boot it up, there's not enough charge in the battery, and it always gives me that stupid error message about not recognizing the adapter. I'm about ready to put a bullet through this damn thing, this is the most annoying catch-22 failure I've experienced.

I've scoured the internet about this problem and it seems that there are quite a few people experiencing but there doesn't seem to be any good solution to it. Suggestions welcome.

After receiving my second power cord (with NOT the exact same model number as my original), and getting the same issues about which I'm reading here, I discovered something about these (made in China) replacements:

If the original power cords don't work, Dell is out millions in warranty  replacement and lost business - so, conveniently, they work! 

The inside cylinder of my replacement power cord seems to have issues with continuity (electrical connection).

Using a wooden toothpick, (Be CAREFUL NOT TO HIT OR BEND THE CENTER PIN!) I swabbed the inside cylinder of the plug itself and found extensive fouling on the toothpick!

This can be caused by dirt, oxidation (from sitting in warehouses), and even "corner cutting" to save on metal. The can be done in China without Dell's knowledge.

But Dell is being hounded over these problems so it behooves them to send investigators there, perhaps with customs agents.

Meanwhile, I've disconnected my brick and waited for the capacitors to also discharge (about 1 minute). Then using an eye dropper, I applied some household 3% hydrogen peroxide to clean up the dirt or oxidation, but I'm not a chemist.

Someone else may know how to create the chemical reaction that would place conductive metal on the inside of those cylinders.

CAUTION! The plug would need to be thoroughly dried before replacing it into the computer - I used toilet paper and then blew violently on the opening to be sure.

Coincientally, I now have have a plug that went from totally not working to one that when jiggled correctly, makes workable contact.

I'm guessing it was oxidation AND dirt - (they all smoke over there!).

My next attempt (after this plug fails again) would be to try to create a low power electrolysis using tin foil and lemon juice, but I don't know if that will steal metal from the tin foil (desired) or steal it from the inside of the cylinder (disasterous).

But I wouldn't have to try anything if DELL had sold me a working part, to begin with, would I?

Same problem here. Laptop is less than 6 months old, the second adaptor they sent out about a month ago has now died.

The adaptor with my old dell still works fine after about 3 years.

The reliability of theses new ones is unacceptable. Dell need to change their supplier.

I am also getting the following error message ie.:

The AC power adapter type cannot be determined. The system can only boot with a 130 W power adapter or greater.

Strike the F1 key to shutdown

I own a Dell Precision M6300 I purchased in Oct'07. Furthermore, I have 2 x 130WAC adapters and to add insult to injury one of the adapters has failed completely.

I have Gold Technical Support and they told me they will be sending out a technician with a new AC Adapter AND a new motherboard for my M6300!

That suggests to me that they are well aware of this problem and it sounds like they have to replace the motherboard to fix it.

So, motherboard has failed AND my 2nd adapter has died within a week!

I originally bought the Precision because my previous 2 Dell laptops were Inspirons and they were rubbish! One of them consistently failing.

The Precision is considered by Dell to be a corporate machine and is a top-of-the-line unit. It's software certified and at around AUS$6300 fully spec'd I thought I was going to get a robust machine that I could use everyday for work.

Barely 6 months old and now this!

THIS MACHINE IS RUBBISH, JUST LIKE THE PREVIOUS MACHINES I BOUGHT FROM THESE JOKERS.

I have had a new XPS M1710 for 9 months, and the AC adaptor has had problems.  It died on me already and was replaced.  Just this morning, the new one is now acting very errectically and wouldn't provide power for 30 mins.  If I were to disturb the wire right now, it would stop supplying power again, maybe permenently.

I use my laptop at work and home, moving the AC adaptor in and out of by bag twice daily.  These adaptors must be designed for durability.

My laptop is an Inspiron 1705.  It is 13 months old and under a 4-year extended warranty..  I replaced the power adaptor 3 months ago, and I replaced it again a week ago.  And, unbelievably, today the Dell service technician is coming to deliver still another a power adaptor (my 4th).  He is also bringing a motherboard, the second in two weeks.  And he's bringing a new keyboard.   Again, the power adaptor and mother board were both replaced just a week ago and they are being replaced again today.  In addition, my hard drive failed after 10 months.

Right now, the light goes out on the power adaptor, and the laptop shuts down without warning and without going to battery.  The same symptoms have been present for the last two power adapters.  And now, the display intermittently gets all diagonal with backwards writing, and the laptop won't shut down.  Sometimes there  is a beeping sound.  The adaptor is VERY HOT, especially when compared to an adaptor we have for another, older Dell computer.  Who knows whether the primary problem is thre adaptor or the motherboard, or both.

Dell's service people, on the phone and in person, are very competent and cordial.  You feel you are being paid attention to and they know what they are doing, but there comes a time when you lose faith.  If only the laptops themselves were as good as the service people.

Barbara Rodgers

The AC power adapter type cannot be determined

How i can solve the problem , please if there is a solution please contact me or tell me how is the best place to solve the problem

Thanks Dell for this AC Adaptor

Mohammed Fathi

Egypt

I purchased an Inspiron 6400 laptop for my small business with 2 batteries in Dec 2006. Now I've got the "does not recognize adaptor" error on boot up so neither battery will charge. Very disappointed and probably a deal breaker for Dell on the next computer purchase.

I own a Dell inspiron 9300 -- I am on my second 90W-AC power adaptor -- suddenly the computer no longer "recognizes" the power adaptor and will not charge the battery.  This is extremely crazy as Idonot understand what doesdelll put in their system that immediately after the warranty period the system stops. I gues it is marketting policy so we can keep spending moneyon delll goods.

3 years old and gone through 3 power supplies.   Plugs fray no matter what you do or how you protect them.    Now the plug interface has gotten wallowed out to where even the good supply I have won't make contact much of the time.    This is total junk and there is no excuse for it to continue.     One tip,  buy your new power supplies off Ebay and don't give Dell a damned dime more of your money they obviously want to extort so badly.    There is no excuse for them to not change this plugs design.    PURE JUNK.

First sorry for my english is not so good. I'm from Indonesia. April 2008 me with my friends (3 person) going to Computer Store. We all plan to buy laptop. So 3 of my friends recomended that we buy HP Compaq Presario V3000 series. But I decide to try Dell Laptop because my old laptop is Compaq armada E500 (Still working well till now) so i want to try another product. And i choose Dell Inspiron 1420, Because people and Media says that Dell is the second biggest Computer Company in the world. All my friends finally decide to buy Compaq V3737 series. 

Three month later my dear Dell laptop give me a message "The AC power adapter type cannot be determined......., bla bla bla....  Since that, Led light on power button and Dell Direct Button is off (never on).  And not too long from that, there is 2 dead pixel on screen. When my friends knows that they laugh on me, because they say that they learn from me (because my old laptop is Compaq) but me...?????? Dell, Prove it to my friend that u have a Good Service for Customer. There is 100% perfect in mass production, but after sale service is more important. So..... i'm waiting for your reply, thanks

I bought a Dell Inspiron 1420 in September 2007. From the beginning, I was getting periodic warnings that the computer did not recognize the adapter. I called Dell and they said they'd never heard of this, but they shipped me a new adapter. Now, I am getting the same message. As well, my computer has twice shut the screen down (black) and I have had to turn off the laptop by holding the power key, with some difficulty. This computer is well looked after, hardly moves from the table it is on, but I am worried about it.

Redesign your laptop adapters and keep the new design simple, honest and bio friendly.

Peace!

I'm on my 4th adapter for my E1705.  I agree that Dell should  make the cable from the power supply to the laptop replaceable.  That's always the part that goes.

Another thing that really chaps me is that when the power supply starts to go, the BIOS doesn't recognize it as a 90W, but it will still run the laptop, it just won't charge the battery.  How hard can it be to make the computer charge the battery if it's able to function on AC power?

I've had continual problems with the touchpad on my E1705 too. 

My solution to all this was to give my wife my E1705 and buy a macbook in April.  I'm learning to love it.  The power system is much better designed--love the magnetic connector. 

My employer decided to buy me a new computer.  I looked closely at Dell, but decided to stick with mac.  My wife's next computer will be a mac.

I had a beeping charger which didn't charge, I scoured the internet for solutions for what causes a dell charger to beep. It seems that there are wires within the reinforced cable where if the cable kinks the wires touch and short the whole thing out. I rang Dell to see about a replacement which came next day but I managed to get the old one working by twisting the kinks out of the cable.

If your warranty has run out, try twisting the kinks out. Sometimes it may be impossible if the kinks are too big but it worked for me.

My AC adaptor crashed last night. I get on the Dell site and am unable to find this product although I do find this blog site. Very interesting and I feel lucky that the adaptor has lasted this long. I have had my Inspiron 9400 laptop for 2 1/2 years and it has been in an aircraft with me for every month of that time flying from one side of Australia to the other and overseas to Europe, Africa and South East Asia. It has chalked up thousands of kilometres of travel without any problems. The computer has never let me down and I have recommended it to others and purchased another Dell laptop for my daughter. Now I see the problems that other people are having with the adaptor charger and wonder why has Dell not sorted this out? I always wind the cord around the brick. This is how it was sent to me and I have continued this practice. I wouldn't say I am the gentlest person with my laptop and I would expect that a laptop is designed to be mobile and therefor subject to the vagaries of travel and general use etc. This is a major selling point for me as, no doubt it would be for people who use their laptops constantly.

Dell, it is in your best interests to design an ac adaptor which will not fail or cause damage to the laptop. I would be extremely hesitant to purchase another Dell laptop having read the issues other people are having with this critical piece of kit.

Regards

Ken Walters 

I purchased a E1505 two years ago.  I'm now on my third hard drive as the other two have failed.  But that is not my latest problem. 

A few weeks ago I noticed that the AC adaptor was not charging my battery but could still run off AC power.  I ran diagnostics and it found I had a problem with the AC adaptor.  I e-mailed Dell service and started chatting with someone overseas.  That was a great customer experience.  My theory was that I just needed a new AC adaptor.  In any event, his solution was to update the BIOS.  When I told him that was not the problem, he was certain that is what I needed to do.  Of course it did not work.  The next day I chatted again with someone overseas.  They determined that the problem was with my motherboard.  The power adaptor attached to the motherboard and become loose and that is why it was not charging the battery.  However, despite the fact that I had a five year extended warranty and was getting an error code when I ran diagnostics, they determined that this was normal wear and tear for a motherboard and refused to replace the motherboard.  After fighting with them for a few days and having my issue elevated to a supervisor overseas who started yelling at me that Dell supports its products, but not my product and was not going to honor the warranty, I decided to forget about the issue and just use the laptop as a desktop.  A few days later I heard cackling and realized that my AC adaptor was on fire!  Good thing I was home when this happened.  Despite having a warranty for this component, I did not want to deal with Dell customer service anymore so I just ordered a new one and paid for it.  I have not received it yet, but I'm prety sure this was the problem the whole time. 

I've been a pretty loyal Dell customer.  I've owned 2 Dell Desktops, 2 Dell Laptops in my life.  I've purchased a Dell desktop for a family member.  I use Dell at work and in the past I've advised my company's technology team to purchase Dell. 

My engineering solution for this problem is never to purchase a Dell computer again and I've advised everybody I know not to buy Dell.  Their product is terrible.  This was a great American company and it is sad.  Dell is terrible because it has exported its components and service overseas.  As a result, there is no quality control at Dell and its products are terrible.  Dell should reengineer its corporate philosophy regarding its customers and the service it provides them. 

I have a Latitude D800 laptop, and I'm on my third AC adaptor. The first two had the same problem - one day the little green light stopped going on, the adaptor started beeping, and the laptop wouldn't charge.

I just purchased an iGo from Radio Shack that acts as a universal adaptor and it's working beautifully. It was only half the price of the replacement Dell adaptor -- and it also charges my cell phone, my camera, my iPod, etc. So I'm wondering why this is such a hard and expensive problem for Dell to solve?

I've been a loyal Dell customer for many years, and I would love to continue. But the adaptor does seem to be a weak link in the chain ...

I've got an refurbished Latitude C610 but after a while having a problem with ac power adapter issue. I went to Dell website just to find out that the adapter I'm using P/N 9364U has been recalled by Dell due to risk of fire and electrical shock. I called up Dell Tech Support to request for replacement but they refused to grant my request because they said I'm not the original owner, of course I got it refurbished. They advised me to call Customer Care to file a change of ownership but they said it takes 5-15 days waiting time period to process it. Meaning I have to suffer more risk and time using my defective and recalled adapter because of the process on their part. I think this is not reasonable.