You can know the source of your problem by trying your charger on a similar laptop, or by plugging in a similar charger. It is a matter of time before your charger will need you to plug it in in an awkward angle for it to work. The fault is a common one and happens because the plug sits so proud from the side of the laptop that it constantly gets knocked and causes the connector on the power board to fail most commonly open circuiting the signal line. Troubleshooting If you have a charger that has been working before, then do not worry. In fact, you will get the same error if you just plug in the adapter without the battery. While trying a new adapter is a good idea, changing the battery is not. It can also be caused when the data connection for charger identification is broken it could be due to a problem in the charger (cable, plug or central pin) or in the laptop (power input port or motherboard). If you choose to ignore this message, the system performance will go down, and you will notice that your processor clock speed has been halved. This will protect the battery from high currents if the wattage of the charger is higher than the OEM specification. If the Laptop does not get the signal, it does not allow the PSU to charge the battery, it will, however, allow it to power the laptop. The power connector consists of 3 pins, 2 are power and earth, the 3rd is a signal line to identify the PSU as a compatible (Dell) unit. Why your AC power adapter type cannot be determined As the error says, this means your PC cannot identify the charger you plugged in. In both cases, your battery will not charge and you will not see any indication on the system tray that the charger is plugged in. This error also occurs when you have fully started your PC and logged in. The user has an option to ignore this message and complete the boot by pressing F1. The AC power adapter type cannot be determined The computer will then state the wattage of the adapter you need e.g. When the charger is plugged in and the PC is booted up, the user gets an error in a black screen stating The AC power adapter type cannot be determined.Ī variation of this message says The AC power adapter type and wattage cannot be determined. There is a particular issue that has been bothering several users as far back as 2005. However, you will need an AC adapter in order to charge your laptop battery.įor Dell users, charging their batteries has somewhat been a problem.

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