3 Posts
0
982
December 6th, 2022 03:00
Inspiron 5400 AIO (24) Power adapter not identified ...
Hi ... a message longer than the title suddenly appeared on a full diagnostic screen when I powered my desktop. Options were Continue / Run Diagnostics / (something I don't remember). I ran simple diagnostics, got stuck in the middle. Ran comprehensive diagnostics, got stuck in the middle. Well, diagnostics were so secretive that they did not provide a single line of report. When run individually, both memory and disk tests got stuck, too. So I started to explore. Similar problem seems to be quite frequent in laptop versions; but they did not help, except for one: someone wrote something about a "flea" battery. The article is for laptops, but if you strip laptop specific actions, you are left with these steps:
1. Power off
2. Unplug the AC adapter
3. Unplug the DC power cable
4. Press and hold the power button for longer than 20 seconds to deplete flea battery
5. Plug the DC power cable
6. Plug the AC adapter
7. Power on
Well, surprising as it was, it worked! Maybe it was just dust somewhere, I'm not sure. I suspect this flea battery the article talks about, is the battery providing clock ticks for the CPU.
So, keep it in mind for troubling moments ...
fireberd
9 Legend
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33.4K Posts
0
December 7th, 2022 11:00
I go way back, before 1984, in computers. IBM 360/20 in mid 60's. VTAM/CICS, etc. NASA Telemetry processor programmer on the Apollo project.
Flea power is referenced in more than Dell. Its a DC voltage generated in a desktop power supply (when connected to AC Power. Not in laptops and all in ones.
My self built desktop has the flea power and indicator on the motherboard.
fireberd
9 Legend
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33.4K Posts
0
December 6th, 2022 06:00
The all in ones are basically a laptop with a desktop monitor and keyboard.
The "flea" power on a desktop refers to the voltage the power supply provides to the motherboard when powered off but still has AC power. A LED is lit on the motherboard to denote the flea power.
RoHe
10 Elder
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45.2K Posts
0
December 6th, 2022 14:00
And maybe your motherboard battery is getting weak and needs to be replaced...?
Hadibe
3 Posts
0
December 7th, 2022 11:00
RoHe: Thanks for your input. It could be the motherboard battery, but since the computer is only 6 months old, an infinitesimal probability.
fireberd: Thanks for your input. But I have to point out that desktops do not contain a battery accept for the CPU clock. At least mine does not, which affects both behavior and solution method. And besides, it did not seem convenient to dismantle my computer just to see if the LED somewhere inside is lit or not.
So, after I have solved my problem and posted it as above, I searched for "flea" and found out that the article I read was using it wrong by referring to it as a "battery". The correct term is "flea power" as you used it. But, I still do not think that there is a LED on the motherboard indicating it; because the last article I found in Dell manuals site for XPS-15-9570 laptop describes it as 'Flea power is the residual static electricity that remains in the computer even after it has been powered off and the battery is removed'.
I am a new Dell user, but as a software developer since ATARI 800 XL (1984), I have taken my share of at least 20 models up till IBM AS400s and never heard of a term "flea power" representing static electricity. I suppose it is Dell slang (and mostly Dell problem?).
Anyway, thank you all ... but I don't know how to put an end to this topic, because it wasn't intended to be a discussion on an already solved situation. MODERATOR PLEASE HELP
Hadibe
3 Posts
0
December 14th, 2022 09:00
Thank you grand master! On this case, you have just unleashed that flea power is Dell slang. Your LED, indicating the board is still receiving power from its AC adapter and it is being converted to DC can definitely not be an indicator of static electricity.
On the other hand, on this very forum, I found out that there are Dell technical staff swearing that there is no LED indicating flea power on their motherboards for decades, and it is a myth. They should rather state those previous LED s were to indicate there is DC input to the board and they have been removed, probably because no one is interested anymore.
Besides, there are many articles on static electricity charges on boards is the result of using cheap, low quality capacitors, or improper grounding, and they might be the cause of more serious problems that can not be solved by pushing the power button for a long time to discharge the accumulated static. Which I find acceptable.
Wish you well ...