I Chased A Strange Power Issue For Two Days And Here's What I Learned

Video Description

This Alienware m15 R5 came in for the strangest power issue, and it took me two days to fix it and leanred something valuable. Customer Notes: Primary Issues: Laptop not charging despite AC power connection, works only on battery, USB devices frequently disconnect, requiring physical reconnection, cannot boot on AC power alone. Initial Diagnostics F12 system diagnostics showed Battery reaching the end of usable life warning. Replaced the battery with a third-party unit, which temporarily appeared to charge but wasn't actually charging. Follow-up Testing Re-ran F12 diagnostics after battery replacement, all tests passed with no errors detected. Physical Inspection: No visible damage to AC adapter ports. Attempted boot with AC power only after disconnecting the battery, but the laptop failed to start. Confirmed laptop only operates on battery power. Related Issue Two months prior, USB peripherals, mouse, and keyboard began frequently disconnecting and requiring physical reconnection to function properly. Previous Work Added 1TB SSD upgrade, applied thermal paste to CPU and GPU, recently replaced battery during troubleshooting. Additional Notes: Small screen crack in top-right corner, cosmetic, display works normally. During previous motherboard access, the wire connecting the rear exhaust lights to the motherboard had tape separation. Wire functions but handle carefully and retape if possible. 🛠️Need Replacement Parts or Repair for your Dell or Alienware Laptop https://www.parts-people.com/ Get The Shirt I Am Wearing https://partspeople.myspreadshop.com/ We have specialized exclusively in Dell laptops since 2002 and stock more than 500k genuine OEM Dell laptop parts. 💻Dell Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 Parts https://ppci.me/c/151/1507 🙎‍♂️About me I (Nathan) have been working on and repairing Dell laptops for more than 25 years, and in 2002, I started Parts-People.com, which is a company that specializes exclusively in Dell and Alienware laptops. We buy out and stock all of Dell's laptop inventory, which Dell no longer stocks. We now have more than 500K Dell genuine OEM parts in our warehouse and have become the number one place for Dell laptop owners. You can purchase parts to repair your own laptop or send it in and have one of our Dell experts or me service your machine. 🍺🍺Buy Me A Bourbon🍺🍺 https://streamelements.com/partspeople/tip **************************************************** Here is the list of equipment that I use. (Affiliate Links) **************************************************** PTM7950 Thermal Paste Sheet - https://amzn.to/3Z6ty3j BIOS Chip Reader: TL866-3G (T48) https://amzn.to/4iRxKvX SOP8 Pogo Pin Chip Clip - 5x6mm and 6x8mm -- https://amzn.to/4j0ERSp WSON Pogo Pin Chip Clip - 5x6mm and 6x8mm -- https://amzn.to/4nzu1o7 Chip Reader Software -- Xgpro Hex Editor Software: Neo Hex Editor -- https://hhdsoftware.com/free-hex-editor EC Programming: PCBite Probes (Full Kit) -- https://amzn.to/4jsXWNJ EC Programming: PCBite Probes (Probes on;y) -- https://amzn.to/4cNkYvY EC Programmer: vertyanov SAS EC Programmer -- https://ioprogrammer.com/ Microscope: Amscope SM-4T Trincocular(3.5x-90x zoom) -- https://amzn.to/4bY5PaW Microscope Camera: -- Amscope MU1803 -- https://amzn.to/4c08uRm Better Microscope Camera: 4K HDMI KP-3609A4K -- https://amzn.to/4bWf6Ad Camera I Am Using: RisingCam IMX678 -- https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805933501257.html Ultrasonic Cleaner: Crest Ultrasonics P1200D -- https://amzn.to/4iV9qsw SMD Rework Station (Hot-Air): Atten ST-862D -- https://amzn.to/420CHvb Solder Station: Metcal MX-5220 Ultra Fine Soldering and Rework System -- https://amzn.to/4miofXI KIMTECH - Kim Cleaning Wipes -- https://amzn.to/4qLeDrz Cotton Swabs - Clean Swabs -- https://amzn.to/4hNMhJa Alcohol Dispenser Pump Bottle -- https://amzn.to/499YgyB DMM Volt Meter: UNI-T Digital Multimeter UT161B -- https://amzn.to/4iF2LDc USB-C Meter: Power-Z C240 Portable USB-C Tester -- https://amzn.to/44rubrC USB-C Meter (w/ PC Interface): Power-Z KM003C USB-C Tester -- https://amzn.to/3Y3wPA2 Voltage Injection: Short Killer-- https://amzn.to/46zn9lS Thermal Camera Better: Flir One Pro Thermal Imaging Camera -- https://amzn.to/4iY0UZW Thermal Camera Cheaper: Seek Thermal Compact Thermal Camera -- https://amzn.to/4kUkdoH