Solved: Smart AC adapter message - HP Support Community

mikensay · ‎12-09-2010

Lately I've been getting this message:

The Smart AC Adapter connected will power your computer, but potentially at a reduced performance level. Your computer is designed to vary performance as needed when a smaller capacity Smart AC Adapter is connected. Resource intensive tasks may cause your system not to perform at its highest level with a smaller capacity Smart AC Adapter. Please connect a higher capacity Smart AC Adapter for full performance.

This message pops up at the lower corner of my laptop 2 or 3 times stacking on top of each other. I've thought it was just marketing from HP to buy some new product but today I noticed that my computer was plugged in and not charging. Unfortunately, I noticed too late and it shut down. Called Costco conceirge service, and they had me remove the battery, AC plug, and hold the power button for a minute...and then amazing, the adapter started to charge again. They had no solid info on why this happened.

Is this indicative of a problem with the AC adapter or possibly just a fluke? Anyone else run into this problem?

My laptop is a G60 533CL

erico · ‎12-19-2014

@AnAceBuyer wrote:
Having the same problem, after owning my i7 quad-core laptop w/16G for about 6 months. HP has already replaced the 90W adapter under warranty, but the problem persists. Today, HP's tech support said the message is an error, and they would be glad to make the message disappear!! Battery stops charging after a few minutes regardless of adapter, and at best will hold the existing charge level but not increase the charge. Battery testing suggests the battery is "normal." Tech support now wants me to send in my laptop! Can ill afford to be without it, and the tech didn't honestly make much sense to me. I've asked to escalate support to a more senior tech, but that may take another 48 hrs. Frustrated and worried at this point. Seems like HP may have outstripped the capability of their smartcharger series, but may not be able to admit or fix it.

@AnAceBuyer

Try a hard reset as follows:

1) Remove the battery and unplug the DC power adapter.
2) Press and hold the power button for more than fifteen seconds.
3) Plug in the DC power adapter (leave the battery out for now)
4) Press the power button

Please post your positive or negative results here in your thread.

If this has no effect, consider saving all important data to an external storage device. That way when HP Support representative contacts you, it will be safe to allow remotely control of your notebook for troubleshooting.

I will ask to have your issue escalated.

I am a volunteer forum member. If my suggestion helped you solve your issue, help others by marking that post as the accepted solution. Say thanks by clicking on the Yes button next to the "was this reply helpful?"

View solution in original post

mdcleary1 · ‎02-28-2011

This just started happening to me too. Is this a ploy to get us to buy a more expensive adapter?

erico · ‎03-01-2011

Hi,

@mikensay wrote:
Lately I've been getting this message:

The Smart AC Adapter connected will power your computer, but potentially at a reduced performance level. Your computer is designed to vary performance as needed when a smaller capacity Smart AC Adapter is connected. Resource intensive tasks may cause your system not to perform at its highest level with a smaller capacity Smart AC Adapter. Please connect a higher capacity Smart AC Adapter for full performance.

This message pops up at the lower corner of my laptop 2 or 3 times stacking on top of each other. I've thought it was just marketing from HP to buy some new product but today I noticed that my computer was plugged in and not charging. Unfortunately, I noticed too late and it shut down. Called Costco conceirge service, and they had me remove the battery, AC plug, and hold the power button for a minute...and then amazing, the adapter started to charge again.  They had no solid info on why this happened.

Is this indicative of a problem with the AC adapter or possibly just a fluke?   Anyone else run into this problem?

My laptop is a G60  533CL

Take a read of this document in the support pages for your notebook. It means that the adapter that you have is not high enough capacity. You might have a 65 watt power adapter instead of a higher capacity 90 watt adapter. Take a look at the label on the power adapter. If that is the case then you will see that message from time to time. What the Costco concierge had you do was a workaround.

Best regards,
erico

I am a volunteer forum member. If my suggestion helped you solve your issue, help others by marking that post as the accepted solution. Say thanks by clicking on the Yes button next to the "was this reply helpful?"

trawetsaj · ‎11-10-2011

Has anyone purchased a higher capacity Smart AC Adapter to see if the message disappeared and the performance of your computer improved? I too am receiving these little popups and getting tired of them.

marishipu · ‎02-05-2012

I have a 120w adapter and still get the message on awaking from sleep mode.

llcacio · ‎08-11-2012

Today, I saw the popup about my AC Smart Adaptor for the first time. I checked the wattage on the adapter and it's 120 watts. I couldn't find a higher wattage rating on another adapter on the HP site. Any ideas why I would have gotten this message?

phill8888 · ‎08-22-2012

This is the same problem I am having with a 120w power supply and only basic web surfing, no intensive programs running and no USB devices hooked up.

Tigerg · ‎09-12-2012

I just saw this message for the first time. I have a 90W adapter for a Laptop I bought through the HP store last December. In other words it has been 10 months. I trust HP would never sell an underpowered adapter for a PC bought through them. But is it possible that the adapters are starting to fail/degrade? That I can believe is a possibility. Or a maybe a component(s) in the power subsystem in the laptop could be failing. Also believable. Has anyone contacted HP support? I will give that a try in a minute.

Steve

bikeamtn · ‎01-30-2013

HP Support Please READ THIS:

Just got the "Smart AC adapter - limited power" message. The thing is, this is the first time and never got this in over a year of using my EliteBook 6930p laptop w/Win-7 Pro 32 (not a cheap laptop) and the AC Adapter is the 90W version. The 2nd thing is, with LAN connected, WiFi & BT OFF the only USB item was a Logitech 2.4GHz mouse which I had been using. I had just pluged in headphones (which takes No Power) and the Smart AC adapter message popped up.

Clearly the HP Smart AC adapter app needs a bug fix.

To correct it from 'reducing' my power and screen brightness, I unplugged just the AC and let it switch to battery then replugged the AC and screen brightness was restored.

Tigerg · ‎01-31-2013

After owning an HP G6 laptop for about 7 months I started getting the message. I am using the "Smart" adapter provided by HP when I bought the laptop. It is a 90 watt power adapter. The laptop was still under warranty so I called HP and they were very responsive. BUT they sent a 65 watt power adapter. Duh?

So erico puzzle me this: how does a 90 Watt power adapter after 7 months suddenly become insufficient to power the laptop it was designed to power? And then when HP's help desk is called and given the serial and model numbers for the laptop send a 65 watt power adapter they believe is sufficient (but gets same message). So I have gone back to using the 90 watt original power adapter. Meanwhile the laptop seems to run just fine with an annoying error message.

Smart AC adapter message

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