Magsafe plug inserted into MacBook Pro USB A port

pcherashny wrote:

No I didn't do this my homebound friend did. The power adapter was plugged in at the time. He says the MacBook screen went black and the little light on the charger no longer goes on. He tried restarting the MacBook (a 13" Pro circa 2012)--no luck. He's asking me to get him another charger, but I'm assuming he fried the Mac, so why bother? I tried googling this; apparently no one's ever done this before or they're too embarrassed to post about it, lol. (Maybe I just don't know how to ask the question?) Did he kill the charger, both, neither?

I would suspect a hardware issue...

In or out of warranty you can get a free over the counter 'Apple Service Diagnostics' test /assessment

Make an appointment for a "hardware issue"

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

Outside the USA

Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support

if you look closely at the MagSafe end, it has a large metal shroud surrounding five pins in a row. getting the PINS to contact something to make an electrical connection seems unlikely;

The USB-A port, on the other hand, has four pins along one edge (top or bottom) that are subject to being scraped off and shorted together. USB-3, introduced in mid 2012 models, has five more conductors, but they are much deeper inside deeper inside.

You need to make note of WHICH USB-A port had the MagSafe crammed into it, and probe with a bright light and maybe a dental pick to see if the conductors can the straightened out to remove the short.

The guys at the Genius Bar put their hands on these Macs all day ever day, and likely have great insights about how to proceed. if they can make an improvement without expending parts, your visit is generally no charge.