time and date reseting - Faulty charger? Please help!

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Level 1

8 points

time and date reseting - Faulty charger? Please help!

Hi,

I have a macbook pro (summer 2011 model). My charger broke so I bought a cheaper, non branded replacement online as my husband has a macbook and has the same replacement charger for around one year and never had any problems. While waiting for my replacement to arrive, when charging my macbook with my husbands charger, it completely cut out, totally dead! When I turned it back on the date had reset to 2000 and I got an error message that reads something like, "The date and time have been resest to a date before 2001. Some applications may not perform correctly....." - something along those lines!

Today my new, non-branded charger arrived and the same thing has happened 4 times. If it wasn't for the fact that this has only ever happened when being charged with one of these AND 4 times today with the new one, I would have thought the two not connected. But now I am convinced.

I must add that for a period of a week befor my charger arrived I borrowed a friends Apple charger as my husband needed to take his to work.

So my macbook never had this problem before, then it occured when using my husbands charger, then was fine for a week with an apple charger and has now happened again with the new one!

Has anyone else had this problem? Is it the charger that is the problem or something in my macbook that is somehow being triggered by the charger?? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

I know that I should have just bought a proper Apple charger to start with but c'est la vie!

Thanks,

Kirby 🙂

Macbook

Posted on Apr 11, 2013 3:13 PM

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Answer 1

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Apr 11, 2013 4:01 PM in response to Kerbz

When the date is reset as you describe, one of the ways it can happen is when the battery is disconnected. It may be that there is a poor connection inside your MBP or the battery is totally discharged or 'dead'.

When you borrowed your friends charger, how did the MBP perform? What model MBP does your friend have?

What model MBP do you have and what model Macbook does you husband have? Is his charger the same as your original one?

Go to System Information>Hardware>Power and post this image from your MBP per this example from mine:

Ciao.

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Answer 2

Kerbz Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 11, 2013 4:27 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

With my friends apple charger eveything was totally normal. Her family all have macs from different years so i'm not sure which charger she will have leant me (i'm guessing it would probably be quite a modern one though as they always have up-to-date kit!).

My husband has an old macbook, from roughly 2006/2007, the charger he is using now I bought from amazon quite a while ago. As I mentioned, he has had no problems with it but I did. Before I had these problems I re-ordered the same charger for me as it had been pretty good.

So my macbook pro was fine with a proper apple charger, then it broke and i ordered a new non-apple charger, in the meantime borrowed my husbands non-apple charger a couple of times and my computer kept cutting out. Then borrowed a friends proper apple charge and had no problems at all for a whole week. Then today my new non-apple charger shows up and so far my macbook pro has cut out 3/4 times when plugged in. Totally fine when unplugged.

Thanks for your response, I hope this is clear!

Kirby

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Answer 3

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Apr 11, 2013 4:45 PM in response to Kerbz

Your battery has seen a fair amount of use but still is servicable. I always keep mine connected to AC as much as possible with a monthly discharge to about the 40% level. You may not be able to do so but if you can, I suggest you do so.

The fact is that you have the solution to your problem. Since your MBP operated normally with your friends power adapter spend the $79 and get one from the Apple store. Third part Apple peripherals are often inferior knockoffs and at times can be more expensive in the long run.

Ciao.

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Answer 4

Kerbz Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 11, 2013 4:50 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

Thanks for your help! I read such bad reviews of apple chargers that I decided to try and save money, but that is £18 down the drain already! You live and learn, thanks again!

Kirby 🙂

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Answer 5

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Apr 11, 2013 5:07 PM in response to Kerbz

Given enough time and abuse, all mechanical items will fail. I have three power adapters and they are still in working order. Good luck.

Ciao.

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