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MacBook charging problem but it's NOT the charger or the Hardware

Hi there,

I'm wondering if anyone can shed some light on a strange problem I just discovered when trying to charge my MacBook. I am moving house, and was at the new place last night. When I plugged in my MacBook to charge it, it wouldn't charge. So I tried a different power point, then another, then another etc. I also tried different appliances in each socket, and they worked fine. I then swaped MacBook charger to see if that was the issue, but that one wouldn't work either. So tonight when I got home, I plugged in the charger, and it works fine. It's worked fine at all locations I have taken it to. Does anyone have any suggestions about what might be going on? I can only guess from the testing I did, that it's something to do with the electricals of the house, but that's where my expertise ends. Oh, I'm in Australia. If I can't fix this problem, does anyone know of another way to charge a MacBook?

Thanks for your help.


IT_Challenged

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on May 15, 2013 3:37 AM

Reply
8 replies

May 17, 2013 4:29 AM in response to IT_Challenged

Have you actually checked the pins on the magsafe port to eliminate them as a possible cause? I'm not trying to argue with you but if you're suggesting that your macbook requires more voltage or amperage than the house current is capable of providing while other electrical devices work just fine is a bit far fetched. Stuck pins in a magsafe power port is a fairly common issue which is why Apple has a specific link dedicated to it. Good luck figuring out your problem.

May 18, 2013 7:43 PM in response to IT_Challenged

Did you see this in the article I linked to?


Identify line noise issues.

Unplug the power adapter from the wall, let it sit for 60 seconds, then plug the adapter back in.


If the adapter works after this 60-second "rest", you most likely have a line noise issue with your power source. You should reset the adapter periodically by repeating this moment of rest. This issue occurs when the AC adapter's "over voltage protection" feature senses ground noise and then turns off the adapter.

Some possible sources of line noise include lights with ballasts, refrigerators, or mini-refrigerators that are on the same electrical circuit as your computer. This behavior may not occur if you plug the power adapter into an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or plug it into a different circuit.

Unless the adapter continues to exhibit this behavior on a known good outlet, it does not need to be replaced.

MacBook charging problem but it's NOT the charger or the Hardware

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