On 03/18/2017 09:30 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sat, 18 Mar 2017 16:06:13 -0400, bitrex
wrote:

Before I run out and make sure to pick up an OEM supply, is there any
way to ensure this is certainly a problem with the adapter and not the PC?

Yes, but it's easier to just buy a replacement charger:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/272573072644

From your description, I would guess(tm) your replacement charger is
generating some noise. The laptop charge controller is rather picky
as to what voltage it's being fed. Too little voltage or noise, and
it will power the laptop, but not charge the battery. I'm not sure
what it will do with too much voltage. I buy these replacement power
supplies from various eBay vendors in lots of 10 and resell them to
customers. I've had a few problems, but in general, they work. Spend
the $11 and see what happens. If a new charger doesn't fix the
problem, then the problem is in the laptop and someone will need to
dive in and fix it.

Note that if this machine is a lemon and out of warranty, a
motherboard transplant is possible but expensive for the i7 version:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Dell+Inspiron+15+5558+motherboard
Note that swapping motherboards often breaks software licenses and
registrations so save this as a last resort.

Also, my sense of smell tells me that running your Dell Inspiron 15
5558 without the battery is a bad idea. A good charger should be able
to run the laptop without a battery, but I don't want to find out what
might happen if you try it with a potentially defective charger. Don't
try it.

Maybe a BIOS update is required?

You should always stay up to date with the BIOS. Yes, you can find
horror stories on the internet about failed updates, bricked laptops,
and features that no longer work correctly. Those are rare and can be
handled by with various BIOS recovery tricks. I had some bios
failures maybe 10 or more years ago, but not since. Do it.


Thanks much for the advice, I'll give one of the eBay clone chargers a try!