Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

elsherif · 2015-08-14 05:45:27

Hello everybody,

I'm having a strange problem with my laptop. It is a Lenovo IdeaPad Y570.
The problem is that the laptop automatically shuts down whenever I unplug the power adapter from the plug.

More interestingly, this only happens when I unplug the adapter while it is still connected to the laptop but if I first unplug it from the laptop nothing happens!!

Ideas??

Trilby · 2015-08-14 11:37:23

Two ideas: one, just always unplug it from the laptop first...

But then really, get a new power cord/adaptor. I am not an expert on power supplies (we have a few that may chime in) but it seems to me that this couldn't happen unless the power adapter was behaving in a way it is not supposed to. Potentially faulty power supplies are not something to mess with.

Of course, the real test would be to get / borrow a suitable replacement adaptor to see if it is isolated to your current one. If so, ditch it.

elsherif · 2015-08-14 12:47:07

Trilby wrote:

Two ideas: one, just always unplug it from the laptop first...
But then really, get a new power cord/adaptor. I am not an expert on power supplies (we have a few that may chime in) but it seems to me that this couldn't happen unless the power adapter was behaving in a way it is not supposed to. Potentially faulty power supplies are not something to mess with.
Of course, the real test would be to get / borrow a suitable replacement adaptor to see if it is isolated to your current one. If so, ditch it.

I can confirm it is not hardware issue because of two reasons:
1- This doesn't happen with windows
2- It shuts down normally as if I have clicked shutdown from the GUI for example so the command must be coming from some software.

And about your suggestion that I always unplug it from the laptop first, I would do that of course but most of the time the power at my building just get cut while the laptop is plugged and of course I can't anticipate that .

Last edited by elsherif (2015-08-14 12:47:23)

ewaller · 2015-08-14 15:23:15

My only guess is that when the mains are removed from the power supply, the output of that supply is going out of regulation and the laptop is responding badly to those. Perhaps generating transient overvoltage or undervoltage spikes as the switching power supply struggles to stay up. Well designed supplies should detect the power failure and die gracefully. Not all do. Also, when you unplug the supply, are you unplugging the supply, or or you unplugging something the supply is plugged into (like a surge suppressor)? Are you removing power from the supply using a wall switch? Is it possible that that wall switch is a dimmer? How is your line voltage? Really high? Really Low? Also, I have heard of conditions where power supplies built for 220 start to get cranky in those few places in the world that use 240.

dice · 2015-08-14 15:36:40

Although it was already a couple of months ago, are you affected by the lenovo recall for power chords (https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/powercord2014)? At least your model is listed on that page.
I don't know exactly what is wrong with those cables but it might be the cause.

elsherif · 2015-08-18 06:14:35

ewaller wrote:

My only guess is that when the mains are removed from the power supply, the output of that supply is going out of regulation and the laptop is responding badly to those. Perhaps generating transient overvoltage or undervoltage spikes as the switching power supply struggles to stay up. Well designed supplies should detect the power failure and die gracefully. Not all do. Also, when you unplug the supply, are you unplugging the supply, or or you unplugging something the supply is plugged into (like a surge suppressor)? Are you removing power from the supply using a wall switch? Is it possible that that wall switch is a dimmer? How is your line voltage? Really high? Really Low? Also, I have heard of conditions where power supplies built for 220 start to get cranky in those few places in the world that use 240.

I also think it is the spike protection thing ... and although I know it is there for good reasons, it is getting very annoying because I usually use too many application at a time and also I don't turn off my laptop for long periods of time so when this happens all my applications get closed and I want to hit my head against the wall

So, I really want to turn this off until I can get a better solution. Any idea how to do this?
Before Arch I had Fedora and I didn't have this problem so, I think it can be turned off.

elsherif · 2015-08-18 06:16:56

dice wrote:

Although it was already a couple of months ago, are you affected by the lenovo recall for power chords (https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/powercord2014)? At least your model is listed on that page.
I don't know exactly what is wrong with those cables but it might be the cause.

It is the first time I hear about this ... but I think my device is affected by this.
I bought it in 2012 but I don't remember the exact month.

dice · 2015-08-18 07:51:49

There are instructions on that site to "Determine if your Power Cord is being recalled".
But you say this problem does not occur with Windows and Fedora. This would imply that it is not hardware related although I don't think that the software can somehow detect in which way the power loss occures (i.e. which part of the cable was unplugged).
Does this also happen if you plug the cable into a power strip with a switch and you just switch the power off?

elsherif · 2015-08-18 08:20:14

dice wrote:

There are instructions on that site to "Determine if your Power Cord is being recalled".

I tried to follow the instructions on the site but unfortunately I lost that sticker a while ago.

dice wrote:

But you say this problem does not occur with Windows and Fedora. This would imply that it is not hardware related although I don't think that the software can somehow detect in which way the power loss occures (i.e. which part of the cable was unplugged).

That is exactly my point ... may be it is not purely software thing may be it has a hardware part but Arch has the software that responds to it.

dice wrote:

Does this also happen if you plug the cable into a power strip with a switch and you just switch the power off?

I will try with the power strip switch today and report back.

elsherif · 2015-08-19 06:59:20

UPDATE: After trying different scenarios like switching off the power strip, unplugging adapter from the power strip, and unplugging the power strip it self from the wall outlet it seems like the problem only occur in the case of power cut.
None of the mentioned scenarios caused the laptop to shut down.

ewaller · 2015-08-19 14:07:26

Power cut, as in a power failure from the grid? I am thinking about a "Brown out" condition where the line voltage drops out of regulation.

elsherif · 2015-08-20 09:15:24

ewaller wrote:

Power cut, as in a power failure from the grid? I am thinking about a "Brown out" condition where the line voltage drops out of regulation.

Yes, that is it.
Now, it is definite that the reason is voltage irregularities so how to prevent Arch from responding to it?

Last edited by elsherif (2015-08-20 09:28:10)

ewaller · 2015-08-20 14:28:03

I'm not sure there is a software fix or workaround. I think you are going to need a line regulator (about US$50) that maintains a constant output voltage for a wide range of input voltages, or you need a line interactive UPS. This UPS architecture always provides power from the output of the inverter, and the mains charge the battery when power is available. This architecture also has the advantage of generating a constant regulated output voltage. A small UPS can probably be had for about US$100

Arch Linux

#1 2015-08-14 05:45:27

Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#2 2015-08-14 11:37:23

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#3 2015-08-14 12:47:07

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#4 2015-08-14 15:23:15

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#5 2015-08-14 15:36:40

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#6 2015-08-18 06:14:35

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#7 2015-08-18 06:16:56

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#8 2015-08-18 07:51:49

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#9 2015-08-18 08:20:14

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#10 2015-08-19 06:59:20

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#11 2015-08-19 14:07:26

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#12 2015-08-20 09:15:24

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

#13 2015-08-20 14:28:03

Re: Laptop automatically shutdown when unplugged

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