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I have a Magsafe charger (original) that doesn't charge my MacBook Pro's battery. When it is connected, it will allow the machine to switch to power adapter mode (meaning no battery consumption) but the battery icon will show "Battery is not charged".

The green/orange light won't turn on. If I use another Magsafe charger, it works fine. Also if the battery goes down to 0 percent and the macbook is shutdown, this faulty charger will work (green/orange light turns on), and if I start the machine while the light is on, it will charge even if the machine is on. I already tried resetting SMC multiple times (to make sure I reset it correctly I tried using other chargers), but still cannot get it to work properly.

My question would be, can I reset the charger somehow to allow it to work again?

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  • Chargers can't be 'reset'. Because you indicate that another charger works correctly, it sounds like the misbehaving charger or its cable has been damaged somehow. Best to just replace it.
    – IconDaemon
    Oct 10, 2017 at 14:09
  • @IconDaemon I have two chargers so it is not a big deal, but I like to know the potential causes to this issue cuz I am curious.
    – aeroxy
    Oct 10, 2017 at 14:13
  • " ...the potential causes to this issue... " Having seen many misbehaving chargers, I would hazard a guess that it was just time and inadvertent abuse, like dropping the charger onto a hard surface, bending/twisting the cable from the charger to the computer, etc. See: support.apple.com/en-us/HT201600
    – IconDaemon
    Oct 10, 2017 at 14:20

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Sounds like you got a sticking ground pin.

example of a sticking ground pin

Just plug it out when connecting to the laptop horizontally (with more force) and stick it back it horizontally as well. Usually this is due to you removing the plug by lifting it (feels gentle but actually bad) rather than yanking it.

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  • I just tried this and the green light on the charger started again! But, it still says "not charging".
    – user1721135
    Apr 1, 2018 at 18:27
  • I yanked it some more and now it charges! Can't believe it.
    – user1721135
    Apr 1, 2018 at 18:40
  • Honestly, I can not believe that the "yanking" trick by user James Wayne, above, actually worked... but it did. Thanks.
    – Gregory Dresden
    Jan 21, 2019 at 1:37
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A MagSafe Power adapter cannot be reset. It's not a function of the computer but a failure of the internal component(s) of the power supply itself.

Why does it fail? IBM engineers addressed that very point in a presentation - Why do Power Supplies Fail, and What can be done about it?

Reasons range from environmental factors, quality/age of the components, and the spacing/location of components (design).

You've already done your diagnostics (trying a different one) and you have narrowed down the issue to the MagSafe adapter itself. It's time to get a new one.

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