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Need some laptop help

KenthetoolmanKenthetoolman Member Posts: 839 ✭✭✭✭
edited April 2014 in General Discussion
The wife was plugging in her laptop to the power supply and says she heard to quote her "zzzzit zzzzzit zzzzzzit" sound. Now with it plugged in it does not show charging in the bar at the bottom. I have built a few desk tops but never opened up a laptop. Can you change out a power supply in a laptop or is it part of the chassis? It is a Dell about 4 years old by the way.
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Comments

  • nordnord Member Posts: 6,106 ✭
    edited November -1
    Power supply us usually between the laptop and the wall plug, not inside the machine. Your problem is likely do to a broken solder joint on the plug itself. Most often the power plug mounts directly to the motherboard.

    Repairable? Yes. Unless you have the proper tools I suspect you might do well to consider sending it out.
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  • booter_onebooter_one Member Posts: 2,345 ✭
    edited November -1
    Not sure about Dell, I had the same thing happen to a compaq, it is soldered to the board and buried way deep inside. I even bought a parts computer and took it apart first. After getting the donor computer apart, I set it all in the corner and bought a new one. Not much help, but from past experience on the laptops I have owned, once problems start, it is just the beginning.

    Maybe someone with some Dell background may have a different angle.

    Good luck
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  • Bubba Jr.Bubba Jr. Member Posts: 8,303 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Usually you can remove the battery without too much hassle. Take it out and hot wire it to the adapter plug of the charger, using clip wires. Be very careful to get the polarity correct as you won't have any diodes to protect the battery if you get the polarity reversed.

    Let it charge a normal amount of time, then reinstall the battery and transfer your files to your new laptop. This can be done multiple times until you get done with the transfer process.
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  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
    edited November -1
    Same thing happened to my wife's Dell a few years ago.

    Keep it plugged in.

    Going strong. Anywhere within 10 ft of an outlet. [;)]
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  • KEVD18KEVD18 Member Posts: 15,037
    edited November -1
    In this day and age, if you're not backing up your truly important files to a cloud, you're simply insane. Hell, even regular disciplined back ups external drives is the bare minimum. Relying just on your computer itself is outright craziness...
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  • LesWVaLesWVa Member Posts: 10,490 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    If it a loose soldered connection. Just plug it into 220V. That may resolder the connection.[:0]
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  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
    edited November -1
    Maybe I misunderstood.

    It still works. But it isn't charging the battery.

    Correct?
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  • RocklobsterRocklobster Member Posts: 7,060 ✭
    edited November -1
    Good one, bigoutside. Before doing anything drastic I'd take my VOM and check the output of the supply to make sure it's providing charging voltage.
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