Helps with Laptop

Many AP members are knowledgeable about computers. Ask questions and share your knowledge here. (Information are supplied without any guarantee. Do not open any URL or file not posted by someone you know.) (All users can read)
Post Reply
Elrojo
BacoTroll
Posts: 2517
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:18 am
Location: Australia

Helps with Laptop

Post by Elrojo »

Hiya guys,

Apparently you know crap about comps so helpz me out with a diagnostic prob.

I have a Dell (yeah yeah dell suxxxor blah blah) and its been great for almost 2 years now. I am having issues with it in terms of charging. Until recently the battery was going flat fast so i pretty much had to leave it plugged in all the time. Now when i turn it on at the boot up it tells me i'm not using the right charger and hence it wont charge (but still plays using AC power).

The message is not 100% when i reboot but if it doesnt give me the message then it still wont charge (currently at 0%). Which sucks cos its not very portable if you have to switch off to move rooms.

I'm pretty sure its a battery problem not a charger prob but i dont want to buy a new battery and find out the charger is screwed too. May as well buy a whole new laptop in that case. Can you get batteries re-conditioned? Or is it gonna be a $250 battery job?

(would be easier if there was a dell supported place in the area but there is not)

Heeellpppzzz
User avatar
Sillanto
Leetissimo!
Posts: 1314
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:35 am
Location: Bristol, UK

Re: Helps with Laptop

Post by Sillanto »

Its onyl a small chance but if the battery is a lithium ion battery you could try putting it in a sealed plastic bag and put it in your freezer for a night as this sometimes helps it hold more charge.
You want it made ..... See me
You want it broken ... See me
You want it fixed....... Send your hampster to FC
User avatar
Grind42
Leetissimo!
Posts: 2558
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:13 pm
Location: South Africa

Re: Helps with Laptop

Post by Grind42 »

Yup if it works while its plugged in it's not the AC Adapter, I would look into replacing the battery.

Dell spares are pretty expensive & batteries are not the kinda thing you want to purchase second hand.
If its not broken, Your not trying hard enough!!

-DC-Grind42-Nightcrawler-
Damage Clan
General of Athen Paladins
User avatar
Forcenum
Big Leet
Posts: 224
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 5:58 pm
Location: Denmark
Contact:

Re: Helps with Laptop

Post by Forcenum »

kinda out of topic, but i just want to add that Dell do not suck at all. They might be a bit more expensive than the "cheap" and "make it yourself" brands, but then again Dell has the worlds greatest customer service, and yes, i mean that. (i think it might even be offical statemen about that somewhere), so call them, and they will help you diagnize the prob. I had aproblem with my gfx card on my old Dell, and called customerservice. Even tho i had opened the laptop myself, and even broken off a key on the keyboard, it didn't matter. And since I at the time lived in another country than where i bought the dell, i they offered to send me a new card, for me to install myself, so i wouldnt have to wait for postal shipping. They would send a how-to manual, and it would not affect the warranty. Tried the same with Zepto (my current laptop) but there was no can do. I had to send it in, and all they did was clean the fan and change cooling paste. My GFX-card is as hot as ever, but if it brakes now i can say "I told you so". It also took FOREVER to fix it, even tho i was promised it should be top pri.

on topic tho, I do agree with grind, that if it works on AC, its prolly not the adapter.

Li-Ion in the freezer.. sounds interesting :-)
Forcenum - 220/25/63 Enfo - Retired
Anumirath - 200/25/54 Meta - One man Army
Saidin - 205/19/55 Keeper - DD in the making
Frontforce - 150/13/30 Soldier - Sector 10 bountyhunter
User avatar
Sookie
Big Leet
Posts: 341
Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2008 2:02 am
Location: Temecula, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Helps with Laptop

Post by Sookie »

check the serial number against forums. Dell had a huge issue with bats and put out some service reports on them. Im not sure how they handled them, but the forums should tell you. Hopefuly yours came with a 3yr service agree ment. ;) make em bring you a new bat if so.

this one will scare u: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=189773 (ignore them can call DELL..hehe )

http://getsatisfaction.com/dell/topics/ ... t_charging


do a general search on my fav place :www.dogpile.com and enter your model number with problem see the issues that pop up. without the model number its hard to tell the issues. Most of what i read was the internal power issues, not batt and not power adaptor. #-o #-o #-o #-o
Hi, Peter. What's happening? We need to talk about your TPS reports. Yeah. The coversheet. I know, I know. Uh, Bill talked to me about it.
Yeah. Did you get that memo?
Yeah. I've already taken care of it so it's not even really a problem anymore.
Elrojo
BacoTroll
Posts: 2517
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:18 am
Location: Australia

Re: Helps with Laptop

Post by Elrojo »

Ya thanks Unk,

Will more than likely call dell at some stage. The laptop is like 2 yrs old so thats like 80 ppl years, so if it breaks its had a good life :). I like Dell TBH, in Australia they are much cheaper than diff brands for equivalent builds. I like that you can tweak the set up a bit to add that extra kick too. I always find them to be very helpful and nice for returning customers. We got them to beat a competing server builder by up to $300. And they always haggle a bit so you can get a better deal. My laptop was at my door in 8 working days from order date (which is good for a regional address).

They did have a small issue of the batteries blowing up (pff hardly a problem :P) but that was a while ago now so they prob fixed that before i ordered mine. I figure i'll buy a new laptop next year anyway and keep this as a spare for dual logging. I'll post proposed loptop laterz
Elrojo
BacoTroll
Posts: 2517
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2008 10:18 am
Location: Australia

Re: Helps with Laptop

Post by Elrojo »

ooo if this helps in diagnosing problem at all if i plug it into an adapter it sometimes recognises the charger (but wont charge). If i plug it into an extension cord it never recognises the charger! Weird? Would that lean more towards a power transfer problem i.e. charge getting to computer but not being transefered to battery?
User avatar
Alphacenta
Leetissimo!
Posts: 3200
Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:05 pm

Re: Helps with Laptop

Post by Alphacenta »

If you're going to get a new laptop, I recommend you try running Ubuntu or even Xubuntu (light weight version of Ubuntu), rather than Windows, on the old one.. damn I tried it, one week ago, on my normal PC. For now I'm dual boot but I can tell you I spent hours and hours in Ubuntu but almost none in Vista!

As long as you get your hardware working, it's pure <3. Much faster. Much more power when it comes to working with your desktop (I'll make a screenie to show what I mean :D That's Compiz-Fusion effects, I've got four desktops on that cube and I love it). And of course it's a bit hard in the beginning but if you don't let yourself be demotivated, it works out.. at least it did for me.

I've yet to try getting AO to work in Ubuntu, but it's been done and there's a step by step guide on the Ubuntuforums.
Lupusceleri L220/24 Agent.
Silversmith upcoming TL5 twink.
Wolfseye L110/12 Adventurer (towertwink).
Lysdexic L90/9 Agent (Mimic Enf towertwink).
Aesculapias L21/2 Doctor (ancient).

Aaaand various other alts.
Post Reply