Laptop Help

[djcubby]

I have a Gateway laptop that is several years old that is having power issues. I was thinking that the battery was old enought that it wasn't holding a charge anymore so I ordered a replacement battery from Amazon. That didn't resolve the problem so now I am looking at a replacement charger.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? Do chargers routinely go bad where they can't charge anymore? I've never had to deal with this kind of thing as my work laptop gets replaced every couple of years.

 

[alarson]

Yes, AC adapters can go bad/stop working.

What exactly is happening though? The other common potential culprit with power issues is the DC jack becoming loose\disconnected.

 

[djcubby]

What exactly is happening though?

If I leave it plugged in all the time, I might be able to use it for a little while before it shuts off and won't turn back on. That's why I was thinking it was the charger/battery.

I put the new battery in and let it "charge" all night last night. I unplugged it this morning and it wouldn't even turn on.

 

[Jordanj6502]

Can you use the laptop while it is plugged in with or without a battery?

 

[CycloneErik]

What alarson said is at least half the problem (normally).

The other problem is probably in the words "several years old."

 

[jdoggivjc]

What alarson said is at least half the problem (normally).

The other problem is probably in the words "several years old."

And the rest of the problem is with the word "Gateway"

 

[alarson]

What alarson said is at least half the problem (normally).

The other problem is probably in the words "several years old."

True. A replacement battery and a replacement charger later and youre probably well on your way to paying for a new laptop, maybe not a high end one, but at least at the level that would still probably beat the performance of the existing one.