earlier today i was using my gateway (read, ultimate crap) laptop on plug power, as always (i like to save battery for car and plane) and it worked fine, as always. i packed it up to bring it to new york, try to turn it on here - and it wont. the outlet is not the problem - the plug has that little green light that shows it's receiving electrical power. but when i push the power button on the laptop, nothing happens. even with the battery inside, it does not show that the plug is attached. what do i do to make my power cord work again? im scared to even use it on battery power bc it wont recharge!
mushcroom 0 Newbie Poster
Boondockers
If you have a voltmeter, check the voltage on the adapter pug that goes into the computer.
I suspect you have a very common electrical connection break on the power jack soldered to the mother board.
You didn't mention your model number but I think you can find the service manual at this website.
http://tim.id.au/laptops/gateway/
I just successfully replaced a power jack on a Gateway M305 and couldn't do it without the manual
There are about 50 screws to remove in a certain order. Some are black some are chrome, some are 2.0 mm most are 2.5 mm in size and different lengths.
If you do attempt a power jack repair make several drawings to identify where you removed the screws from. I kept mine in those pill containers with Sunday through Saturday on it.
I got stuck removing the cooling fan and couldn't proceed with out the manual.
I also invested in a $10 soldering iron, $5 worth of flux, and $4 de-soldering braid. I already had rosin core solder. That repair was successful so I am ready to attack another. A new jack cost $5.
Had to disassemble the laptop 3 times.
Of course there are technicians that will do the repair for you for about $100. Just Google laptop power jack repair, to find one.
It is not necessary to replace the motherboard.
kim1987 0 Newbie Poster
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tacobill 0 Newbie Poster
Sometimes the chargers will only last a few years. They are fairly cheap on ebay. If you can check it with a voltmeter, could save you some $$$, as suggested.
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