Laptop Not Charging

I have a Gateway M series laptop running Vista. The other day it stopped charging. The light on power cord started flashing when the trouble started. I thought it might be the Battery so i bought a new one. That didn't fix it so i bought new cord . that didn't either. So now i am down to the laptop. Any ideas or help would be nice.

 

Try this: remove the battery then press the power button to drain all the current. Put the battery back in and plug in the adapter.

A variation on the above:
1. UNPLUG the charger from the wall.
2. PLUG IN the CHARGER to the COMPUTER while the charger is still unplugged from the wall.
The purpose is to drain the charger (the green light on it should already be off).
Press the power button on the computer for extra assurance you've drained the charger.
3. PLUG IN the CHARGER to the WALL. The battery should immediately start charging.

 

When you say new "cord", do you mean a new charger/power supply? And if a totally new charger, is it an exact replacement? Or a universal model?

If plodr's solution does not help, does the notebook work with the battery removed and running just off the charger?

 

I have an Lenovo W510 that has the same problem. I bought a new battery and external charger, and it works on the charged battery, but still won't charge when the computer plugged in to the wall.
I was advised that the likely fault was with the charging transistors on the m/b. This I considered not repairable.
I hope this is not the issue with your Gateway, but it might be ?

Dumb_Question
6.June.2016

 

Ok. I tried all variations to my post. Yes I bought a whole new adapter and cord. And yes it was for my model of laptop. Does not make any difference if battery is in or out, laptop will not power on.

 

A common problem is the power jack where you plug the cord into the notebook breaks, or a wire comes loose from it internally. If you feel comfortable disassembling the notebook and using a soldering iron, remove the battery and give it go. Visually inspect the connect to make sure it has not moved out of place and all wires are properly connected. On some, the metal tines lose their tension and no longer make good contact. They can some times be bent back into place, but note that generally a temporary solution because once they are bent once or twice, they lose their "temper" and strength and then are easily bent again.

Sometimes the plastic holding the jack in place breaks. This can often be repaired with some epoxy putty - just be careful the putty does not block proper insertion of the plug, or prevents the case going back together properly.

These connectors can be replaced and this is a fairly common job at most repair shops that can be done for no more than 1 hour labor charge, plus the part.

If not the connector, then sorry, but it most likely is the notebook motherboard and that is probably to costly to repair or replace. Unless under warranty, it is probably time to shop for a new notebook.

 

OK well when I get the chance I will check out the connection inside. Thanks for the help.

 

Keep us posted.

 

Just to clarify:

You started out by telling us the issue was that laptop fails to charge the battery [when plugged in to the mains]

Are you now saying that the laptop will not power on under any circumstances ?

 

It is actually the same problem. With the laptop plugged in or not, the laptop was running off the battery, not the power. When the battery was down to hardly any charge left, the laptop refused to turn on. The OP didn't realize this. He simply saw that the battery was not being charged not that the power cord plugged in or not made no difference. The only way he would have realized this was to remove the battery and plug in the laptop, discovering that the problem was more than a battery problem.

 

OK is their a question here ?

 

And yes your right plodr.

 

Thank you for full explanations.

Dumb_Question
0.June.2016

 

No question, krispyro, I was just explaining the issue to Dumb_Question.

I think there are things like standalone battery chargers. If you get one of those, you can charge the laptop battery and continue to use it unplugged. Most people have the opposite problem: they need to keep the laptop plugged in because the battey needs replacing.

Since you have two batteries, you could charge one while using the other then swap out as the one in use gets low on power.

 

Yes sir i have been looking into that very thing. Just hard to get through all the crap online and actually find the right one. If i could find the plug for the battery i would make one. Hahaa.

 

I had never heard of them so just Googled and I see they have them for Dell - but they are not cheap. And I don't see any for other brands.

The problem is, like most things dealing with notebooks, there is no ATX Form Factor type industry standard for notebook voltages, current or more importantly, connectors. So even they are proprietary and thus, more expensive and harder, if possible at all, to find.

 

Yes sir i believe that, pricey indeed.

 

If there was an ATX Form Factor like standard for notebooks like there is for PCs, there would be a thriving notebook parts industry and many of us would be building, upgrading and repairing our own notebooks like we do now for PCs. It would be a HUGE win for us consumers. But because there is so much competition between the notebook makers to build the thinnest and lightest and longest running notebooks out there, the various leaders in the notebook industry will never - as in NEVER EVER agree to a form factor standard. And it never would have happened with the PC if IBM didn't create the original PC, publish standards for it, and "clones" didn't start to appear.

 

Ha, yes i do believe we would be better off thats for sure. They have us over a barrel this way.

 

Iam down to using a tablet. One laptop not powering up and another laptop has crashed and will not boot up ! Hopefully will getit booted up before to long with help from software geeks on here. Looks like its quitting time over in the UK. Lol

 

unfortunately the OP neither specified the exact nodel of the laptop nor the country he is in, but try this
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...ernal+laptop+battery+charger+gateway&_sacat=0

Where it says 'model a, model b etc and more' if you open the listing many M series listed

Hope that helps

Dumb_Question
9.June.2016

 

Ok i will check it out. Thanks.