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Post by chriso on Apr 15, 2014 20:08:58 GMT
I could use some advice in resolving a little situation I have.
I just had two computers fail in a row. My desktop's hard drive seems to of been corrupted (its been making noises for awhile now, so not unexpected) and my laptop's charger was partially destroyed by having a cover drive through the insulation and connect all three wires together. (was at college, the laptop was plugged in to a floor outlet, someone stepped on the cover for the outlet.) The laptop is fine, and the charger looks okay too. The cable leading up to the charger is fried, but it comes unplugged, so can be replaced. I know I have seen that kind of cable around the house, so I should be able to replace it by this evening. However, I am not sure if it is a good idea to do so, as I do not want to risk damaging the laptop.
Any recommendations?
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Post by kharnynb on Apr 15, 2014 20:33:17 GMT
The charger, i'd be very careful, at least keep an eye on it the first few times, check that it doesn't get hot, also check that the battery doesnt get warmer than normal.
Desktop harddrives are easy to replace, though it is a lot easier to do when they still work somewhat.
Just check what kind of connector/speed your computers supports (ide or sata1,2,3) and buy a new drive, shouldn't set you back more than 100 dollars at most.
Connect it up and you might even be able to copy most of the old drive's data.
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Post by chriso on Apr 15, 2014 20:35:36 GMT
EDIT: I should check before posting, shouldn't I? I appear to of misunderstood. So, it might be safe, but it would be a good idea to get a new one just to be safe anyhow?. I would prefer to just do that, but if I can use the old one for a few days while I source a new charger that might be idea.
----------------- Original message -------
Just got a reply on the venting thread to not trust the charger . So, that's not an option.
Can I have help finding a new one? I suspect that it won't have to match the old one exactly, but on the other hand I am afraid that if I am not careful I will end up destroying the laptop with the wrong charger.
The chargers specs:
Charger info:
Manufacturer: Liteon
Model: PA-1650-86
Output Voltage: 19 v
Output Amp: 3.42
Wattage: 65
Ha, it doesn't say AC vs DC (I would assume DC)
Anyhow, a few pointers would be appreciated. I probably have all the information needed, and just don't know how to apply it.
ED
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Post by kharnynb on Apr 15, 2014 20:38:14 GMT
Brand of the laptop?
Lite-on makes most laptop chargers for several brands, the most important thing is the right connector at the end.
Several companies make universal chargers, that come with many interchangable endbits, kensington and belkin make decent ones.
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Post by chriso on Apr 15, 2014 20:43:10 GMT
Sorry, I probably should of posted specs.
Manufacturer: Gateway.
Model: NV52L15
CPU: AMD Quad-Core A8-4500<
Graphics Center: AMD Radeon HD 7600, 512 MB memory
Hard Drive: 500 GB hard drive
Memory: 4 GB DDR3 memory
Should I always just post all the specs I can get my hands on? I am always afraid of overdoing it.
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Post by kharnynb on Apr 15, 2014 20:56:20 GMT
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Post by chriso on Apr 15, 2014 21:02:54 GMT
Duh. Search by the model number...
I was searching the numbers on the charger. Thanks for your help kharn, should be able to replace it fairly easily now.
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Post by GTCGreg on Apr 15, 2014 21:14:16 GMT
There should be no reason you have to replace the whole charger if just the AC cord was damaged. What ever happened on the plug end will not hurt the charger in any way. Just get a new cord set. There are only a couple of types of cords that almost everybody (except maybe Apple) uses. Radio Shack should have a replacement cord for a few dollars. Save your money.
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Post by chriso on Apr 15, 2014 21:26:51 GMT
I would expect the change in flux from the short would produce some back EMF. And the vaporized wire indicates that at some point there would of been a sudden halt to current flow. Whats the line of reasoning, GTCGreg?
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Post by GTCGreg on Apr 15, 2014 22:36:44 GMT
Nope. If there was a short at the plug end, the effect on the charger would just be the same as you unplugging it. Even if there was some type of surge, which is highly unlikely, those chargers have built-in protection against most types of power line surges that happen. I think you are just throwing your money away replacing the entire charger. But if it buys you that much peace of mind, go ahead. It's your money.
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Post by silverdragon on May 10, 2014 8:18:52 GMT
Laptop chargers are not that expensive.
If the charger is in anyway "Suspect", I would suggest passing it to any electrician who is worth his salt, or taking it into a shop, that will check its function.
In other words, they should be able to connect a meter to it and see what its a) Drawing, B) putting out....
Repair may be just as expensive as getting a new one.
If you have warranty against accidental damage now is the time to use it.
For me, if its "Suspect", I would replace, especially after a short circuit fault.....
But then again, I cant actually see the unit.
Hard drive replacement....
For good reasons I have twin hard drives.
No I dont do RAID, I just keep my first line of backup on the second drive, along with Data files.
My drives are all SMART enabled and I frequently check heath, and keep backups of important stuff externally....
So for a tower system, if you dont have a backup, you are doing a complete re-install.
If that is Windows, you may get the message that you need to renew your "Licence" with Windows... you can only update so many components to one registered machine, and hard drives are one of them.....
If you have a backup, its easy to just copy that to your hard drive, and away you go, re-instate backup.
Hard drives are relatively easy to swap out... just make sure you unplug the machine and "Ground out" before you start, to displace any stray static.
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