Problem with my laptop

[ssim]

I have a Dell Inspiron 600M and when I shut down this morning, everything was fine. Turn it on tonight and it will only operate off of the battery. I have tried numerous power outlets with the same result. I have a green indicator light on the transformer in the middle of the cord. I have checked the power management settings and everything looks ok. I'm not sure if there is a hot key combination that I might have hit but I don't have the manual for it with me. Anyone encounter anything like this or any suggestions.

[IanD]

http://www.pbase.com/giant001/image/41515843.jpg





:):):)

[Crypto]

What's leading you to believe that it's only operating off the battery? The icon in the notification tray (bottom right) or the battery is going dead?
I assume it has fuctioned properly off the power adapter till today?

Sounds like you may have a short in the plug. Do you have a meter to check the end of the plug for power?

[mdm]

I have the Dell 1100 and it looks like you've checked most items. Have you removed the battery and tried to start with the power hooked up and no battery?

[ssim]

http://www.pbase.com/giant001/image/41515843.jpg





:):):)

Thanks for all the help buddy.

[ssim]

In the system tray it says it is running on the battery only and the percentage keeps going down.

No I don't have a meter for to check the plug.

It's really starting to irk me. I have images I wanted to load on it tonight:( :(

[IanD]

Thanks for all the help buddy.
I try my hardest.:):):)

[Crypto]

are you logging off or restarting? If you haven't yet, try restarting.
Sorry, I can't think of any setting that would do this. I assume you have windows..Go under control panel, power options and look around a little.
The only other place to change power options would be the BIOS. Have you checked that out yet.
As suggested above...Try operating it with the battery out to make sure it isnt just a quirky issue with the icon.
My guess is still a power cord or plug issue

[ssim]

Thanks for your suggestions Crypto (at least you are trying but I don't want to mention any other names). I have tried running it without the battery. No go. I have checked all of the power settings and it seems to be fine. I've tried restarting several times.

[IanD]

Hey, I had a couple of birds sitting on my shoulder when you called. One was trying to eat the phone and the other was having my ear lobe for dessert.:)

[Crypto]

well, I'm pretty much out of ideas. It's could be the power adapter itself. Just because the light is on doesn't mean the output is accurate. Maybe it got a power surge today. Wish you had a meter to check it.
good luck.

[cjsa]

I just had to buy a new cord for my 700m, there was a green light, and for a long time it worked on and off, but a problem with the wire between the transformer and the laptop.
I ordered from dell with overnight shipping, it came to about $42, better than i expected.
It was easy for me to know it was the cord, since my daughter has the same computer and it worked with her cord.

[PacAce]

It could be that the power adapter socket on the laptop has become disconnected from the motherboard. You don't remember tripping or yanking on the power adpater cord before this happened, do you?

Or maybe it's the pin in the socket. Take a look inside and see if there's a pin still there.

[ssim]

Thanks Leo but the pin is still there. I shut it down this morning and turned it on this afternoon. There was no bumps to the system as far as I know unless the cats had their way with it while I was out.

[Scottes]

Have a Radio Shack local? Those guys are usually helpful enough to pop a meter on the power cord and check it for you. And they often have replacements.

[Ronald S. Jr.]

Well, only thing I know is that the power cord obviously seems to be working. The green light on the box in the middle is only to say that there's power going through it. It has nothing to do with the notebook itself. (I've had about 7 Dell notebooks)

I think you may possibly have pulled the AC adapter out...how shall I say...not straight? You may have bent or popped a contact on the inside of the jack on the notebook itself.


No idea, if that's not it. Might need to flash the BIOS.

[ssim]

Thanks Scott. They do have one here and I think that is going to be my starting point.

[SWPhotoImaging]

I have seen laptop power supplies where the cord breaks inside, between the transformer (the box with the light in the middle of the cord) and the laptop end plug. The only way to find if this is the case is with a volt meter that you can use to check for output at the little plug on the end of the cord.

[Tdragone]

Go to Circuit City!

They have a kick @$$ little unit that can output the volt/amps for every laptop I have ever brought them to test with/on. They can see if it works and let the battery charge for you (for free) and tell you what Belkin adapter you will need to get it going permanently

Hope it's not the Mobo.
Also
When did you buy it and did you buy a warrantee? If you did; they will ship you a mobo and schedule an installer to come to wher eyou live or work to replace it if it's not the P/S that died.

[pcasciola]

Is the battery actually draining? It could just be a software issue if you are going by the icon on the lower right that indicates battery or AC power. I had this issue once recently with my Dell in it's docking station, and it was running on AC power even though the icon claimed it was running on battery.