My laptop is not recharging.

The power plug in port you refer to is the DC Power Jack.

The AC adapter (Charger) converts AC electricity into DC electricity.
DC electricity has two poles. Positive, and Negative.
(Just like on a D cell flashlight battery)

The center pin of the DC Power Jack is the Positive connection.
The outer metal spring-like pieces, on the inside of the cylindrical shape surrounding the center pin, are the Negative connection.
(The pieces of spring-like metal, all connect to the Negative connection in the DC Power Jack)

Example of a replacement DC Power Jack, for the Asus Eee PC 1005HA Netbook,

http://www.batterysupport.com/asus-eee-pc-1005ha-jack-p-303527.html

[ Note*
Cannot agree with the replacement instructions they offer, at the bottom of the page.
Not everyone has access to a hot-air gun. A 25 Watt soldering iron, and Desoldering Braid, is better, and more easily accessed ]

A few articles dealing with replacement of a DC Power Jack,

http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2007/12/06/dc-power-jack-repair-guide/

http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2006/01/28/toshiba-satellite-m35x-a75-power-jack-problem/

http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2006/05/27/failed-laptop-power-jack-workaround/

1) Remove ALL power. Remove the AC adapter, (Charger), and Battery.
2) Observe Anti-Static Precautions. Buy, and use an ESD wrist strap.
Electro Static Discharge.

(Average cost is from $3 to $6. Connect the alligator clip to a good ground source.
I connect to an unpainted surface, of the metal frame of an open, empty desktop computer case.

If you wish to proceed in replacing your DC Power Jack, and need guidance, post back in a Comment.

Regards,
joecoolvette

I guess you've got a broken laptop power dc jack or power cable.


Symptoms of a broken Laptop DC power jack:


- The laptop only operates when you hold the DC power plug in a certain direction (DC jack is broken or loose).
- The laptop only runs on battery power (no power is getting through the DC jack).
- The laptop gets no power at all.
- The laptop will not charge the battery.
- The laptop switches from AC power to battery power intermittently due to a loose or broken power jack.
- The laptop suddenly shuts off.
- The DC jack may feel loose.
- Sparks come out of the back of the laptop when you insert the power plug into the DC jack.

A common weak spot on most laptops is the DC power jack. If someone trips on the wire while you have the power adaptor plugged into your laptop, chances are that the power jack will get damaged.
On most laptops the DC power jack is soldered directly to the motherboard and there are only three or four small pins holding it in place. Unfortunately that makes the power jack quite weak. Any sideways pulling of the DC power cord while attached to the laptop will usually dislodge at least one of these pins, breaking the solder around it. Modern laptops use quite a lot of power, from about 70W to 120W or even more. The bad electrical connection from the dislodged pin will cause sparks and heating that will eventually burn a hole through the motherboard and can even be a fire hazard.

The usual signs of that are:

• The battery is not charging properly or stays at half charge despite that you have been using the power adaptor.
• The screen flickers (the brightness is changing) while the power cord is plugged in. This is caused by the laptop switching between DC power (screen is brighter) and battery power (screen is dimmer).
• The DC plug gets hot after a few minutes of use and may even smell of burning.
• There are "scratching" sounds coming from the DC jack.

You need to take the unit apart and check/resolder the DC jack on the system board.

If I could be of further assistance, let me know. If this helps or solves the issue, please rate it and give a testimonial for my response

Thanks, Joe

I’m happy to assist further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/joe_8b8c2cd6ce148309

Hi,
Without looking at it I'd guess at it being the DC power jack (where you plug in the power adaptor). These are prone to wear and tear and are easily damaged. When your laptop is plugged in and is turned on, please 'wiggle' the power jack and see if your machine powers down and/or the charging light comes on. If any of the above happens, then it's your DC jack. These can be replaced.

Zahc

1. Test power adapter for output voltage. Bend the power cable in various directions while doing this to be sure that there is no broken conductors in the cable.
2. If power adapter is Ok, connect it & see if the power LED on the laptop will glow when you jiggle the power connector in various directions. If yes, then the DC jack might be loose or damaged, & need to be either re-soldered or replaced.
3. If not, then disassemble the laptop. Remove any components that attach to the laptop's motherboard first (e.g. battery, hard drive, RAM, wireless card, optical drive, ... etc.)
4. Next, remove the keyboard & the LCD screen.
5. Finally, unscrew all screws that hold the upper cover & lower cover together so that you could gain access to the motherboard.
6. Inspect the solder points connecting the DC jack to the motherboard. Make sure that none of them is loose. If any, re-solder them.
7. Inspect the center pin in the DC jack. Make sure that it is not broken or loose. If it is, then you might need to replace the DC jack.
8. When you are done, re-assemble back the laptop.

You might need a new battery....you could try removing the battery, plug laptop into ac and restarting. Or you might need a new DC power jack. If you wiggle the cord where it plugs into the laptop, and it starts to charge normally, then the DC power jack needs replacing. http://www.insidemylaptop.com/take-apart-sony-vaio-vgn-s360p-replace-broken-power-jack/

DC Power Jack is bad, or it's solder connections to the motherboard.

To explain;
The DC Power Jack is the port you plug your AC adapter into. (Charger)

Your DC power jack Not installed looks like this,

http://www.megaemarket.com/dc-power-jack-for-dell-inspiron-laptop-b12120130.html

(You can click on the photo to enlarge)

Looking at the jack in the photo, it is upside down in relation to how it actually sits, on the motherboard.
Those flat pins you see go down through the motherboard, and are soldered.

As I'm sure you know, your laptop uses DC electricity. (Direct Current. A flashlight battery, and your laptop battery are examples of stored DC electricity. The AC adapter converts AC electricity into DC for the laptop)

The round metal pin in the center is for Positive. It is the Positive connection. The outside round hole has the Negative connection. (For this jack I believe it is a flat strip of metal going down the side of the hole)

What you can't see is that the body, or outside shell of this DC Power Jack is composed of Plastic. Looking at the photo, look at the rear view of the jack. The view on the right of the photo.
That metal center pin is riveted to the flat pin. (Or Prong, if you wish)

Doesn't take too much of a bump, when the AC adapter plug is installed into the jack, to break the plastic at this point.

However your jack may not be broken. It could be cracked solder joints. Solder joints where those flat pins are soldered to the motherboard.

I apologize for being so lengthy, but unless you repair these babies, you may never know this information, and I thought I would share.

I wanted you to know what the problem is.
It is my belief without looking at this laptop, and based on many repairs, that your DC Power Jack has cracked solder joints.

Only a professional, competent, tech will know for sure when they go to repair it. If the above is the case they will re-solder the joints.

Repair cost? This cost varies from city to city, and country to country. I could only hazard a guess.

In my area it varies from $50 on up. (The cost of the jack online is about $9 should one be needed)
(The entire laptop needs to be disassembled down to the bare motherboard. {The LCD screen stays intact} Then work on the jack can ensue)

It may be that you need a new, (Or good condition used), motherboard. You may not.

The problem could be the DC Power Jack. The DC Power Jack is small, and the body is made of plastic. Sometimes there is a metal shell around the plastic body. (The jack is a rectangular shape, and is just a little larger, than the outside portion of that AC adapter plug!)

This is an example of a DC Power jack for a Toshiba Satellite a215-s5807,
http://www.notebookworks.net/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=NBW52-0133

As you know there is a metal pin in the center, and at the back of the round hole, there are flat metal contacts.

Let me explain the construction of a DC Power Jack, and how it's mounted to a motherboard. This all has relevance to the solution.

Your laptop uses DC electricity. (The AC adapter converts AC to DC. Your laptop battery, and a flashlight battery, are examples of stored DC electricity)

DC uses a Positive connection, and a Negative connection. The metal pin in the center is Positive. The flat metal strips at the back are Negative.

That laptop DC Power Jack has metal prongs, that come out of the plastic body. One prong, (Or pin), connects to the Positive metal round pin, in the center of the jack.
There may be one, or two prongs, (Or pins), that come out of the plastic body, and connect to the Negative side of the jack. (Flat metal strips)
These prongs go down through holes in the motherboard, and are soldered on.

With the AC adapter plugged in, an accidental bump on the plug itself, could break the body of the jack, or break solder joints that hold the jack to the motherboard.

AC adapter removed, and battery removed. Use a NON-metallic object, and see if you can make the center pin of the jack move. See if the entire jack itself seems to move.
A.If the center pin moves, you have a broken DC Power Jack.
B.If the entire jack moves, you have cracked solder joints. (Broken)

Replacement of the DC Power Jack for A.
Re-solder the solder joint/s for B.

Cost of replacing a jack at a reputable computer repair shop? $90 to $150
Cost of re-soldering solder joints? $50 to $90
Cost of replacing the motherboard?
$250 on up.

If you are a skilled person with the correct tools, it is feasible for you to replace the jack, or re-solder the solder joints.
It is also feasible that you yourself, could replace the motherboard.

Some laptops have a poor motherboard design, for where the DC Power Jack is mounted to the motherboard.

Crude explanation would be, that the main body of the motherboard is a 1 foot square. Then a 2 inch square comes out of the side of the main body.
The DC Power Jack is mounted to that 2 inch square. From accidental bumping, OR just normal usage of inserting, and removing the AC adapter plug, this 2 inch square can crack away from the main body.
This, of course would require a motherboard replacement.

Disassembly instructions for a Satellite A200 and A205 Series laptops. Very close to the A215 Series,
http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/toshiba-satellite-a205/laptop-disassembly-1.htm

(Don't forget to buy, and use a cheap ESD wrist strap, to prevent static shock to the delicate hardware components, inside your laptop. Average cost is $7)

Sounds like a bad battery or the charger isn't putting out enough power even though the light is on.But most likely its the battery.

1. First of all, go to http://is.gd/scG3/gateway/support and enter your serial number to make sure you still have warranty (just in case you need to order parts or send in your lappy) 2. You can open a chat window with gateway to describe to them your issue 3. Possibly order a new part, or fix the solution via gateway support.
ps. My suggestion is either a bad power cable, or bad battery. They will probably send you a new one of either for free if you still have time left on your warranty. Otherwise you'll have to pay, but it'll fix the issue. If you have any further questions, reply to [email protected]