I’m typing this post on my phone. My laptop is a Dell that I bought in April of 2020. I started having problems with it about 2 weeks ago. The battery charge level was falling even though it was plugged in. I got a low battery warning and the “unrecognized charger” warning.

I ordered a new charger and that seemed to fix it.

For about a week. Then it began again. The battery level would drop even when plugged in. Eventually it said 0%(plugged in) even after charging all night.

The computer finally died and won’t restart. I ordered a new battery. It is supposed to be here today. I hope that fixes it. There were some files on there that I hadn’t saved to the home server that I don’t want to lose.

At any rate, blogging will resume when I have a computer.

Categories: Uncategorized

6 Comments

TechieDude · September 22, 2022 at 8:12 am

When I have a dead machine, I remove the hard drive and put it in a usb enclosure. Even if it won’t boot, more often than not I can get the files off it.

Two years is a miserable performance. Hopefully it’s just a defective battry, and there isn’t something with soft short draining it.

It's just Boris · September 22, 2022 at 11:15 am

That sounds a bit soon, even for a Dell.

2020 … that sounds on the early side for it to be capable of charging from USB-C; but if you happen to have a port, it might be worth looking into. I find that the dedicated cylindrical power jacks tend to loosen and otherwise fail over time (having a dog with a “tail of doom” doesn’t help that). The USB-C connector can take damage also; but there’s a nifty magnetic adapter for them that I find works very well, for both charging and connecting to a desktop dock.

    Divemedic · September 22, 2022 at 11:49 am

    I have replaced the power jack three times already, the first time when I closed the recliner right on it while the charger was plugged in. I have found it to be quite fragile.

      it's just Boris · September 22, 2022 at 12:41 pm

      Ouch.

      For what it’s worth, these are the adapters we’ve been using:
      https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Adapter-Transfer-Compatible-MacBook/dp/B097CTLNDK/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=25MGB6WNNJH2S&keywords=usb-c+notebook+magnetic+adapter&qid=1663868250&sprefix=usb-c+note%2Caps%2C7123&sr=8-5

      I’ve found them to work pretty much transparently on MacBooks, LG and Lenovo laptops.

        BraulerBob · September 22, 2022 at 10:53 pm

        I can Vouch for these adapters. One of my family member has issues that limit their fine motor control. This makes plugging in charging cables difficult for him. After several USB ports (micro, and C) on a couple of cell phones, tablets and laptops went bad, I started getting Magnetic adapters like these for anything they need to plug in and charge. It is better to get a $25 adapter than to shell out for a $200 phone or computer repair. There are cheaper multipacks for phones that are good for charging only, but one as shown in the link is needed for data and video transmission.

Danny · September 22, 2022 at 5:32 pm

You might want to consider a MacBook Pro. Unless you are a dedicated Microsoft user.

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