[bucfanstamp]

OK, so I have an old laptop that I would like to use for menial tasks as well as toting around so that my other gear doesn't get banged up. It is a Compaq Presario 2200 and I have all the necessary equipment to make it work. The power problem that I am having is that whenever I unplug the battery charger from the receptacle, the laptop immediately and without warning, turns off. Obviously with this problem, it will not work as a portable device.

I know what the problem is, I just want to know if it is fixable with barely any knowledge of hardware and a small budget. Here is what happened:

I was using a power supply that was not designed to work with this model of CPU and it caused the "point of entry" to become VERY hot and it would not let go of the pin inside of the receptacle. Upon applying enough force to pull the plug out of the back of my laptop, the pin came right out with it. Now, whenever the plug is not in the laptop it doesn't come on, and if it is jostled at all, it looses all power and turns off.

So, given the information, can someone with an extremely small budget for side jobs such as these, and limited to no knowledge be able to fix this problem, or should I just leave it to the professionals?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

EDIT: If it is possible for me to fix it, are there any instructions for this anywhere or am I basically going in blind?

[Soundy]

If the laptop runs with the power supply plugged in, then the plug is fine (relatively). More likely (and not at all uncommon) is that the battery is simply toast and won't hold a charge anymore. It's possible that the "incorrect" adapter hastened the battery's demise, but really, none of them last forever.

So, you're looking at (on average) $100-$200 for a new battery at retail, or maybe $50 from eBay... just keep in mind that with eBay, you can't always be sure what you're getting. I bought a battery for my Acer laptop once from a Chinese eBay vendor... was "only" $30, but it didn't work. Cost me another $30 shipping to send it back. Then they sent me another that worked, but not properly. At that point I cut my losses and just lived with it.

[bucfanstamp]

So the pin that I pulled out of the back of my laptop that is still in the power plug, is a part of the battery?

[Byteman]

No- And, we don't pick on those trying to help who have mis-read the issue.... it takes some experience to be able to read through and digest material and diagnose problems in forums.

The only logical fix is to have the power supply port redone, it's a common fix, but the shop needs to be able to work on laptops, and do fine soldering. Not every place can do it.

{Edit- the shop may have a way to extract the pin from the port}

[Soundy]

*sigh* Okay... you have two separate issues here.

One, yes, your power connector is broken and should be fixed. HOWEVER, from your description, it sounds like you can push the plug in, set it just right, and the laptop will work, correct? So that means the laptop IS getting power at that time... and if the power is getting into it, then it WILL charge the battery.

Normally, if the laptop is running, the battery should be charging, and if you disconnect the power, it should still run on the battery... BUT if you bump the plug, then it loses power and shuts off... this means that while the battery may be RECEIVING power from the power jack, it is not ACCEPTING or HOLDING a charge.

So you can fix the jack (or have it fixed), and it will run normally as long as it's plugged in... but you will still need a new battery if you want to run it unplugged.

The other possibility is that your use of the wrong charger has fried the charging control, so that it's NOT sending the battery a charge... but IF that's the case, then it's probably killed the battery as well.

[bucfanstamp]

First of all, let me clear the issue up of picking on people. I am not one to harass someone trying to help me, nor was I attempting to do so in my last post. I was honestly asking so that I could grasp a little more of what is going on. I am not a big computer guy but am trying to learn more about hardware. That is why I came to this site! I appreciate all of the help that has been given and any help that I receive from anyone in the future.

Secondly, I am pretty sure by your description, Soundy, that I have in fact fried my battery and ruined the port. In this case, I would need some work, plus buy a battery AND and a battery charger. In your opinion would it even be worth the money to save a laptop that is very obsolete, or should I just splurge and purchase a new model?

[Soundy]

Even if the battery is intact, I'm pretty sure you've killed the charging circuit, which is probably not repairable, even if you do replace the power jack. Given that a new battery could be anywhere in the $100 to $300 range (unless you get it from some Chinese eBay vendor, which I DO NOT recommend), you're probably better off just to look for something new. With back-to-school sales on now, I'm seeing brand-new laptops with specs like 15" screen, 250GB drive, 2-3GB RAM, Wireless 'N', and so on, being advertised for well under $500.

I'm currently using a 10" ASUS netbook that I got for $300, and I'm seeing this model now listed for around $270. Even with its Atom processor and reduced spec (netbooks are designed mainly for running online things - websurfing, email, etc.), it's probably way more powerful than your old Compaq.

[bucfanstamp]

Thanks for the heads up on all this. I researched some things on eBay (reliable sellers), and I found that I could buy a new battery and charger for $40. Even though that seems cheap, I think that it's worth the extra money for the newer model and better specs. Thanks for ALL of your help and I'm sorry for sounding like a jerk in my earlier post.