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Post by maryland on Jan 16, 2017 4:57:38 GMT
Has anyone ever had this problem with their computer - Plugged in not charging? Meaning if I am plugged in, I can use the computer but it will not charge until I am off the computer. I got a new battery last week thinking it would solve the problem and it hasn't. I can't afford a new computer at this point. It works, but is inconvenient when it often has to be plugged in.
The new battery has helped one issue. Usually when the power goes out and I plug it back in, it takes 10 min. for the computer to "turn on" and be ready to use. Now I can start using it within a couple minutes of plugging it in and turning it back on.
I am not technology expert, but wondering if anyone else has had this problem and was able to solve it without expensive computer repair/buying a new computer.
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Post by freecharlie on Jan 16, 2017 4:59:57 GMT
How old is the computer?
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ModChick
Drama Llama
True North Strong and Free
Posts: 5,062 
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Post by ModChick on Jan 16, 2017 5:15:15 GMT
Yup. We have the exact same thing happening. Even a new battery isn't helping much but we have a very old laptop and know it's time to replace it.
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Post by ~summer~ on Jan 16, 2017 5:25:02 GMT
Make sure the plug is pushed all the way in where it connects to the computer. Otherwise google it.
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CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
Posts: 3,827
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Post by CeeScraps on Jan 16, 2017 10:01:10 GMT
Possibly the charging port has been damaged.
Do you have more than 1 charger to try? If so, check that because the charger may be bad.
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Post by julieinsweden on Jan 16, 2017 11:11:48 GMT
Just in case have you checked the fuse to the outlet? Plug a lamp into the same outlet to check it works.
BTDT with MIL blowing a fuse and wondering why her phone wouldn't charge.
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Post by anxiousmom on Jan 16, 2017 12:34:34 GMT
Just a thought... My laptop died a noble death recently. Like you, I was in no position to purchase a new one and resigned myself to be laptopless for a while. Then my mom mentioned that her church has a big garage sale every year and they always have a number of technological stuff that gets donated, and one of their members who owns a computer store donates her time to clean them up and make sure all the pieces and parts are working and then they get sold at the garage sale. I picked up a new (to me) laptop for less than $100. It is a 17 inch Toshiba, and while it is isn't brand new, it was completely overhauled and checked over and works like an absolute champ. My mom's church isn't a huge one, but their garage sale is fairly well known in their area and they get the coolest stuff donated for the sale. Maybe you have something like this in your town where you ( maryland) can look before you resign yourself to having to buy new? |
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Sarah*H
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,978
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Post by Sarah*H on Jan 16, 2017 12:51:20 GMT
Twice with my less than a year old Dell. Both times required shipping it back to Dell for them to repair.
It's possible that it's just the adapter so you could replace that and see if it helps.
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Post by librarylady on Jan 16, 2017 14:11:46 GMT
My sister's was doing a similar thing. The port where the cable plugs in was damaged.
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Post by maryland on Jan 16, 2017 14:31:16 GMT
It's about 5-7 yrs. old. Probably quite old! I have so many pictures stored on the computer, that's probably part of the problem. Also, it's a pretty expensive computer, and my kids use it all the time for school stuff. Whatever they need to do for school they can't seem to do on the "kids" laptop we have. So that could also be part of the problem.  |
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Post by maryland on Jan 16, 2017 14:34:36 GMT
Possibly the charging port has been damaged. Do you have more than 1 charger to try? If so, check that because the charger may be bad. You are probably right! I bought a new charger a year ago and that could be part of it. Once we got the new charger I started seeing the plugged in not charging. But it was the only charger Best Buy had at the time for the computer. I probably need to invest in a more expensive charger. The one I have is pretty crappy, there is a little part of the cord that goes into the computer and is about 5 inches long. Then a longer part connects to that and it is always coming undone. |
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Post by maryland on Jan 16, 2017 14:40:10 GMT
Thanks everyone for suggestions! I know it's always plugged in because I always check. And I plug it in in different outlets depending on the room I am in. Maybe that's the problem, moving it around so much. My husband uses his on his desk about 75% of the time and he always reminds me that his is just fine! (But the kids never use his!). I am going to get a new charger and try just to use the laptop in our study so it's on the desk, not carried around the house. I admit I am nervous to send it away for repair because all my pictures are on it and I would be too nervous that the computer would get lost and I would lose my photos!  |
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Post by freecharlie on Jan 16, 2017 15:01:39 GMT
Thanks everyone for suggestions! I know it's always plugged in because I always check. And I plug it in in different outlets depending on the room I am in. Maybe that's the problem, moving it around so much. My husband uses his on his desk about 75% of the time and he always reminds me that his is just fine! (But the kids never use his!). I am going to get a new charger and try just to use the laptop in our study so it's on the desk, not carried around the house. I admit I am nervous to send it away for repair because all my pictures are on it and I would be too nervous that the computer would get lost and I would lose my photos! get an external hard drive asap. It sounds like your laptop ny be on its last legs and without back up your pictures will be gone. Then I would start saving for a new laptop. It doesn't sounds like you need a super powerful one and you can get one for as little as $300- $500 dollars depending on what special things you want. If the charging port is going bad, the computer is going bad and it is really going to be a matter of if, not when, it is going to quit charging at all. |
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Post by maryland on Jan 16, 2017 15:16:31 GMT
Thanks everyone for suggestions! I know it's always plugged in because I always check. And I plug it in in different outlets depending on the room I am in. Maybe that's the problem, moving it around so much. My husband uses his on his desk about 75% of the time and he always reminds me that his is just fine! (But the kids never use his!). I am going to get a new charger and try just to use the laptop in our study so it's on the desk, not carried around the house. I admit I am nervous to send it away for repair because all my pictures are on it and I would be too nervous that the computer would get lost and I would lose my photos! get an external hard drive asap. It sounds like your laptop ny be on its last legs and without back up your pictures will be gone. Then I would start saving for a new laptop. It doesn't sounds like you need a super powerful one and you can get one for as little as $300- $500 dollars depending on what special things you want. If the charging port is going bad, the computer is going bad and it is really going to be a matter of if, not when, it is going to quit charging at all. We actually have a few external hard drives, but I don't know how to use them. I have the brain of a 2 yr. old when it comes to technology! My husband gets so frustrated that I always make him put the pictures on the hard drive. Any normal person could figure out how to do it themselves, or learn after one time, not me! I do save all memory cards, so I use that as back up too. It's weird that besides the "plugged in not charging", the computer works pretty well! I do want to save up for a decent computer with a lot of storage just for my pictures. Then an inexpensive laptop for "fun". Meaning facebook, 2 peas, pinterest internet stuff! |
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caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,461
Location: So Cal
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Post by caangel on Jan 16, 2017 15:55:33 GMT
I've heard woderful things about google photos as a cloud solution. Check it out. You should be able to set it up once and automate it.
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Post by SockMonkey on Jan 16, 2017 15:59:31 GMT
Thanks everyone for suggestions! I know it's always plugged in because I always check. And I plug it in in different outlets depending on the room I am in. Maybe that's the problem, moving it around so much. My husband uses his on his desk about 75% of the time and he always reminds me that his is just fine! (But the kids never use his!). I am going to get a new charger and try just to use the laptop in our study so it's on the desk, not carried around the house. I admit I am nervous to send it away for repair because all my pictures are on it and I would be too nervous that the computer would get lost and I would lose my photos! Your computer could be as old as 7 years? You better back up those photos YESTERDAY, dear, because that thing could go at any moment. Try a proprietary/high quality charger if you need to get a little more life out of this bad boy, but it is nearing end of life. Start transitioning your important files/photos off NOW. |
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GiantsFan
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,294
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 14:44:56 GMT
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Post by GiantsFan on Jan 16, 2017 16:39:29 GMT
Right before Christmas I had to get a new computer because the housing around one of the hinges cracked/broke and it wouldn't turn on.
Back up all important stuff INCLUDING your bookmarks while you still can. My hard drive didn't crash, so I was able to pull it out of the dead laptop (and I had a recent backup) but I hadn't backed up my bookmarks.
Sorry to say but honestly, a 7 year old computer probably needs to be replaced. I got a great deal on my new laptop at Staples. It's better to get a new one while the old one still works.
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Post by maryland on Jan 16, 2017 16:56:45 GMT
Thanks everyone for suggestions! I know it's always plugged in because I always check. And I plug it in in different outlets depending on the room I am in. Maybe that's the problem, moving it around so much. My husband uses his on his desk about 75% of the time and he always reminds me that his is just fine! (But the kids never use his!). I am going to get a new charger and try just to use the laptop in our study so it's on the desk, not carried around the house. I admit I am nervous to send it away for repair because all my pictures are on it and I would be too nervous that the computer would get lost and I would lose my photos! Your computer could be as old as 7 years? You better back up those photos YESTERDAY, dear, because that thing could go at any moment. Try a proprietary/high quality charger if you need to get a little more life out of this bad boy, but it is nearing end of life. Start transitioning your important files/photos off NOW. Yes, I definitely need to figure out how to do that! So even if the computer seems to work pretty well, just because of it's age it probably won't last much longer? That's depressing! My husband's laptops seem to last and last, so he doesn't understand why I need a new one. But he buys me top of the line computers, so they are pretty expensive. I will suggest getting a cheap one next time so I don't feel so guilty when I need to replace it because of age! Another dumb question! I have my pictures in Picasa, but if the kids email me pictures (they don't put their pictures on computers, so if I want a copy they email it), the go in a documents folder. I have no idea how to move them to picassa. So, my question is, when pictures go on the hard drive, are the all the pictures, or just picassa pictures? Again, I am clueless! I need to save up to hire someone to help me get the pictures on a hard drive and teach me how to do it! Maybe Geek Squad! |
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Post by maryland on Jan 16, 2017 17:01:10 GMT
I've heard woderful things about google photos as a cloud solution. Check it out. You should be able to set it up once and automate it. Thanks! But I won't be able to set it up (I am about the dumbest person on Earth when it comes to technology! ). Maybe my oldest can help me do that before she goes back to college this weekend. She is pretty patient with me! Her boyfriend is a computer engineering major, so I tell her she needs to keep him around! Too bad he lives near their university, 5 hrs. away! |
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River
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,515
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Jun 26, 2014 15:26:04 GMT
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Post by River on Jan 16, 2017 17:15:46 GMT
Please do get someone NOW rather than later to help you get all your photos and files backed up! Google cloud or Microsoft One Drive are both very reliable online storage. I never trust just that though and also store photos, files, internet favorites and my outlook e-mail settings/contracts to an external hard drive.
If you can't get family or a friend to do it quickly, I'd check into Geek Squad through Best Buy. They have always done a fantastic job for me and even explained (while showing me on my computer) how they did the back ups, so I could do them myself next time. They are the ones that told me how to back up my internet options and bookmarked favorites as well as my outlook settings and contacts. Then they showed me out to restore them to a new computer when that time comes.
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Post by katlady on Jan 16, 2017 17:44:46 GMT
Possibly the charging port has been damaged. Do you have more than 1 charger to try? If so, check that because the charger may be bad. You are probably right! I bought a new charger a year ago and that could be part of it. Once we got the new charger I started seeing the plugged in not charging. But it was the only charger Best Buy had at the time for the computer. I would bet it is a faulty charger. Maybe the charger is not completely compatible with your computer? I would look into getting a new charger. |
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Post by maryland on Jan 16, 2017 20:20:04 GMT
You are probably right! I bought a new charger a year ago and that could be part of it. Once we got the new charger I started seeing the plugged in not charging. But it was the only charger Best Buy had at the time for the computer. I would bet it is a faulty charger. Maybe the charger is not completely compatible with your computer? I would look into getting a new charger. Thanks, I think I will do that this week! |
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sueg
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Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Jan 16, 2017 21:31:29 GMT
My computer is brand new and it sometimes says this. It usually means that the computer is fully charged, so doesn't need to be charging right at that time.
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