OldFashioned's dashboard

Thank you Summer...I had a 90W power adapter with this model to begin with, and the tech tried a brand new one as well, but it didn't solve the problem on my system. I'm glad it worked for you though! And I totally agree about the Mac...that's what all my friends have been saying too. – OldFashioned, on April 21, 2009 01:13

If you've only had your computer 9-10 months it should still be under warranty. If so you really need to contact tech support while you still can. Lots of people are having similar problems, but it seems to be a system problem, not a cord problem. If yours is frayed it may well be the cord. Anyway, I've been cross posting this to several related forums...I also have a Vostro, so maybe this will be relevant to you. (My power cord is intact BTW, and I have a 90W Dell adapter, but the symptoms are exactly the same as what you're experiencing.) FYI...

I am having the exact same problem on my five month old Vostro 1710. On this model anyway, it is NOT a motherboard problem. I'm still under warranty, so Dell sent a tech out to replace the motherboard and the power adapter. Brand new power adapter didn't solve the problem, so he went on to change out the motherboard. But once he got the system apart, he could see that the port where the adapter plugs in is NOT even part of the motherboard. It's connected to the plastic chassis underneath, by a couple of tiny plastic pieces, which had broken. Without those pieces to hold it in place, the port was loose and couldn't make a good connection anymore.

This is 100% a design flaw IMO...it doesn't take much to break those little plastic pieces. In my case, five months of normal usage (plugging and unplugging the power adapter once or twice a day) was enough to break the plastic and render the port inoperable.

My point being...this is NOT necessarily a motherboard problem, even though tech support seems to think it is.

I'm cross posting this to several related threads. I have a different model Dell than you do, but maybe it will help. Most indications are that this isn't a battery problem, but a motherboard problem; however, on my model it was something else altogether. FYI...

I am having the exact same problem on my five month old Vostro 1710. On this model anyway, it is NOT a motherboard problem. I'm still under warranty, so Dell sent a tech out to replace the motherboard and the power adapter. Brand new power adapter didn't solve the problem, so he went on to change out the motherboard. But once he got the system apart, he could see that the port where the adapter plugs in is NOT even part of the motherboard. It's connected to the plastic chassis underneath, by a couple of tiny plastic pieces, which had broken. Without those pieces to hold it in place, the port was loose and couldn't make a good connection anymore.

This is 100% a design flaw IMO...it doesn't take much to break those little plastic pieces. In my case, five months of normal usage (plugging and unplugging the power adapter once or twice a day) was enough to break the plastic and render the port inoperable.

My point being...this is NOT necessarily a motherboard problem, even though tech support seems to think it is.

I'm cross-posting this in several related threads. I have a different model Dell than you do, but maybe this will help. Some seem to think this is a motherboard issue, but on my model that wasn't the problem. FYI...

I am having the exact same problem on my five month old Vostro 1710. On this model anyway, it is NOT a motherboard problem. I'm still under warranty, so Dell sent a tech out to replace the motherboard and the power adapter. Brand new power adapter didn't solve the problem, so he went on to change out the motherboard. But once he got the system apart, he could see that the port where the adapter plugs in is NOT even part of the motherboard. It's connected to the plastic chassis underneath, by a couple of tiny plastic pieces, which had broken. Without those pieces to hold it in place, the port was loose and couldn't make a good connection anymore.

This is 100% a design flaw IMO...it doesn't take much to break those little plastic pieces. In my case, five months of normal usage (plugging and unplugging the power adapter once or twice a day) was enough to break the plastic and render the port inoperable.

My point being...this is NOT necessarily a motherboard problem, even though tech support seems to think it is.

I'm cross posting this to several related threads. I have a different model Dell than you do, but maybe this is relevant to yours as well.

I am having the exact same problem on my five month old Vostro 1710. On this model anyway, it is NOT a motherboard problem. I'm still under warranty, so Dell sent a tech out to replace the motherboard and the power adapter. Brand new power adapter didn't solve the problem, so he went on to change out the motherboard. But once he got the system apart, he could see that the port where the adapter plugs in is NOT even part of the motherboard. It's connected to the plastic chassis underneath, by a couple of tiny plastic pieces, which had broken. Without those pieces to hold it in place, the port was loose and couldn't make a good connection anymore.

This is 100% a design flaw IMO...it doesn't take much to break those little plastic pieces. In my case, five months of normal usage (plugging and unplugging the power adapter once or twice a day) was enough to break the plastic and render the port inoperable.

My point being...this is NOT necessarily a motherboard problem, even though tech support seems to think it is.

I am cross posting this to several related threads. Since you just replaced your battery your situation may be totally different, but a lot of people are having this problem and there's some indication it's due to a faulty motherboard. However, in my case it's not, so FYI...

I am having the exact same problem on my five month old Vostro 1710. On this model anyway, it is NOT a motherboard problem. I'm still under warranty, so Dell sent a tech out to replace the motherboard and the power adapter. Brand new power adapter didn't solve the problem, so he went on to change out the motherboard. But once he got the system apart, he could see that the port where the adapter plugs in is NOT even part of the motherboard. It's connected to the plastic chassis underneath, by a couple of tiny plastic pieces, which had broken. Without those pieces to hold it in place, the port was loose and couldn't make a good connection anymore.

This is 100% a design flaw IMO...it doesn't take much to break those little plastic pieces. In my case, five months of normal usage (plugging and unplugging the power adapter once or twice a day) was enough to break the plastic and render the port inoperable.

My point being...this is NOT necessarily a motherboard problem, even though tech support seems to think it is.

I'm cross posting this to several related threads.

I am having the exact same problem on my five month old Vostro 1710. On this model anyway, it is NOT a motherboard problem. I'm still under warranty, so Dell sent a tech out to replace the motherboard and the power adapter. Brand new power adapter didn't solve the problem, so he went on to change out the motherboard. But once he got the system apart, he could see that the port where the adapter plugs in is NOT even part of the motherboard. It's connected to the plastic chassis underneath, by a couple of tiny plastic pieces, which had broken. Without those pieces to hold it in place, the port was loose and couldn't make a good connection anymore.

This is 100% a design flaw IMO...it doesn't take much to break those little plastic pieces. In my case, five months of normal usage (plugging and unplugging the power adapter once or twice a day) was enough to break the plastic and render the port inoperable.

My point being...this is NOT necessarily a motherboard problem, even though tech support seems to think it is.

I am having the exact same problem on my five month old Vostro 1710. On this model anyway, it is NOT a motherboard problem. I'm still under warranty, so Dell sent a tech out to replace the motherboard and the power adapter. Brand new power adapter didn't solve the problem, so he went on to change out the motherboard. But once he got the system apart, he could see that the port where the adapter plugs in is NOT even part of the motherboard. It's connected to the plastic chassis underneath, by a couple of tiny plastic pieces, which had broken. Without those pieces to hold it in place, the port was loose and couldn't make a good connection anymore.

This is 100% a design flaw IMO...it doesn't take much to break those little plastic pieces. In my case, five months of normal usage (plugging and unplugging the power adapter once or twice a day) was enough to break the plastic and render the port inoperable.

My point being...this is NOT necessarily a motherboard problem, even though tech support seems to think it is.