(no subject)

[the_rck]

I really want to cry right now. The laptop Scott got to replace my entirely dead one is now also dead. I plugged it in this morning and heard it power down before I even opened it. I tried starting it up about five times, but it just dies at the same point every damned time. Scott thinks we may be completely SOL on getting our money back. I really hope not because there is no money to replace this one. We’ve had it less than a week

I suspect a battery problem because, when I connect the power the light is green rather than amber. It was at about 85% charge when I closed the lid last night, so it ought to be charging and isn’t. This model is different from my old one, so I can’t easily check the battery just by pulling it out and eyeballing it.

I can use Scott’s laptop when he isn’t home, but his doesn’t have space for my files and is in use by him during my most productive writing time and when people I want to talk to are most likely to be online.

I can do some limited stuff on my phone, but typing here hurts my hands.

I really don’t know what to do.

Comments

[ayebydan]

I really hope that Scott is wrong and you can get your money back because that is utterly unacceptable.

[lunabee34]

I'm so sorry. That's so frustrating.

[melannen]

That sounds like it might be the power cord, not the battery - does it do the same thing when it's not plugged in? Does it die a different wayn if it's not plugged in? I've had that happen when the power cord was putting out the wrong sort of power (either because it was the wrong cord, or because it was dying) - it trips a circuit breaker or internal surge protector or something, and shuts down to keep the bad juice from hurting the electronics.

If you got it used, could be they gave you the wrong or a bad power cord. If nothing else, a new power cord might be somewhat cheaper than a new laptop.

[lady_of_mists]

Yes! We had that problem with our iPad. It would not charge for love or money. When we got a new power cord, it started taking charge again and has worked really well.

[the_rck]

Sadly, I had already tried it without the cord. It dies at exactly the same point in the process either way, so I strongly suspect the battery. Unfortunately, this is not a model on which checking the battery is easy. My old one, I just needed a quarter or a bus token. This one needs a teeny screw driver and fine motor control. I could find the teeny screwdriver, but I will never have that sort of motor control again.

[lady_of_mists]

Ugh. I'm really sorry. I was hoping it would be a fairly easy fix/something I actually knew about.

[the_rck]

It does exactly the same thing with or without the power cord. I've tried it multiple times both ways. That's why I suspect the battery rather than the cord.

[melannen]

Ugh.

I've had laptops before that worked without the battery in at all, though, as long as they were plugged in, so unless they've dramatically changed the architecture, it's probably not *just* a dead battery, it's something more complicated happening in the power system. :/

If I had a working spare laptop right now I'd offer to send it, but you probably don't need the one with the malfunctioning keyboard that takes literally 20 minutes to wake up.

[kaffy_r]

I'm so sorry that you're dealing with all this, and I really hope that you're surprised in a nice way to learn that you can get your money back. I'll cross my fingers, and wish I could do more.

[summerstorm]

Wow, what bullshit. It's been a WEEK?

Personally, when this (i.e. charging issues) happens to me I freak the fuck out about the power chord because that's what left me laptopless for about a year a few years back. I'm incredibly paranoid about it, actually. So at bare minimum they should try a replacement cord and give it to you for FREE if it works, and if it doesn't, also replace the battery for free, like... it's been a WEEK? Oh god. I really really hope whoever sold it to you isn't an asshole because one way or another it doesn't sound like they sent you what you were supposed to be sent.

[the_rck]

The seller tells us that they’ll be happy to pay return shipping and give us a replacement. They’re pretty sure it’s a hard drive problem because they ‘just discovered today’ that they had bought a largish lot of bad drives.

[lady_of_mists]

Wonderful!! I am so happy to hear this.

[tielan]

I'm guessing it was a personal sale rather than one connected to a business or a company? That's really bad. :(

Hope you find a way to get it running again. Do you have any computer engineering/building friends who might be able to sort it out/rebuild it for you?

[qem_chibati]

That sounds super frustrating, I hope that you're able to return it and have it repaired.