This is the laptop charger. I have two laptops that use the same charger. I watched a movie on one laptop on battery, then plugged it in and went to sleep. Got up in the morning and the laptop wouldn't boot. It never ocurred to me that the charger was the problem -- the laptop is old and has been dropped a few times :). I pulled out the backup laptop, used it, set it on the charger and went out for the day. Returned home, and second laptop is dead.Pulled out my spare charger. The backup laptop will run on the spare charger, but its battery will not charge. The primary computer still will not boot.Do you folks have any idea what is going on here? Is there anything I can do to fix the battery on the backup computer, or do I just need to order a new one? Any ideas about how I might be able to save the primary computer, the one that won't boot at all? Its running lights come on but the screen does not, and I do not hear the hard drive spin up. The screen and the wiring that goes to it are relatively new, replaced 6 months ago, so I doubt that is the problem.(The backup computer frankly sucks. It is terribly underpowered and not upgradeable. Not a daily driver.)

Laptop model numbers would help as well as the model numbers of the chargers. Are they both 18 volts DC?

Did you check the output of the charger? It could be coincidence that they both stopped at relatively the same time.Does the first computer show a boot screen or is it always blank? If black it could be the motherboard. If there is any indication of life it could be a bad HDD. In that case you could try to boot with a Linux live cd. The tough part is getting one if you dont have a third computer.As far as the battery, new is the way to go. Laptop batteries can be found on the online shopping sites or at Batteries Plus.

Try booting the laptop, plugged in, with the battery removed.

Are you sure the power adapter is the right one for both laptops? The critical specification is the voltage, the voltage that the power adapter provides should match the required voltage of the laptop exactly. The amperage of the power adapter should be the same or greater than that required by the laptop.If the voltage of the power adapter is too high, it is possible to damage the laptop.

Escargot wrote:Try booting the laptop, plugged in, with the battery removed.Sadly, this did not work either.strollin wrote:Are you sure the power adapter is the right one for both laptops? Pretty darn sure. The specs have worn off the chargers, but when they were new I checked carefully, and since then (several years) both computers have shared chargers contentedly.Gene&Ginny wrote:Laptop model numbers would help as well as the model numbers of the chargers. Are they both 18 volts DC?They are ASUS netbooks. The primary is 1015PEM17U. I will see if I can get a model number off the other one in daylight. This stuff wears off.SteveB wrote:Did you check the output of the charger?I can try. I will also try to see if it is stable, or varying. I don't know if it will HAVE any output if it is not plugged into a computer. It could be coincidence that they both stopped at relatively the same time.Could be. But my friend Bill Occam says he doesn't think so :).Does the first computer show a boot screen or is it always blank? If black it could be the motherboard. If there is any indication of life it could be a bad HDD.No boot screen, just some blinky lights on the case. No HDD or fan sound.In that case you could try to boot with a Linux live cd. The tough part is getting one if you dont have a third computer.I do have a third computer, but I have not used its CD drive in many years :). And the netbook would need an external CD drive -- which I have, and AFAIK it works too, but it's another variable. Do you think it's worth a try with no boot screen?

Help? My charger killed two laptops! | Good Sam Community

VintageRacer
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
Is the power adaptor plugged into an inverter for it's power? MSW inverters are known to damage chargers.

Brian
strollin
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
If the power adapter has been working for both netbooks for as long as you say, it's very doubtful that it suddenly killed both of them.
Naio
Explorer II
Apr 04, 2015
Escargot wrote:
Try booting the laptop, plugged in, with the battery removed.

Sadly, this did not work either.

strollin wrote:
Are you sure the power adapter is the right one for both laptops?

Pretty darn sure. The specs have worn off the chargers, but when they were new I checked carefully, and since then (several years) both computers have shared chargers contentedly.

Gene&Ginny wrote:
Laptop model numbers would help as well as the model numbers of the chargers. Are they both 18 volts DC?

They are ASUS netbooks. The primary is 1015PEM17U. I will see if I can get a model number off the other one in daylight. This stuff wears off.

SteveB wrote:
Did you check the output of the charger?

I can try. I will also try to see if it is stable, or varying. I don't know if it will HAVE any output if it is not plugged into a computer.

It could be coincidence that they both stopped at relatively the same time.

Could be. But my friend Bill Occam says he doesn't think so :).

Does the first computer show a boot screen or is it always blank? If black it could be the motherboard. If there is any indication of life it could be a bad HDD.

No boot screen, just some blinky lights on the case. No HDD or fan sound.

In that case you could try to boot with a Linux live cd. The tough part is getting one if you dont have a third computer.

I do have a third computer, but I have not used its CD drive in many years :). And the netbook would need an external CD drive -- which I have, and AFAIK it works too, but it's another variable. Do you think it's worth a try with no boot screen?
strollin
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
Are you sure the power adapter is the right one for both laptops? The critical specification is the voltage, the voltage that the power adapter provides should match the required voltage of the laptop exactly. The amperage of the power adapter should be the same or greater than that required by the laptop.

If the voltage of the power adapter is too high, it is possible to damage the laptop.
Escargot
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
Try booting the laptop, plugged in, with the battery removed.
SteveB
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
Did you check the output of the charger? It could be coincidence that they both stopped at relatively the same time.
Does the first computer show a boot screen or is it always blank? If black it could be the motherboard. If there is any indication of life it could be a bad HDD. In that case you could try to boot with a Linux live cd. The tough part is getting one if you dont have a third computer.
As far as the battery, new is the way to go. Laptop batteries can be found on the online shopping sites or at Batteries Plus.
Gene_Ginny
Explorer
Apr 04, 2015
Laptop model numbers would help as well as the model numbers of the chargers. Are they both 18 volts DC?

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Help? My charger killed two laptops!

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