I was writing a review on a product called "ireccommend" and stepped away for a while. When I returned, my laptop had shut down after making a quiet clicking sound, almost like a circuit breaker switching off. It now shows no response when I press the power button. The cables appear to be connected properly, but the LED on the power adapter is completely off. I also can't hear the usual high-pitched electronic noise from the adapter, which I normally notice because I have hyperacusis. Does this sound like a failed power adapter, or could the laptop itself have a more serious hardware fault?
4 Answers
The adapter is the simplest thing to test first. Unplug it from both the wall and the laptop, wait a few minutes, then connect it to the wall by itself. If its LED still doesn’t light up, the adapter has probably failed. You can also test the output with a multimeter set to DC voltage; many laptop adapters output around 19 volts, though you should check the rating printed on yours.
I checked the adapter and found that the power brick had burned out. Replacing it solved the mystery, so the charger was the failed part rather than the laptop.
A replacement charger is a relatively inexpensive first step, as long as it matches the laptop’s required voltage, current, connector, and polarity. You can also try powering the laptop with the battery disconnected or removed, if the design allows it. A failed battery or protection circuit can sometimes prevent startup.
Try plugging the adapter directly into a known-good wall outlet instead of using a power strip. If the adapter works by itself but its light switches off as soon as you connect it to the laptop, that points to a short or failed component in the laptop’s charging or motherboard circuitry. In that case, it will need professional service.
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