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An Inspiron 4150 works fine with the battery (almost depleated), but will not work with the DC converter (does not dectect the connection), and will not work without the battery in place. The output pins of the DC converter at the end socket have the usual 20Vdc out, and they show on the output pins from the socket on the mainboard as 20Vdc coming in, so it is not a converter problem. I assume it must be a problem on the motherboard where it detects that the external power is being applied...
Is there any way that the battery can be charged outside the laptop just to rescue the data? or should the hard drive just be transfered to other laptop? Thank you for any recommendation(s)...

If you transfer the HD, you will most likely have a lot of troubles. Unless the laptop your were switching the HD to was the exact same model. Always backup if possible. I would say you might want to check and make sure that the port your plugging power into is properly soldered to the Mobo. See if it jiggles or feels a little loose. Are you sure that your DC converter is the proper one to be able to work for that lappy?

I jiggled it and measured on the bottom of the board 20vdc coming in, so the dc comes in to the Mobo.
The DC converter is the original that the lappy came with and have already "toured" Dell's site for confirmation that I have the correct model.
You're right, I tried transfering the HD to my Precision 60 and got the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death), now I must work to try and recover the My Docs folder, I gess I got into deep water eh? Any suggestions on how to solve BSOD message: STOP: 0x0000007B (INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE) without erasing My Docs with a new installation?...

Edited by Moderator: Removed quote. There`s no need to quote the post directly above your own, unless you`re only replying to a specific section, in which case you would only quote that section.

Well that is the problem with laptops. You cant make the drive a slave in another computer and retrieve your documents. As far as the stop code "INACCESSIBBLE_BOOT_DEVICE", that can usually (and I use the term loosely) can be solved by running a CHKDSK from booting to your Win XP cdrom and accessing the "Recovery Console" and type the CHKDSK at the c:\ prompt.

Thanks gavinsebrook! I've executed CHKDSK an got the info back!... I will tell my girlfriend to make backups next time... Regards
pimpirulando

The thing with the DC converter is like this. I have read in some places that certain types of chargers (like Apple's MagSafe travel adaptor for cars, airplanes, and one other brand or travel adaptors) will power a notebook but not charge it. Although this might not be your problem, it could answer many future questions.

Hi,
I have a similar problem. I have a Dell Latitude D600 laptop that worked fine until I plugged in a 19.5 v adapter in the car to charge it. I assume that the voltage was full into the center pin and fried something inside the laptop.
Now the laptop works both on the battery and the original AC adapter but does not charge the battery,

Whats the remedy?

it would have been much better to get a DC to AC converter for your car, then plug your laptop into the ac plug like it was in the house.

I would try another battery.

I opened the laptop down to the mother board. I found on the reverse side of the mother board near the dc jack I could see a blown resistor or a fuse. Also the AC adapter now gives 20 VDC between the centre and the inner jack instead of 8 VDC.

The problem occurred when I supplied a full +20 vdc to the center pin and 0 V to the outer Adapter pin. The center Pin is the data pin [ so called] I didnt realise there were 3 wires so I effectively shorted the center Pin with its sheild and soldered together resulting in this problem.

Now the D600 works on ac and battery but does not charge the battery.

Anyone can help me trying to replace this smd fuse or a resistor blown near the middle pin of the DC jack on the mother board's bottom side?

Thanks

if you have strong soldering skills, you can replace the resister. I don't recommend doing it unless you are very expereinced. It is far better to take it to a shop.

Hi
I am not bad in soldering but I cant just identify this part. If someone can locate this part and let me know after I post the picture on the posts here it may help in identifying this part with someone who has a good working board. For the laptop a refurb board is on its way and should reach melbourne AU in a couple of days.

The notebook repair shops here are not competent to do component level repairs and if they do it it will cost the earth to replace this resistor/fuse!

If nothing works I will put up this board as is on eBay.