power adapter problems w/ Dell Inspiron 1420

Hello all, I'm new to the site. I was wondering if anyone has ever had a problem with the power adapter not charging the Inspiron 1420. When i plug the adapter into the wall outlet the green light comes on but, once I plug it into the computer the charger light goes off and of course theres no charge. Dell tried to trouble shoot the problem, w/ no result. They say it could be a problem with the mother board or adapter port. I only had the computer for about 2 weeks. Its going back.

 

Hello,

My name is Mike, I’m a Technical Analyst at Dell corporate headquarters in Round Rock, TX. I’m part of an internet outreach team developed to interact with the online community regarding technical questions and issues that customers face with Dell products.

I’m sorry to hear that you’re having problems this soon after receiving the system. The problem is more than likely the AC adapter itself, but either way, if you’ve only had the system for 2 weeks you’re still within the total satisfaction period and I’d suggest having support replace the system with a new one.

I hope this is helpful.

Mike
Dell customer advocate

 

Dell guys rock =)

 

We try

 

Hi, I bought a Dell Inspiron 6400 in April 2007 and after a while the power cable of the adapter broke. At first, it was just a slight crackle which got worse and worse. Now, the adapter often does work and I have to replace it. I called Dell Europe today (I bought the notebook in Germany) and they told me that the warranty had expired in April 2008. So now I have to purchase a new adapter which costs about $65. I don't understand this. How come an adapter doesn't even last a year and then Dell makes me pay the full price of a new adapter? I went to a large computer store and they told me they don't have an alternative since Dell designs their adapters in a branded fashion.

What can I do?

Thanks,
Torsten

 

Torsten - try ebay or some third party vendors. You can probably get a genuine Dell adapter for less. Alternatively, try to escalate your issue within Dell. But - they'll probably say you should have exchanged the adapter at the first sign of trouble instead of waiting until things got worse, which probably would have been the best course.

 

I just got a new Inspiron 1420 in May. Since the first week, every so often I will get an error message when I plug in the laptop that says that the computer doesn't recognize the adapter. The computer is working fine, and powering fine, but I still get the error message. I googled the error message, and found that other people are getting it, and it may mean that the adapter is defective. I tried contacting Dell customer service, gave them my service tag #, at which point they claimed that the service tag # was not in their system and I must have bought the computer in a foreign country (I didn't. I bought it at Best Buy). Customer Service at Dell was of absolutely no help. I went to Best Buy (it's covered, of course), and they claimed they'd have to take my computer and send it in and can't give me a new adapter, and I refuse to spend $100 for a new one. I'd like to hear from the guy at Dell who claims to be so helpful.

Thanks.