Need help, got a new lappy today, and already got some problems.

So today (9-2-09) I received a new Compaq laptop that I ordered from hpshopping. I opened it up, put the battery in, and plug it into the wall.

Started it up, went the the initial setup. Date, time, declined the registrations and such. I finally got the the desktop, and was checking things out. Went to control panel -> programs -> add/remove. EEEK!!
Thats a lot of HP junkware.

Anyways, I figured before I started removing all the junkware, I should make a recovery disc. So I pop in a disc, and start the process. It's starts making a recovery image, and it's going kind of slow, so I just let it do it's thing. I'm about 30 minutes post-box opening at this point, and all of a sudden I get a message on the screen. "Your computer is running on battery power, the following process requires AC power. Please plug in your power supply and click OK" So I figure maybe there's a loose connection with my wall and plug. So I replug the AC adapter in, and click OK. Everything is good for about 5 seconds, and then it goes back to battery power, and I get the same message again.

So here's where I sit now.

When the computer is off, and the battery is removed, I plug in the AC adapter, the little light on the side of the laptop will light up. As soon as I hit the power button, the computer will light up for about 0.5 seconds, and then everything shuts down including the little light on the side.

When the computer is off, and the battery is in the laptop, and I plug in the AC adapter, the little light on the side will come on. As soon as the battery starts to charge (the little lightning bolt lights up on the front) everything shuts down, and all the lights go out.

The laptop will run on the battery just fine without the AC adapter. However, It's only got 65% left on the battery.

So I'm thinking the AC adapter is fried. Everytime it gets a load, it shuts down. With the battery out, and the adapter plugged in, the little light on the side of the laptop will light up all day long. As soon as you push the power button and the laptop tries to start, it shuts off.

So I contacted HP via interweb chat. They weren't much help. They said, "Would you like to send the laptop back so we can diagnose the problem?" I told them to just send me a new adapter, and they complied.

So does anyone have experience with AC adapters? Can I tear this thing apart and replace a fuse, or is it completely fried? Or could it be something different all together?

Thanks, Lucas

 

I wouldn't bother trying to fix the power brick yourself. If HP agreed to send you a new adapter, I would just wait for it; it shouldn't take any longer than a week.