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My daughter had a Gateway computer that had a problem with the jack for the power adapter. I took the thing apart and found that it was a pretty simple matter to remove and replace the jack with just two easy soldered connections. "A snap!" I said to myself. Sure! I contacted Gateway to try to get the part and, of course, they told me that the motherboard would have to be replaced at a cost of about $300. + labor. Hahaha. The jack is worth about $5. retail. I was able to track down the maker of the jack through the motherboard manufacturer. I contacted both (somewhere in Asia) but received no replies. I then wrote to the president of Gateway to complain that it would have to cost me about $500. to replace a part worth $5. No reply at all from him. No more Gateway computers for this user! Listen up vendors: you need to supply parts for your products!
This repair can be easy or difficult, depending on the laptop. The main problem is the microscopic nature of the solder pads on most modern motherboards. I'm a professional and have about a 50% success rate in performing this repair. Dell laptops are particularly tricky. If the laptop is more than four years old, bite the bullet and get a new one--and be careful with the power plug!
It has been my experience that it is usually the plug on the cord that fails and not the one on the motherboard. In that case you have to replace the power adapter which in some cases isn't that cheap either.
I like your suggestions Dave, since they cover all the bases. Not sure about those cost figures (believe they differ by region). Agree with Ken about replacing the unit. Not sure is getting a second hand unit is worth the risk, like I did (as a first time unit), Mindblower!
