Solved! adapter stopped working on my laptop but still works on others

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Nov 12, 2021
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Hello,

my laptop adapter suddenly stopped working, but the adater led still lights up whenever i plug it in the outlet, also when i try it on another laptop (the other laptop uses same voltage - lower amperage) it works without any problem.

i have also tried other adapters on my laptop and they worked with no problem, i have also bought a fake adapter ( same voltage - same amperage), which makes me pretty confident the issue is coming from the charger.

i figured out a way to make this faulty adapter to work which is: initialy i try it on my laptop and it fails as usual > i bring the other laptop > plug it in that laptop > use it for about 5 minutes > shut it off then quickly switch the cable to my laptop. doing it this way makes it work without a problem, and it stays working for 12+ hours (i have been doing that for over a week now, everyday).

the reason why i can't simply change it is because i live in a 3rd world country and i can't order an original adapter, and every singe retail shop i could find is selling a cheap fake copy, and i have been warned multiple times on the internet not to buy and use that

things i have tried with my adapter, and other info:
  • i have changed wall outlets
  • i have tried bending the cord and twisting the connector part after i made it work, to see if it makes my laptop shut off but that never happened, so the cord is fine i think
  • the charger is 8 years old (could that factor make it faulty?)
does anyone have any insight on what could be wrong with it?
 
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Solution
Trying to repair an adapter is difficult as they are not made to be opened up. I would agree a substitute adapter is a risk but seems to be a risk you have no choice taking. If you have access to a meter, you can verify the voltage. The other issue that could be a problem is the quality of the DC output under load (ripple, voltage spikes, etc.). The is hard to look at without test equipment. What is the brand for your computer? The good brands like HP, Dell, etc will likely be OK with a somewhat less perfect adapter.

I wonder if the other laptop you plug into first puts less load on the adapter? If you could figure out the load, you could try using a power resistor instead of the laptop (it will get hot!!).
Trying to repair an adapter is difficult as they are not made to be opened up. I would agree a substitute adapter is a risk but seems to be a risk you have no choice taking. If you have access to a meter, you can verify the voltage. The other issue that could be a problem is the quality of the DC output under load (ripple, voltage spikes, etc.). The is hard to look at without test equipment. What is the brand for your computer? The good brands like HP, Dell, etc will likely be OK with a somewhat less perfect adapter.

I wonder if the other laptop you plug into first puts less load on the adapter? If you could figure out the load, you could try using a power resistor instead of the laptop (it will get hot!!).
 
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Nov 13, 2021
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You did not say what OS you are running... I have seen something similar on my Lenovo X200 running Windows 10 Pro... adaptor stopped working after Windows update. I had success running the diagnose and repair function in windows 10 in my case.
 
Nov 12, 2021
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My laptop is: Asus K55VD
running on Windows 7 Ultimate

the other laptop I use to make mine work is a Toshiba L500 (a really old computer)

the other adapters i tried on my pc were from a pretty new asus models and they worked fine same with the fake one i bought

unfortunatly i do not have any of the test equipements but i do plan to get a meter sometime next week, and i don't know how to do that "power resistor" thing (do i just grab a resistor and stick each end of it in the connector's positive and negative?). i believe there is a current because when i plug it in the toshiba the power led in the toshiba immidiatly lights up.

the reason i don't think it has anything to do with my OS is because i do these tests while the laptops are off, they have a led that indicates power is reaching in, and the issue is happening at this stage.

another thing i forgot to mention, my faulty adater works totally fine as long as it is still warm, i unplug the current and replug about 10 times throughout the day, with 1 hour interval between each plug and unplug, and when i do that it never fails when i plugged it in, but if i keep it unplug for like +3 hours, it stops working and i will have to use the other laptop method
 
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Nov 12, 2021
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i hear that amperage is only responsible for charging the battery.

do you think it's a good idea to look for a used original adapter with different amperage and take out the battery, than using a fake copy?
 
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