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General discussion

Dell inspiron 8200

Aug 28, 2004 2:07AM PDT

Hi all,

I've read so many things on this, i dont even know where to look
anymore. It's the same problem that many of us had experienced. I have a inspiron 8200 for reasons that i still dont know, it recognizes my 90 watt ac adaptor as a 70 watt adaptor. It runs on batter just fine. However, with the computer thinks that it only gets 70 watt power supply, the battery wont charge. i've heard that it can be fixed by replacing the motherboard, but $600 is just not in my budget right now. I've also read something about replacing the power source.

Here's something else i've found a while ago

"If the laptop works on battery, my guess is that the inline ceramic DC fuse is open. This is a small oblong block be 1/4 inch long, 1/8 inch high and wide, surface mounted very near the AC adapter jack. This can be bypassed with a suitable Picofuse, be 8 amps, soldered across the conductive ends of the existing fuse case. I would only look into this if the warranty is expired. It is an easy fix, be $2 for the replacement fuse, be $10 for silver epoxy if it risky to solder in the area. I've done this on three laptops which are still functioning - only one with the epoxy. I wish I knew the mechanism for the DC overload, one of the laptops had a water spill, the other two are mysteries to me."

1. I would attempt this if there was some sort of more "cookbook" instruction from anyone who has ever attemped the repair.
2. If someone can point out where i actually came across this
posted aritcle, that would be helpful.
3. Or if any of you had good experience with any reliable shop that could fix this for cheap, please let me know.

Thanks

Discussion is locked

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Re: Dell inspiron 8200
Aug 28, 2004 2:35AM PDT

Notebook repairs, if you are serious are not done by cheap chopshops. If you know how to solder, use a voltmeter, oscilloscope and such, then minor problems are easy to solve. Otherwise its off to Dell or its maker to fix it proper.

Others collect dead laptops from ebay and other places and try to cheaply find good boards and displays to match up.

Bob

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Re: Dell inspiron 8200
Aug 28, 2004 11:07AM PDT

Hi thanks for your help. There are people selling repair manuals for dell on ebay, will these be helpful?

I've checked the price on motherboard on ebay, it's still 250. That is much better than 600 that dell will charger, still that's a big chunk of change.

thanks

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Re: Dell inspiron 8200
Aug 28, 2004 12:12PM PDT

For 99 out of 100 people I meet in the last week, such a manual would be useless. They don't have a solder iron, voltmeter, scope or electronics background to use the information. Do you?

Bob

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Re: Dell inspiron 8200
Aug 29, 2004 1:55PM PDT

I suppose i dont; however, that does not deter me from trying. what's the most that can happen. I fry the cpu and say goodbye to the computer? =)

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Re: Dell inspiron 8200
Aug 29, 2004 9:31PM PDT

You can lose the LCD. What may be worth more than the CPU/mainboard.

If you are serious, then you get it fixed if the numbers don't exceed 1/2 of new laptop or try to find a busted LCD laptop of same model where you can put your good LCD on it.

Bob

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Power Board
Oct 14, 2005 1:23AM PDT

I have the same problem with my 8200. My research in other forums shows that the power board may or may not fix the problem.