Member Avatar for endofmyrope23

I have a Gateway MT6706 laptop that will not power up. I was using a replacement Targus AC adapter because the original one shorted out. The new AC adapter seemed to start shorting out as well, but if I held the cord just right, then it'd charge the battery. The cord finally stopped working entirely, so I purchased a new cord. In the meantime, the battery was drained. When I plug in the new AC adapter with the battery in the laptop, a red light flashes on the front of the machine. This is the light that usually pulsates a glowing pink/magenta when the machine is charging. When I pull the battery out and just use the AC adapter, the machine does nothing. I've tested the AC adapter on my HP laptop from work with a different adapter tip and it worked fine with the HP, so I don't think the new AC adapter is bad. Is it possible that there is a problem with the jack on the laptop that you plug the AC adapter into? If so, how bad is that to get fixed? Thanks in advance for any help!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by rwgallegos

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Practical triage and next steps for and others who have seen unusual charging-LED behavior but no boot: common failure points are the DC jack and its solder joints, the adapter (wrong rating or voltage collapse under load), the battery or its detection circuitry, or the motherboard power/charging circuitry. Narrowing the cause with a few safe checks usually shows whether a simple jack replacement will fix it or the board needs bench work.

Basic, low-risk checks (in order):

  • Verify the adapter’s rated voltage/polarity on its label and measure its unloaded DC output with a multimeter (center pin to outer barrel).
  • Plug the adapter into the laptop and measure the jack’s center pin again while attempting to power on. If the voltage collapses, the adapter or a short on the motherboard is likely. If the adapter voltage is steady but the machine won’t start, the jack or onboard power circuitry is suspect.
  • Inspect the jack for looseness, burned traces or broken solder; a gentle wiggle test (while unplugged) can reveal movement.
  • Test or remove the hard drive for data recovery—if repair costs are uneconomical, the drive can be salvaged with a cheap USB enclosure.

Repair vs. shop advice tied to earlier posts: is correct that labor often dominates cost; ’ experience reinforces asking shops for a written bench-test report and photos before agreeing to repairs. Request a live voltage test demonstration and a parts+labor quote; insist on a short warranty. Avoid risky "ATX tricks" unless experienced, and avoid continuing to use adapters whose voltage drops under load.

Summary: meter-check the adapter and jack first, prioritize data recovery, then decide on DIY jack replacement or a shop quote — and always get the shop to prove the failure before paying for major component replacement.

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Member Avatar for Bob_180_Bob

Hi,
It wound not be bad to get fixed, in fact it would be good to have it fixed... LOL Sorry about that..
Labor is the expensive part of that repair. You have to decide how much the PC is worth to you and if you feel it is worth spending $??? on it. You only assume that it is the problem, it could be something that will cost as much as a new PC to repair. See if you can get a free quote from a repair man and then decide what you want to do.

Member Avatar for rwgallegos

I have the same problem with my gateway laptop - took it to the shop, paid $173 to fix the jack - they broke the hinge on the screen while it was there - when they called was told it didn't fix the problem and that it could be a motherboard problem. 3 days earlier had purchased power cord #3 for $75.

Tried the atx(?) fix and now we get a blinking red light where the charging light (blue/magenta) should be. At this point we have a paper weight with all our financial data on it and are extremely frustrated

Hope our experience helps

===============================================

Hi,
It wound not be bad to get fixed, in fact it would be good to have it fixed... LOL Sorry about that..
Labor is the expensive part of that repair. You have to decide how much the PC is worth to you and if you feel it is worth spending $??? on it. You only assume that it is the problem, it could be something that will cost as much as a new PC to repair. See if you can get a free quote from a repair man and then decide what you want to do.

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