GRR.

My Wintel laptop is having some issues. The power adapter is getting very grudging about making contact. I've been wedging it against things and jamming the adapter cord into the screen hinge and using the patented Click & Clack Bungee Cord method (i.e., rubber bands and clever use of hair elastics) to keep it pressed in and charging, but I'm getting fucking tired of it, and it'll break completely sooner or later.

I've been ignoring it as hard as I can, because laptop mobo replacement is generally $200+. This is way out of my budget right now, plus the entire laptop cost $300 a year and a half ago, so no. I finally went looking around in the vain hope that the problem was somehow the $20 AC adapter instead, but no luck.

I was hampered somewhat by the fact that the sticker is worn off the bottom and hell if I know what the model number is, but after plugging in a bunch of specs it seems to be one of the X54C line. (The other line that shares some of the same components doesn't have the creative dirt-catching friction finish on the case.) This actually seems to be a common factory defect, because ASUS are lazy bastards and tabbed the power jack on instead of soldering it properly. I can't say I've ever noticed a problem with the ethernet plug, but I've used the wired connection all of half a dozen times, all of them while arguing with Comcast over modem compatibility, so I didn't have much chance.

This critter is long out of warranty, assuming it was ever IN warranty. I still do not have $200 for motherboard replacement, which is what a repair shop would do if I brought it in. The problem can be fixed in five minutes with a soldering iron once you dynamite the case off.

Any locals wanna volunteer? I will pay in pizza.

[ETA: I also have a Toshiba Satellite A205 that wants cleaning and maybe a new fan. The case on that one comes apart like Tinkertoys. I've had more problems breaking into remote controls to change the batteries. That's not a priority, but it is annoying; under warm enough conditions, it likes to surprise-shut down from overtemp after running for a few hours, less if the HDD is getting hit a lot, which makes it an unreliable work computer.]

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