Laptop power issues solved using a port replicator
As mentioned previously, I have been having some problems with my Compaq Presario 2100 laptop’s power supply lately. The problem was that when I plugged in a power source into the back of my laptop, my laptop wouldn’t recognize that a power source was plugged in. As a result, the light in the front wouldn’t go on, and the batteries wouldn’t charge.
The port that the power plugs into had gotten pretty wobbly from frequent use, and I suspect that something broke. Or the connections had gotten worn to the point that no physical contact was being made, and hence no power.
I saw a couple of options. First, I could buy a new laptop. Expensive, but that would definitely do the trick.
I could have also brought it in to a technician for repair. If the power port was truly broken from the motherboard, it might be a messy, expensive fix.
So I took a chance and bought a port replicator. Also called a dock or a docking station, the port replicator works by replacing the ports on the back of the laptop with a new set of ports. You see them in offices all the time.
The main selling point of a port replicator is less tangled wires, but there’s another advantage: the port replicator supplies the laptop with power through the bottom of the laptop, not through the main power port (in my case, the broken port).
So I looked on ebay, found a port replicator, and took a chance that it would solve my power issues. Recognize that if the part that was broken was not the main power input, but something deeper in my machine, the port replicator might not have worked). But as luck would have it, that wasn’t the case.
I’m writing this now from a docked laptop whose battery is charging as we speak. Sure, this means that in order to charge my laptop in the future I’ll have to dock it, and if I want to take it on the road for extended periods of time I’ll also have to bring along the port replicator, but it sure beats not having a functional laptop.
I’ve also bought some time to help make the inevitable transition to a newer machine, since this makeshift solution won’t last forever.
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[…] Well, I finally caved in and ordered a 12″ Powerbook to replace my aging (and dying) Compaq 2100 laptop. […]
This is in response to article titled “Laptop power issues solved using a port replicator”. Im having same issue with my HP pavillion ZE145 laptop. Tell me more about the port replicators. How can they actually eliminate having to use the main power input port at the back of the laptop. Are these the same as docking stations? Are these universal or brand specific?
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