Dog got at my laptop power cable - could it damage my laptop?

epp_b · December 13th, 2007, 07:14 AM

I am very ticked off at myself right now. I wasn't watching closely enough and my puppy got at my laptop's power supply cable images/smilies/sad.gif

Of course, it had to be the bit that's not easily replaceable and right at the base of it, too, where I can't repair it.

If I bend it around, it causes sparks (which I assume is because it's closing a circuit that shouldn't be closed). As long as I have it sitting still on my desk, it doesn't do any of this.

I'm obviously going to have to crap out some money that I don't have to buy a new power adapter. Question is: is using this going to cause any damage to my laptop in the mean time while I wait for my new one to arrive?

Vette Boss · December 13th, 2007, 07:23 AM

I wouldn't think that should cause damage, honestly. With a laptop the power supply is less critical, it really just sort of supports the battery. All you'll get is the battery might not charge fully or take longer to charge, depending on how bad the damage is.

To be safe, get a new power supply brick whenever you can. And keep the new one away from the dog. images/smilies/tongue.gif

epp_b · December 13th, 2007, 07:26 AM

^ Yeah, I plan to make some calls tomorrow to the local computer shops. I need a new one ASAP.

Quote:

I wouldn't think that should cause damage, honestly. With a laptop the power supply is less critical, it really just sort of supports the battery.

What about when the battery is not connected? Since my laptop is on my desk most of the time, the battery is usually sitting on the shelf as it preserves overall lifetime. For now, though, I have connected, just in case.

BTW, thanks for the quick reply, I really appreciate it.

Vette Boss · December 13th, 2007, 07:37 AM

In that case, I would recommend you keep the battery charged and use it just until you get a new brick. Direct power into the laptop with a broken lead could cause some damage to other components, they're designed for a certain power, when they don't get the exact power it causes problems.

epp_b · December 13th, 2007, 07:38 AM

So, does the battery regulate the amount of power?

FATMOUSE · December 13th, 2007, 07:39 AM

The dog is alright though, yes?

Also, I'd just be safe, get new cables and not use old ones till then.

Vette Boss · December 13th, 2007, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epp_b

So, does the battery regulate the amount of power?

No, you just need to be sure the power doesn't come directly from the brick.

narin · December 13th, 2007, 07:58 AM

is the bite before or after the transformer?

EDIT: lol i wasn't too clear there, is the bite in between the transformer and the laptop or is it in between the transformer and the wall plug?

epp_b · December 13th, 2007, 08:03 AM

Quote:

The dog is alright though, yes?

Yup.

Quote:

Also, I'd just be safe, get new cables and not use old ones till then.

I'm not sure what you mean.

Quote:

is the bite before or after the transformer?

EDIT: lol i wasn't too clear there, is the bite in between the transformer and the laptop or is it in between the transformer and the wall plug?

No, you were clear enough. I understood what you meant, anyway. It's after the transformer, otherwise, this would be no big deal.

The area circled in blue is where there are a couple of bite marks in the cable.

http://pic.phyrefile.com/2007/12/13/laptoppsudamaged.png

It's one of these deals:

http://pic.phyrefile.com/2007/12/13/laptoppsu2.jpg

(ignore the electrical tape beneath it, that's something totally unrelated)

I'm not sure this cable is replaceable. Or am I mistaken? Will it just "unplug" if I pull it out? I tried yanking it a little bit, but I don't want to do any further damage.

narin · December 13th, 2007, 08:06 AM

you can fix any thing, how hard can i be? images/smilies/tongue.gif

it seems like you have to get a new one ASAP

epp_b · December 13th, 2007, 08:08 AM

^ Er, I meant "easily" replaceable. Will that just pop out or is it hard-wired into the power brick or is it just a tight plug mechanism?

narin · December 13th, 2007, 08:10 AM

there's no definite answer to that considering all models are different, there's only one way to find out.... images/smilies/tongue.gif

73GMCSprint · December 13th, 2007, 08:21 AM

That end is hard wired into the brick. You should be able to fix it, but you might have to open it up to do it. I'd open it up, cut off the cable past the bites and re-solder it.

I wouldn't connect it at all to the computer if it has a short in the cable. You could really fry something, with the battery connected or not. The battery does not regulate the power coming in through the power jack. A separate circuit distributes the power to the computer and/or the battery as needed. At best you could fry that circuitry. Worse, the motherboard or something like that. Worst, you could short the battery and cause it to explode. Plugging in a bad power cable? Bad idea. Period.

There's a chance nothing would happen if you used the brick but personally I wouldn't chance it.

Zuhaib · December 13th, 2007, 08:55 AM

Yeah if you are seeing shorts I would put the brick away and order a new one.
They expect the power for the most part to be regulated before entering the laptop circuitry (the reason why they have a brick in the first place) and causing shorts and etc can not mean good things. If you can tape up the wires (the exposed one individually) , you can repair it for a short term fix.

You can fix it, but, again your going to need to cut the wire and shorten it and do a lot of work. It might be cheaper (as in time wasted) to buy a new brick.Since the pic you posted looks like an older dell you can find a bunch of them on Ebay and etc for decent prices.

Also, its not a transformer as its not stepping up or down AC, but its converting AC to DC and providing a constant amount of power.

epp_b · December 13th, 2007, 01:34 PM

^ No, actually both of the pictures are from my relatively new HP. I need to get one ASAP because I can't work without laptop images/smilies/sad.gif

I'll try to repair it. I've done things like this before (soldering up busted wires and chords). It would be easier if I could open up the brick, but it appears that the manufacturer has never heard of "screws"....

Gman333-X-ferrari · December 13th, 2007, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by epp_b

^ No, actually both of the pictures are from my relatively new HP. I need to get one ASAP because I can't work without laptop images/smilies/sad.gif

I thought that power adapter looked very similar to mine. I have a HP laptop as well, and your power cable is EXACTLY the same as mine, images/smilies/lol.gif

.

Man that's gotta suck, you can get a new adapter here. But in the meantime, I'd try not to use the adapter with the laptop, just to be on the safe side.

epp_b · December 13th, 2007, 01:48 PM

Yeah, I know where to find 'em. Thanks.

I just need one sooner than later :'(

EDIT: I peeled away a bit of the cable encasing and It appears that the cable consists of an inner cable encasing one wire (- or +, I don't know, but if it "obeys" the specification of the plug, the inner cable should be +) with the outer wire coiled around it. The inner wire isn't chewed at all, so I'm thinking it should be safe just to fix up the bit of fraying of the outer wire and wrap it up with electrical tape. Does that sound right?

I just need something to use in the mean time while I wait for a new one to be shipped.

EDIT 2: Nope, I was wrong. The inner cable does have one bite mark in it. So, I'll tape that up to make sure the two wires are separated and then it should be good, just for now.

Mally Dangerous · December 13th, 2007, 02:33 PM

I would be more concerned with it being a fire hazard and burning down my house.

epp_b · December 13th, 2007, 03:57 PM

Alright, so I taped up the bite hole on the inner cable with a couple of layers, recoiled the outer cable around it and taped that back up. It's looks shoddy, but I think it will hold for a while, at least until I get it properly repaired or replaced.

73GMCSprint · December 13th, 2007, 07:17 PM

As long as you've isolated the short, you should be OK until you can replace/repair it.

December 13th, 2007, 07:14 AM	#1
epp_b n00b of the year Joined: Jun 23rd, 2006 Last Online: 02:30 AM Location: Canadaland :) Posts: 4,904 Car: 1995 Nissan 240SX Rep Power: 45	Dog got at my laptop power cable - could it damage my laptop? I am very ticked off at myself right now. I wasn't watching closely enough and my puppy got at my laptop's power supply cable Of course, it had to be the bit that's not easily replaceable and right at the base of it, too, where I can't repair it. If I bend it around, it causes sparks (which I assume is because it's closing a circuit that shouldn't be closed). As long as I have it sitting still on my desk, it doesn't do any of this. I'm obviously going to have to crap out some money that I don't have to buy a new power adapter. Question is: is using this going to cause any damage to my laptop in the mean time while I wait for my new one to arrive?

December 13th, 2007, 07:23 AM	#2
Vette Boss Joined: Nov 14th, 2004 Last Online: 03:14 AM Location: United States, Britain, in time Age: 23 Posts: 3,024 Car: Nissan Altima 3.5-litre SE Rep Power: 36	I wouldn't think that should cause damage, honestly. With a laptop the power supply is less critical, it really just sort of supports the battery. All you'll get is the battery might not charge fully or take longer to charge, depending on how bad the damage is. To be safe, get a new power supply brick whenever you can. And keep the new one away from the dog. __________________ 2003 Nissan Altima 3.5SE SHIFT_the future

December 13th, 2007, 07:37 AM	#4
Vette Boss Joined: Nov 14th, 2004 Last Online: 03:14 AM Location: United States, Britain, in time Age: 23 Posts: 3,024 Car: Nissan Altima 3.5-litre SE Rep Power: 36	In that case, I would recommend you keep the battery charged and use it just until you get a new brick. Direct power into the laptop with a broken lead could cause some damage to other components, they're designed for a certain power, when they don't get the exact power it causes problems. __________________ 2003 Nissan Altima 3.5SE SHIFT_the future

December 13th, 2007, 07:58 AM	#8
narin Joined: Dec 7th, 2006 Last Online: December 15th, 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada Age: 20 Posts: 475 Car: '02 Olds Alero, '01 Grand Am, Bus Metro Walk Rep Power: 14	is the bite before or after the transformer? EDIT: lol i wasn't too clear there, is the bite in between the transformer and the laptop or is it in between the transformer and the wall plug? __________________

December 13th, 2007, 08:06 AM	#10
narin Joined: Dec 7th, 2006 Last Online: December 15th, 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada Age: 20 Posts: 475 Car: '02 Olds Alero, '01 Grand Am, Bus Metro Walk Rep Power: 14	you can fix any thing, how hard can i be? it seems like you have to get a new one ASAP __________________

December 13th, 2007, 07:38 AM	#5
epp_b n00b of the year Joined: Jun 23rd, 2006 Last Online: 02:30 AM Location: Canadaland :) Posts: 4,904 Car: 1995 Nissan 240SX Rep Power: 45	So, does the battery regulate the amount of power?

December 13th, 2007, 07:39 AM	#6
FATMOUSE Joined: Jun 30th, 2005 Last Online: Yesterday Location: NYC Posts: 3,088 Rep Power: 35	The dog is alright though, yes? Also, I'd just be safe, get new cables and not use old ones till then.

December 13th, 2007, 08:08 AM	#11
epp_b n00b of the year Joined: Jun 23rd, 2006 Last Online: 02:30 AM Location: Canadaland :) Posts: 4,904 Car: 1995 Nissan 240SX Rep Power: 45	^ Er, I meant "easily" replaceable. Will that just pop out or is it hard-wired into the power brick or is it just a tight plug mechanism?

December 13th, 2007, 08:10 AM	#12
narin Joined: Dec 7th, 2006 Last Online: December 15th, 2008 Location: Montreal, Canada Age: 20 Posts: 475 Car: '02 Olds Alero, '01 Grand Am, Bus Metro Walk Rep Power: 14	there's no definite answer to that considering all models are different, there's only one way to find out.... __________________

December 13th, 2007, 08:21 AM	#13
73GMCSprint Joined: Jun 20th, 2007 Last Online: Yesterday Location: UT, USA Posts: 454 Car: 1973 GMC Sprint, Buick 455, TH400 Rep Power: 14	That end is hard wired into the brick. You should be able to fix it, but you might have to open it up to do it. I'd open it up, cut off the cable past the bites and re-solder it. I wouldn't connect it at all to the computer if it has a short in the cable. You could really fry something, with the battery connected or not. The battery does not regulate the power coming in through the power jack. A separate circuit distributes the power to the computer and/or the battery as needed. At best you could fry that circuitry. Worse, the motherboard or something like that. Worst, you could short the battery and cause it to explode. Plugging in a bad power cable? Bad idea. Period. There's a chance nothing would happen if you used the brick but personally I wouldn't chance it.

December 13th, 2007, 08:55 AM	#14
Zuhaib Joined: Dec 11th, 2003 Last Online: January 5th, 2009 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 625 Car: 07 VW GTI, 06 S500, 05 HD Softail Rep Power: 25	Yeah if you are seeing shorts I would put the brick away and order a new one. They expect the power for the most part to be regulated before entering the laptop circuitry (the reason why they have a brick in the first place) and causing shorts and etc can not mean good things. If you can tape up the wires (the exposed one individually) , you can repair it for a short term fix. You can fix it, but, again your going to need to cut the wire and shorten it and do a lot of work. It might be cheaper (as in time wasted) to buy a new brick.Since the pic you posted looks like an older dell you can find a bunch of them on Ebay and etc for decent prices. Also, its not a transformer as its not stepping up or down AC, but its converting AC to DC and providing a constant amount of power. __________________ I am Pakistani And No! I do not own a 7/11! And my NAME is not Apu! Half the wheels, but twice as much fun =D "MPG describes riding like biology describes Sex" -- Harley Davidson Ad

December 13th, 2007, 01:34 PM	#15
epp_b n00b of the year Joined: Jun 23rd, 2006 Last Online: 02:30 AM Location: Canadaland :) Posts: 4,904 Car: 1995 Nissan 240SX Rep Power: 45	^ No, actually both of the pictures are from my relatively new HP. I need to get one ASAP because I can't work without laptop I'll try to repair it. I've done things like this before (soldering up busted wires and chords). It would be easier if I could open up the brick, but it appears that the manufacturer has never heard of "screws".... Last edited by epp_b; December 13th, 2007 at 01:47 PM..

December 13th, 2007, 01:48 PM	#17
epp_b n00b of the year Joined: Jun 23rd, 2006 Last Online: 02:30 AM Location: Canadaland :) Posts: 4,904 Car: 1995 Nissan 240SX Rep Power: 45	Yeah, I know where to find 'em. Thanks. I just need one sooner than later :'( EDIT: I peeled away a bit of the cable encasing and It appears that the cable consists of an inner cable encasing one wire (- or +, I don't know, but if it "obeys" the specification of the plug, the inner cable should be +) with the outer wire coiled around it. The inner wire isn't chewed at all, so I'm thinking it should be safe just to fix up the bit of fraying of the outer wire and wrap it up with electrical tape. Does that sound right? I just need something to use in the mean time while I wait for a new one to be shipped. EDIT 2: Nope, I was wrong. The inner cable does have one bite mark in it. So, I'll tape that up to make sure the two wires are separated and then it should be good, just for now. Last edited by epp_b; December 13th, 2007 at 02:37 PM..

December 13th, 2007, 02:33 PM	#18
Mally Dangerous Joined: Oct 31st, 2005 Last Online: January 6th, 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 509 Rep Power: 21	I would be more concerned with it being a fire hazard and burning down my house.

December 13th, 2007, 03:57 PM	#19
epp_b n00b of the year Joined: Jun 23rd, 2006 Last Online: 02:30 AM Location: Canadaland :) Posts: 4,904 Car: 1995 Nissan 240SX Rep Power: 45	Alright, so I taped up the bite hole on the inner cable with a couple of layers, recoiled the outer cable around it and taped that back up. It's looks shoddy, but I think it will hold for a while, at least until I get it properly repaired or replaced.

December 13th, 2007, 07:17 PM	#20
73GMCSprint Joined: Jun 20th, 2007 Last Online: Yesterday Location: UT, USA Posts: 454 Car: 1973 GMC Sprint, Buick 455, TH400 Rep Power: 14	As long as you've isolated the short, you should be OK until you can replace/repair it.