Acer Aspire 3000 Laptop Power Supply Problems
The Acer TravelMate 3000 is a laptop intended for business travellers who need the extra muscle of a fast processor and dual batteries. With mobile computers, it is very important to have not only a good rechargeable battery, but a solid power supply that needs very little maintenance to be able to keep operating. Losing a power supply or battery on a long trip can be extremely inconvenient, and there are several actions you can do to troubleshoot and prevent that situation.
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Power Supply
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The power supply (PS) is generally a solid piece of hardware not prone to damage or breakdown. The most common causes when a laptop is not receiving enough power from the PS is when one or more of the connections (wall, adapter or pc) gets loose. If your laptop informs you that it is not recieving enough power (or any) from the PS, make sure to manually inspect it to ensure the connections are solidly together and plugged in. While inspecting the cord, look for crimps or exposed wires that indicate serious damage. Crimps can typically be straightened out, but if there is physical damage to the cord, it must be replaced. Additionally you can check the adapter, the rectangular box, to see if it is overheating. As a precaution against fire, there are circuit breakers inside the adapter that will trip if the adapter begins to overheat. Normally, these circuits require you to unplug the power cables from the adapter, cord and wall before reassembling them in order to reset. On rare occasions, the circuit breaker will fail to trip and actually burn out from the inside; this requires replacing the entire PS.
Battery
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The most common reason for power troubles on the Acer 3000 TravelMate, as well as most laptops, is a faulty battery. Batteries have a limited lifespan, and their ability to store a charge gradually reduces over time. Excessive use and overheating rapidly drain the battery and can often prematurely kill the battery. If you are having problems with a new battery or laptop charging or storing a charge, remove the battery and inspect it for physical damage. When inspecting the battery, pay careful attention for liquid, burn marks or pitting. If you discover any of these, carefully clean the battery and its connectors (copper ends) with a dry cloth. Once clean, reattach the battery and plug the PS back in to the laptop and wall. When possible, you should always use the PS instead of relying on the battery. This will prolong the battery's life.
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