Power connection on motherboard for laptop

[morgue]

:(
My husband has a Presario 1245 laptop. The plug-in hole thingy (female end inside the computer) for the power cord has fallen off the mother board (or at least the main portion of the thingy has). In talking with Compaq, they say my only two options are :

1. I can replace the motherboard (probably cost me more than the laptop did)
2. I can send back to their centralized repair center and they can fix the thingy without replacing the motherboard (50 cent part with labor starting at $110)

Why can't I replace the power connector on the motherboard? I have taken the entire laptop apart to look at the power connector on the motherboard. Appears simple to fix (not saying easy). It would require a little soldering very carefully to fix. Where can I get a new power connector plug-in since they won't sell me one? Does this make sense? I'm very mechanical and don't have a lot of money to spend. My husband has resolved himself that his laptop is a goner

Any help/comments greatly appreciated!

[Budfred]

Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

If you can figure out what the part name/number is, you can probably find it somewhere on the web and you can certainly attempt a repair. Since your husband accepts it as a lost cause, the worst outcome would be that he is right and the best outcome is that he would have his laptop working again. If you have the manual for the laptop, see if it has a parts list or a place to find the parts list. Also, look on the part and see if it has any useful identifying info....

[Paleo Pete]

I've fixed several of those, it's not easy and once done will be very delicate. If you can find a replacement socket, you might be able to repair it as good as original, but have fun trying to locate one. Since it's built onto the motherboard it's not a commonly stocked part for most consumer electronics outlets. The manufacturer won't sell it, they want to sell you a new motherboard for around $500, rather than a new socket for about $3...and laptop motherboards do cost that much from the company. (I priced one from HP, over $700, another at over $500 don't remember who.)

The problem I usually had was the plastic housing would break, which leaves you with nothing but a flimsy solder joint to hold the entire socket in place once soldered, and solder is not known for it's outstanding strength...so after the contacts are soldered, you have to be VERY careful plugging and unplugging it.

Also on some laptops the plug is mounted on a tab that sticks out away from the motherboard. If it's that type and the tab broke off, you can write it off as a goner, you cannot repair the damaged tracks embedded in the motherboard that carry current and signals to and from various components.

If you attempt the soldering job yourself at home, be very careful, you have very little room to work in and the solder on one contact point absolutely cannot touch another contact. Only attempt it if you can do a good, professional soldering job with very restricted space. Otherwise take it to someone who can. Sloppy soldering will leave you with a paperweight.

[Rick]

There is One more option that isn't exactly pretty
By Installing a new socket into the case frame itself ( Plastic section ) then soldering wires from the new socket to the old socket contacts
I was able to get an old compaq working again

Here is a link to the socket I used from radio shack (Coaxial DC Power Jack) $2.49

http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F011%5F003%5F005%5F000&product%5Fid=274%2D1576


I Should also note that I replaced the original Plug as well with a matching plug for the above socket