For Linda-
Best option would be to get the case opened. Some cases have tabs that snap
into detents in the mating half. Often a flat blade can be slid into the
joint and by gently prying and sliding the blade along you generally will
hear each tab release. I find a .025 feeler gauge works pretty good and
doesn't deface the case as much as a flat bladed screwdriver blade. If you
don't find any tabs there may be something holding the case togather and you
will have to find someone who has had one apart before or keep looking until
you find a way to get the case open.
Once open, it just a matter of bolting the socket back in place. Put some
locktite or fingernail polish on the screw threads to lock the bolts/screws
from coming loose in the future. While the case is open you might look and
see if you can find the nut or bolt that came off and remove them so they
don't work their way onto the motherboard, etc and short things out.
Good Luck--

Tom- With the pwr cord unplugged from the ac and removed from the laptop
socket,gently probe the internal connector to see if it feels loose- if any
movement is felt, the solder joint has probably cracked and you will have to
open the case and resolder the joint on the mobo. Use a small iron and get
on and off the joint. Excess heat is bad.
If the internal connector seems to be secure, the problem is probably the
contact connectors in the cord end have expanded and don't fit tight on the
internal pins when connected.This happens frequently with round barrel type
connectors. Using a small jewelers screwdriver, push the tip of the
screwdriver down along the outside of each contact barrel in about 4 places
around each barrel. This will pinch the sides of the barrel inwards slightly
and hopefully make a good contact again.Don't overdue it, you can always
tweak a little more.
One other possibility- look very closely at the pins in the socket.Some pins
are spilt in the center and the halfs are slightly bent apart to provide
contact tension when the plug is inserted.If the pins have a split you can
very carefully spread the halfs apart slightly with a small knife blade or
jewelers screwdriver. Go easy, these are usually made of a brittle brass and
will break if you try to bend them too much.
Hope this works-

John Dinges

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