Power Connecter Sparked, Fried My Computer! Please Help!!!

Hi, RBC03. Turn the Powerbook off by pressing and holding the power button. Reset the Power Manager. Try to start the machine up from your latest OS installer disc and run the Repair Disk routine in Disk Utility, in case the forced shutdown has scrambled your hard drive directory. If you can do that and DU successfully repairs anything or no repairs are needed, restart the machine normally. Let us know how it goes.

I suppose it's possible that your Powerbook has been damaged, but in most cases where the adapter's DC cord has frayed internally, then broken and sparked as yours did, the Powerbook is unharmed.

You'll need to replace your AC adapter, obviously. Apple may be willing to replace it at no cost if you explain what happened; call 1-800-SOS-APPL and ask to be connected to Customer Relations. Be patient and polite no matter what you're thinking or feeling; remember that what you're after is success, not catharsis.

If you can't shut it off with the power button, remove the battery to shut it down. Then reinsert the battery, reset the power manager as described in the article I linked, and continue with the other steps I suggested above. Post back with results.

My suggestions presume you have a working main battery that's sufficiently charged to run the Powerbook for half an hour or more. If that isn't true, you're going to have to get a battery and adapter just to continue testing to isolate the problem, and if the Powerbook won't allow the new adapter to charge the new battery, you'll really be up a creek. Rather than go out and buy those things, and then perhaps discover that the PB itself needs major repairs, it may be preferable to take the Powerbook to the nearest Apple Store Genius Bar (make an appointment first) and see whether it qualifies for the $300-$350 Flat Rate Repair Program. That program, where applicable, will fix anything and everything that's wrong with a Powerbook for a fixed price, no matter what the problem. It's often much less expensive than the needed repairs would be if diagnosed and repaired singly.

Apple stores still carry Apple adapters; I bought one at an Apple store a month or two ago. Third-party adapters are readily available online; you could probably order one of these and have it shipped to you overnight for less than an Apple adapter would cost.

EDIT: My family has had three of those adapters I linked. Apart from the one my daughter's cats ate, we've had no problems with them. The cats had no complaints about that one, either.

Message was edited by: eww

All I'd worry about if I were you is making sure all my important data is backed up — which I'd urge you to be concerned about even if you hadn't had any trouble lately. Sounds like you're good to go now. Thanks for posting back to let us know.

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