Old laptop shuts self off

[NickH88]

I have a very old Dell Inspiron 8500 laptop that I've recently set up to use as a secondary computer. The batteries that I have for it are all permanently dead, so it runs entirely on AC power. Occasionally, it will randomly power itself off. When this happens and I turn it back on, it often powers itself off again immediately. The automatic shutdowns most commonly occur when the laptop is on a surface where there is movement, such as my lap or a couch, rather than when it's still (although it did once shut itself of when sitting on a table being completely unused). I can tell that it's not a case of the AC adapter plug simply sliding out of the unit though, as it always appears to be firmly inserted after the shutdowns. Is this likely a problem with my laptop's power supply, my AC adapter, or what?

 

[George Phillips]

It sounds like one of the connectors is loose and will disconnect when you move it. It's likely the AC power connector of the AC adapter. It could also be the power connector of the laptop PC itself. Either one of these could be damaged internally.