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I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop. My charger has stopped working.
I have access to a Lenovo charger. Can I use this charger on my laptop?
user8418
Posted 2009-08-30T12:58:33.617
Reputation: 291
Can I safely charge my laptop with a non-standard, third-party charger?
Answers
16
It depends. If the charger is compatible then the answer is "yes", if it's not then the answer is "no".
Chargers can be different in a number of ways:
- The size and shape of the connector on the laptop.
- If they are the same size & shape then the polarity of the tip might be reversed.
- Most importantly the voltage and current they supply might be different.
If all of these are the same then you might be OK. If not (especially the last) you might end up with a dead laptop. Though as Robert points out if the charger provides higher current you can use it. With one that supplies lower current it will be the charger that blows up rather than your laptop.
With recent developments in uniform chargers for phones and tablets, it's likely that laptop chargers have become more uniform in recent years too.
ChrisF
Posted 2009-08-30T12:58:33.617
Reputation: 39 650
2
Take a look at what voltage they supply, the voltage shall be the same.
And then check polarity on the connector, i.e. positive pole in the middle.
And lastly is it big enough, how many ampere do they delivere?
All this is usally printed on the power supply or on the computer it self, and if the above seems ok then you can try at your own risk.
Johan
Posted 2009-08-30T12:58:33.617
Reputation: 4 827
0
This only partially answers the question and I place it here just in case it happens to someone else and can help them. I just tried to use an adapter (19.5v) for a new laptop in an older laptop (19v). What I did not realize was that the old laptop used a slightly larger connector. I ended up bending the pin inside the power adapter.
I tried a couple of different things to bend it back but it was too difficult. I then found a bobby pin and used the sharper end to try straightening the bent pin. Using a sweeping (circular) motion inside the adapter fixed the problem and unbent the pin. Moral of the story: No it is not always safe to use another charger. Also, yay for bobby pins!
kojow7
Posted 2009-08-30T12:58:33.617
Reputation: 220
So is your answer to the question, "No"? – fixer1234 – 2017-02-02T05:31:12.263
1It's a partial yes and partial no (see first line of the answer). – Tally – 2019-08-19T10:39:19.063
0
A word of warning. I inadvertently used a power adapter with a lower amperage but the right voltage on a machine without a battery. It seemed to work find but I later found that data that was written was corrupted.
NancyA
Posted 2009-08-30T12:58:33.617
Reputation: 1
My MSI GL62 shipped with an 120w adapter. As it is a bit expensive to buy a second, I use a 90w Coolermaster adapter for travel. It charges the battery fine, I just cannot go full power on the CPU/GPU, so no folding or gaming. – NZKshatriya – 2017-02-02T04:06:52.400
@NZKshatriya Be aware doing so. If you use a 90-watt charger at the same voltage for your laptop, it means that sometimes (when battery is low) the charger can be overloaded, which will make it to reduce both output voltage and current, leading to potential damage. You should only use chargers at the same voltage with higher current. – iBug – 2017-02-02T04:50:37.847
@iBug Oh, I am aware lol. Just a stopgap measure at this time. – NZKshatriya – 2017-02-02T14:57:23.230
Aren't there standards governing the polarity of the connectors? I thought the tip part was always positive. – RJFalconer – 2010-11-26T09:23:06.857
@RJFalconer - but that's only one factor. – ChrisF – 2010-11-26T09:25:30.140
10Small Note - The voltage and polarity of the new charger must be the same as the old one but the amperage of the new charger can be higher (i.e. can be higher but not lower than the old one). – Robert Cartaino – 2009-08-30T14:43:40.790
@RJFalconer There's usually a symbol indicating polarity somewhere on both the laptop and power supply. It might take a bit of hunting to find, though.
– Bob – 2012-08-22T11:46:17.980