Comments on: Dell Vostro 1520 Overview

By: Danielle

Danielle — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:57:30 +0000

Umm, Ryan -he’s right. If I charge my computer up, unplug it from the power source and then boot it up, it works fine. When the battery is dead, I have to shut down, charge it up, and then once fully charged unplug it and use it. IF I try to use it while plugged in, the computer completely locks up and a CTRL+ALT+DEL will not shut it down. I have to hold the power button down. It’s not a faulty wall switch, because it happens on the road, at home, in different rooms, etc. And Dell was no help when I called them. They KNOW there’s an issue, but there’s not a work around at this moment. And they won’t tell you that until after an hour on the phone pissing away your time.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:31:31 +0000

In response to Mike, the power supply is external. You can purchase a new one, and just plug it in.

I doubt that a power supply would cause freezing, it’s more likely to cause the battery to not charge or not power the laptop at all if it has failed. I’d re-image the machine, download updated drivers, and install all applicable windows updates as that will probably fix a “lockup/freeze” problem.

Either way, the power supply is covered by the system warranty, so it should be replaced for free if the warranty is still valid.

By: Mike Riley

Mike Riley — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:54:28 +0000

FYI a common problem with this laptop is that it will just totally freeze and become unresponsive, requiring you to reboot. It’s an issue with the power supply and as a consequence of this you’ll see a ton of them on the dell outlet.

Not to bash this laptop too hard, but really I wouldn’t take your chances buying one.