The light on the box of the cable on my laptop has an intermittenant green light - I am guessing I need a new one......help?

[Katymac]

There seem to be 2 different ones here which one do I want?

TIA

Bump for techy help

I assume you mean the mains transformer, one end connecting to power socket on back/side of PC, the other end of transformer having cable to a mains socket...

The Dell site shows 2 different adaptors with 1 metre cables, part numbers 450-11067 and 450-11168, plus a different unit with a 2 metre cable, part number 450-11174

Can you see any similar numbers on the transformer you already have ?

I'd be tempted to suggest seeing if you have an alternative cable for the mains socket that will plug into the transformer.

It's not impossible for the pins in the transformer to get slightly grubby and not make contact, causing no mains power to reach transformer, and light to go out.

Aha - so the difference is a 1m vs 2m cable.....I thought it was a complicated techy thing

It's a funny bendy cable end - but I can see the pins on the box (transformer0

Is it worth poking them with a cotton bud to clean them or is it more likely that the cable itself is damaged?

Thanks for explaining the difference on the Dell website

I'd try something like a cotton bud.

I think firms like Dell (which probably have a lot of their goods manufactured elsewhere, eg China) will have different serial numbers just to identify items from a different firm / batch.

If they needed to recall a few million units, best to know it was all the units from company ABCD with part number 450-11067 and not frighten anyone with 450-11168 (note the second is only 101 higher, not a massively different number)

Thanks