When my laptop first stopped working a few days ago, I could tell that it was something to do with the interface between the electrical outlet and the laptop.  The outlet was fine, so I decided to try the first, simplest potential fix; replacing the adapter.  Mr. D. bought me a new one from a local retailer, but it wasn't able to get any power to my poor drained laptop.  So I was about to take the laptop into the shop this evening.  But this afternoon, the adapter I'd bought through Ebay showed up.  Why did I end up getting two?  As the result of a series of events I won't even try to explain.  Suffice to say, I just plugged in the second new adapter a few minutes ago, and it works like a charm.  The laptop came to life immediately.  The power is not intermittent, as it had become with my old adapter.  I'm back in business!