Hi all I just bought a new laptop not too long ago. Everything was perfect except one thing. I got zapped at least 5 times for the past two weeks. At first I thought there may be a problem with the ground, but it turned out the grounding is fine. I don't really mind getting zapped, but do you guys think static can go through the metal/plastic and damage the components inside the laptop? I am no expert when it comes to electricity(am a network engineer), so hope someone can provide me an answer. Thank you all.

If you're getting zapped, something is obviously wrong. You should be contacting Dell, not asking questions in a forum.

... and visit a psychiatrist about why I don't really mind getting zapped. i_XpUser

You must have an actual connection to the ground in your wall socket, and all 3 wires via a grounded plug connected from the AC adapter to the socket. It's possible the nuetral and hot wires in your wall socket are reversed - connected to the opposite sides of what they should be. You can get a plug in 3 prong tester at places such as Radio Shack or in electrical departments of other stores than can show you via leds whether there actually is a ground connected to the wall socket and whether the nuetral and hot wires are reversed.

It is not clear to me whether you are talking about a shock, IE if you touch a metal ground on the laptop, you get a shock, or I you are talking about a momentary "zap" due to static. If you are talking about a shock, it is probably a fault in the building wiring. If you are talking about a static zap, I'm sure in the "right" circumstances, you could damage the laptop, but I'd be this would be pretty rare. One thing you can do, before you grab your laptop, is to install some sort of device for prevention. There are all kinds of antistatic mats you can buy, either for a worktop, or under your feet. If it is only you at your own workstation, buy a wrist strap and lay it on the desk. (hooked to a ground of course.) Just grab it when you first sit down. If you are one of these people who constantly "works your feet" around while working, and wears wool sweaters, etc, you might actually have to get used to wearing a strap while working the computer. Otherwise, find a "mat" for your station.

F.Y.I. Most laptops are made with metal and are grounded. In other words, static will automatically get discharged to the ground and will not harm any hardware components. I worried too much. Thank you all for your help.

Vague descriptions yield no answers, and it was YOU who brought up the subject of static damaging components. It was nice NOT talking to you.