SOLUTION!! I have a Inspiron 1526 purchased from Best Buy and a Inspiron 1525 purchased directly from Dell. I also have a work Dell Latitude, so I was fortunate enough to be able to try alot of different combinations (batteries/charger cords). I had the problem with the 1526 only. IT IS NOT - the battery, the charger, the bios. I tried all of the solutions, updating the BIOS, installing the updated Dell power management driver, even the "magic" ones like taking the battery out and holding down the power button for 10 seconds etc. THE PROBLEM is a loose connection somewhere between where you plug in the AC adapter and the motherboard. What actually worked for me was LIGHTLY punching/tapping the surface next to the plug, right where it says "Inspiron". It must've jarred the loose connection and now it is making the connection. This kinda makes sense that some of the other solutions worked. Depending on how aggressively you press the power button or put the battery back in may also make the loose connection "reconnect". The actual solution is probably to take the cover off and check those connections, but most of us aren't technical enough to know what to do, and would probably do some damage. So I recommend tapping on the surface, just above the esc key above where the plug sticks in and continuing to tap across till the first button. I did this while the computer was on and "plugged in, not charging" and it switched to plugged in charging within about 5 seconds. I don't remember if I saw anything flash on the screen or if something in the tray changed, but I think it did. I am not joking, this really did work. Obviously, when you tap/pound on your own computer, you are taking a risk. This is your own computer, so if you use this technique, use it at your own risk. I am merely posting what worked for me, just understand that if you punch your computer you can damage it also, so be careful. Good luck, I'm glad mine is finally working again.