I have a Toshiba A205 laptop that's about two years old. Yesterday I noticed the smell of burning plastic coming from the area around the power cord port.

Then this morning the laptop wouldn't turn on, even when plugged in. I took it to a local repair shop where they took the battery out, then plugged the laptop in... and it worked fine for awhile.

Now I'm noticing the smell again. I've never replaced the battery but replaced the power cord about a year ago. Does anyone have any ideas of what the problem could be? I would appreciate any advice about this issue as I really can't afford a big repair bill and no longer have warranty coverage. Thanks!

I suggest that you take the computer back to the repair shop and have them inspect the power cord for any problems. Obviously, this could be a serious problem with safety concerns, so I would suggest you not use the computer until after it is inspected and repaired as necessary.