Haha. The laptop I mentioned with problems was a Presario CQ61. It has a new motherboard, new charger, and new owner. Last I checked it's still running strong.
If your computer is having power issues and freezing it might be a grounding issue. Either some of the aluminum tape or screws are missing or simply have a bad laptop design. Maybe even have some dirty or damaged traces on the motherboard. I had a Toshiba Satellite M50X (or something) that would freeze if you touched the speaker covers while it was booting up.
I think the easiest thing you could try is go to your local computer or electronics shop and buy a universal laptop charger. Keep the receipt and return it if it doesn't solve the battery charging issue.