thanks for the tip... it's not hollow and actually this pin method is how it ended up "way inside" instead of just "inside." You can't even see the pin from the outside.
The longer part of the story is that we were on vacation when the pin broke off of the charging cord. I used a pencil eraser to shimmy it into the charging port, then put the rest of the charging cord in. (It was the 2nd day of a week long vacation and I was setting up the older kid to watch a movie I'd promised. This is a very special event, our 6 year old gets nearly zero screen time.) It worked. And for the rest of vacation and the last few days home it has worked. I am currently waiting for the new power cord to arrive, and I figured when it came I would put a dab of superglue at then end of a sewing needle, touch it to the pin, wait for the bond, and then pull the needle with the pin attached out. (A method of removing something small from something small I learned from a friend in med school- she had a college student in the ER with a pencil eraser that had broken off in his ear, and used a similar method to remove it...)
Anyway, the pin and the remainder of the cord just were not making contact today, so I tried to use a couple of sewing needles to work it out a bit, and just made the problem way worse. (I didn't want to use the superglue method fearing that the super glue would coat the end of the pin that needs to connect to the cord, rendering the current resources useless.) Now the pin is waaay in the hole, and I've further rigged the power situation with a section of very small paper clip that is bridging the gap between the broken pin and the remainder of the cord. It's working, but it's a total band aid and I want a permanent solution...
If nobody knows, I guess I will go through and take this whole thing apart and see if it is possible to push the pin out. (Seriously, it's ridiculous how much of this laptop needs to come apart to access this part. It's the worst. I have to take nearly everything out- hard drive, wireless card, memory, keyboard, screen/cover, speakers... everything!) This will be my first time pulling such a stunt, so wish me luck.
