My laptop keeps biting me!!!

One for all the computer buffs, I`ve got a panasonic CF-28 toughbook laptop, it`s taken a while but finally I`ve got it all up and running (these things are a weird beast) but the problem is when it`s on charge I keep getting a mild electric shock from it! It`s only when touching the bare metal parts of the frame (magnesium cased) where it`s chipped and also from the start switch at the front, at first it was kinda fun in a weird way but now it`s gettin properly on ma erm........... nerves? Also considering it`s about 8 years old and the environment these things are designed to be used in it does need charged regularly and there are a few chips in the casing. I`m fairly sure it`s something to do with static charge and its worse when I`m in the living room than the kitchen (nylon carpet in the living room and tiles in the kitchen) so any help gratefully received.

use ya multimeter and check whether theres flow to earth from the outer case, if there is current somethings wrong, then ideally you need a PAT tester to test the power cable and the toughbook.

If not then its just static earthing out from you

Hmm, am not with you on that one, the power supply converts mains to 15.6 volts DC and it appears the case is the shared earth for all the components, thinking something is building up a static charge which likes to earth through me as it has no where to go in a dc system, strangely though this stops when its fully charged and just running on trickle charge?

it should earth through the power cable when its connected otherwise everyone would get shocked when they touched it.

when on battery power it earths to the neg terminal on the battery

Update on this, my AC adapter died the other night so am hoping that has been the cause and the minor shocks have just been because it`s been on it`s way out, the thing I couldnt get ma noodle round is the laptop like av said stacks of times is DC powered, so there is no way so long as it powers up and works that it should be able to earth through me and give me a shock because as you say it earths through the battery, even when the AC charger is connected it is in effect a converter so the laptop run`s from DC which does not ground so to speak or else everytime you got out your car it would give you a belt! Also it doesnt do this when it`s charging from my car charger which is just basically a DC step up, got a new AC adapter on order and that will hopefully sort it.