Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop Won't Boot

qwertyuiop
qwertyuiop Member Posts: 7

Tinkerer
edited November 2023 in 2018 Archives
What's happening now: So, the laptop won't boot up at all, but the keyboard backlight flashes slowly when I try turning it on. It seems like it will just keep flashing on and off like that all day if I let it. I'm guessing that's some kind of an error message, but I have no idea what it means.

I just got it about 40 days ago and it was still like new. However, I should admit it was in a bag with a water bottle which leaked, but I didn't think enough water had gotten in it to cause damage. I have also used it for a couple days after the water bottle incident with no problems. Until now.

Here's the laptop on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y4GZS9C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also read there's been some BIOS issues people have had with symptoms like this: https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/533825/windows-update-stuck-on-please-wait-while-we-install-a-system-update-message/

So, is this probably that BIOS issue or is it likely water damage? And is there any way I could fix this myself or should I bring it to a repair shop or try sending it back?

Answers

  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder
    Most likely it got damaged by the water. You can't send it back and you will most likely have to pay for the service of your device, unless you have an insurance on it.

    You can try resetting the battery. Disconnect from AC, make sure the laptop is turned off and follow the instructions. If it doesn't help you can open the device and wait for it to dry up or use something to wipe out the water that is left. 
    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

  • qwertyuiop
    qwertyuiop Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    Opening it up and waiting for it to dry shouldn't change anything. The water bottle incident happened days ago, so it's been dried for a long time. Is it normal for water damage to not affect it until a couple days afterwards?
  • ven98
    ven98 ACE Posts: 4,073 Pathfinder
    edited January 2018
    Yes it can. The water inside can't get out completely, as it is in closed space, so even if it evaporates it will still stay there. While the laptop is being moved, the water moves around and can easily cause a short. Even if the water itself didn't cause any damage, it can cause corrosion, which can damage the bonds in a circuit after some time.
    Always post the following characterisitcs of the device:
    -Model number
    -Part number(not required, but helpful)
    -CPU
    -GPU
    -Operating system

    Helios 300 and Nitro 5 users DO NOT update the BIOS to version 1.22 if you don't want the keyboard's backlight to turn off after 30 seconds even when the device is plugged in.


    Hit 'Like' if you find the answer helpful!   
    Click on 'Yes' if the comment answers your question!

  • qwertyuiop
    qwertyuiop Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    edited January 2018
    Alright. It was after carrying it around that it quit working, so maybe it was caused by some debris or corrosion or something that bothered it when it was moved. I'll plan on opening it up and cleaning it out when I can. It has actually randomly just started working again now though, so I'm pretty happy about that. I guess it's sorted itself out, but I'll definitely clean it to prevent this from happening again.

    Thanks for the advice.

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