Diagnosing Predator laptop power-on failure

MrPower
MrPower Member Posts: 6

Tinkerer

edited November 2023 in 2018 Archives
My Predator 17" GX-792-77BL   (GTX 1080 model) no longer powers on properly.   It's been powered on, plugged into the wall,  continuously for 9 months, giving solid daily service. Yesterday it suddenly powered off by itself in mid-use. (Not during a reboot or BIOS flash or anything, just while powered on, showing an idle desktop). It no longer powers on properly.
I've followed a lot of the great tips from this forum to try to recover it, but have failed so far.

Symptoms: With the PSU plugged in, the battery light pulses orange slowly, on for 6 seconds and off for 30 seconds.   When I press the power button, the RGB keyboard and touch panel lights up, the fans start, the red power light turns on and stays solid and I get some very quick drive activity lights. The orange battery light pulses in the same 6-secs on 30 seconds off cycle. The screen does NOT activate.. the backlight is off, not just showing a black screen. I never see the BIOS screen or anything.   Nothing happens even after waiting 5 minutes.  The USB ports are powered.  If I hook up an external HDMI monitor, I get no response from that screen either, even during another power cycle.   Powered off, I used the battery isolation pinhole (hold 4 seconds) then powered on again.. no change. I opened the case (20+ screws!) and disconnected the battery, held the power button for 30 seconds, waited 5 minutes, then reconnected the battery.   No change to behavior. I opened it AGAIN and I disconnected the battery entirely and powered on anyway. Same symptoms, but no blinking orange light.   I put some electrical tape over the chassis intrusion switch by the RAM sockets.. no change.

A voltmeter shows the PSU plug delivering an expected 19.4V. 

Since I don't even get a boot screen, I don't expect it's a BIOS issue.. I've been using the original BIOS forever and was not flashing it when it went bad.

There have never been any liquid spills on the machine.

What other steps can I do to recover my machine?  Would these symtoms point at a bad PSU? [seems possible] A bad backlight? [I doubt it, the external monitor did not work]  A bad battery? [I doubt it, it still won't power on even when battery was disconnected]. Is there any fuse on the power circuitry that could have popped?     
I'm happy to hear theories or tests to perform.  

 I know I could send it to Acer, but I'm really desperate to get it working ASAP and don't want to have multiple weeks downtime. I'm especially desperate because the RAID-0 M.2s make it VERY hard to pull my important files off to use on another PC while I wait!

Thanks for help or suggestions or even just theories!

Answers

  • Hi! First redo the battery reset, but this time in the correct way: unplug the notebook from the electrical outlet and then press the battery reset button for five seconds:

    Leave the notebook off for five minutes and test! Some notebook models do not turn on if the battery is not detected!
    If that does not solve, check if testing ram memory for another, solve the problem!

    However, if your notebook is still in the warranty period, I consider that shipping the notebook for repair at the Acer service center is the best option!
    Oi! Eu não sou sou a cortana! Mas estou aqui para ajudar! Hi! I'm not the cortana! But I'm here to help!
    Se você gostou da minha resposta, marque como solução clicando em sim! If you liked my answer, mark it as a solution by clicking on yes!
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    Detection tool click here to find the serial number or partnumber of your model!                                                          
                                                      
                                                     egydiocoelho Trailblazer
     
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  • MrPower
    MrPower Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    egydiocoelho, thanks for the ideas! 
    I followed your advice about waiting 5 minutes (unplugged) after the battery reset. In fact I waited one hour. Unfortunately the symptoms are unchanged.

    I don't have any (extra) RAM installed, so the upper, accessable, RAM slots are empty.

    Would bad RAM cause these power-on symtoms?
    Would a failed GPU cause these symptoms?

    Thanks! 
  • Commodore_1995#
    Commodore_1995# ACE Posts: 98,349 Trailblazer
    edited October 2018
    A ram with problems can prevent the notebook from connecting correctly!! However the fact that the LEDs are blinking may indicate a problem with the battery or the power adapter or even with the motherboard!
    First test with the rams memories, testing the two individually and switching the slot! I would also check if the problem is in the power adapter, testing with another with similar features!

    However, take me out a doubt! You said that the notebook was turned on for nine months connected to the wall " It's been powered on, plugged into the wall,  continuously for 9 months, giving solid daily service"! At no point did you use the notebook on the battery?

    Oi! Eu não sou sou a cortana! Mas estou aqui para ajudar! Hi! I'm not the cortana! But I'm here to help!
    Se você gostou da minha resposta, marque como solução clicando em sim! If you liked my answer, mark it as a solution by clicking on yes!
    Aceite somente a resposta que ajudou a solucionar o seu problema! Please accept only the response that helped to solve your problem!
    Detection tool click here to find the serial number or partnumber of your model!                                                          
                                                      
                                                     egydiocoelho Trailblazer
     
    ProductKey clique aqui para descobrir o serial do windows! click here to discover the windows serial!
    Para usuários da comunidade inglesa, espanhola, francesa e alemã, usarei o google tradutor! :)
    For users of the English, Spanish, French and German community, I will be using google translator! :) 
  • MrPower
    MrPower Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    egydiocoelho, thanks for the ideas.

    The laptop has no RAM in the top slots at all.  But i am guessing there are two sticks on the underside of the motherboard.

    Yes, I would like to try with another power supply. The big 330 watt brick is not common, but I may be able to find something to try.


    Yes, the laptop has never run on battery only..  I suspect it only has 30 minutes of battery power anyway. This is a very heavy desktop replacement laptop.


  • This model has four slots, two lower and two upper slots, see:

    However I recommend that you do not open the notebook if it is within the warranty period! I recommend you do not waste time and let Acer fix the notebook if you have not yet completed one year after purchase!

    Oi! Eu não sou sou a cortana! Mas estou aqui para ajudar! Hi! I'm not the cortana! But I'm here to help!
    Se você gostou da minha resposta, marque como solução clicando em sim! If you liked my answer, mark it as a solution by clicking on yes!
    Aceite somente a resposta que ajudou a solucionar o seu problema! Please accept only the response that helped to solve your problem!
    Detection tool click here to find the serial number or partnumber of your model!                                                          
                                                      
                                                     egydiocoelho Trailblazer
     
    ProductKey clique aqui para descobrir o serial do windows! click here to discover the windows serial!
    Para usuários da comunidade inglesa, espanhola, francesa e alemã, usarei o google tradutor! :)
    For users of the English, Spanish, French and German community, I will be using google translator! :)