Laptop won't boot. Power indicator blinks blue light. Fan spins then stops each time. E5-475G-55DU

neophyte28549

Model:
Aspire E5-475G-55DU

Issue:
Wenever I press the power button to boot up my laptop, the power indicator flashes blue light every 5 seconds. During each flash, the heatsink fan briefly spins and then stops. The display doesn't turn on, let alone show the Acer splash screen.

When the issue first appeared:

My laptop booted just fine before. But I had to replace the internal battery so my laptop can be used without needing the charger to be plugged in all the time. So I replaced the battery and while I'm at it, I cleaned (only) the heatsink area. After putting everything back and tried turning the laptop on, that's when the issue first occured, and up to now.

Measures I took:

I can verify that the replacement battery is compatible with my laptop model, so I guess concerns with the replacement battery are ruled out.

I tried putting back my old battery to see if the issue goes away. Unfortunately, the issue persists. But I guess that means that rules out any battery-related concerns.

I made sure to properly plug back in the peripherals I detached while doing the cleaning and replacement. (These are: speakers, heatsink, battery, RAM, and something that looks connected to the charger port.)

Question:

Do you guys know or at least have any clues/hints about solving this issue? Anybody else experiencing the same?

Thread was edited to add model name to the title

neophyte28549

I finally solved it! I have already thoroughly searched the web prior to this posting, but after searching some more, I stumbled upon this thread on the Tom's Guide forum. It gave me a hint that maybe some peripheral isn't working properly. Sure enough, I found out it was my RAM that was failing. It was rather unexpected as I made sure to be careful while handling it. Anyway, with a bit of cleaning, I managed to get it to work again. Now my laptop boots up properly.

For future reference to others experiencing the same issue, here's what you can do:

1. Remove the hard drive and then boot. Assuming there isn't any problem with your display, it should light up and you should be able to access the BIOS. If that's the case, then the problem's with your hard drive.
2. Replace your RAM stick then boot, preferably without the hard drive back in. If it worked, then your RAM is the culprit. In my case, I had to go see a local technician to try this out since I don't have any spare RAM sticks at home.
3. Get it examined by a technician, unless you have the tools and expertise. If your motherboard's the problem, then you'll be better off buying 

JackE

With the new battery installed, unplug the charger. Then gently insert a paperclip into the battery reset pinhole on the bottom for about a minute. At the same time, press and hold the power button. Then plug the charger back in but don't try to turn it on until the battery charge LED turns from steady orange to steady blue. May take a few hours. Jack E/NJ

neophyte28549

Thanks for the quick response @JackE! I'll try that. I'll get back to you afterwards to report my findings.

neophyte28549

@JackE I did exactly as you said, however the issue is still there after turning on the fully charged laptop. What could that mean?

JackE

Unplug the charger. Remove the cover and disconnect the battery from the mainboard. Replace the cover and charger. Try to turn the machine on without the battery connected. Jack E/NJ

neophyte28549

I finally solved it! I have already thoroughly searched the web prior to this posting, but after searching some more, I stumbled upon this thread on the Tom's Guide forum. It gave me a hint that maybe some peripheral isn't working properly. Sure enough, I found out it was my RAM that was failing. It was rather unexpected as I made sure to be careful while handling it. Anyway, with a bit of cleaning, I managed to get it to work again. Now my laptop boots up properly.

For future reference to others experiencing the same issue, here's what you can do:

1. Remove the hard drive and then boot. Assuming there isn't any problem with your display, it should light up and you should be able to access the BIOS. If that's the case, then the problem's with your hard drive.
2. Replace your RAM stick then boot, preferably without the hard drive back in. If it worked, then your RAM is the culprit. In my case, I had to go see a local technician to try this out since I don't have any spare RAM sticks at home.
3. Get it examined by a technician, unless you have the tools and expertise. If your motherboard's the problem, then you'll be better off buying