Aspire XC 780 Won't Boot after Windows 10 Update

I've had my XC 780 for a long time now and since getting it I have had issues where I shut it down and the morning after it refuses to boot. I press the power button and NOTHING happens; no fans no beeps, no display message, nothing. It has happened three times now and I've had it for about 4 years. First time we sent it off and they said nothing was wrong and it worked fine, second time I was able to start it up by changing the plug it was plugged into and this is the third. This time, there was a Windows update on Thursday which i chose to 'Update and Shut Down', then on Friday doesn't boot. Changing the power cable doesn't work, changing the plug the cable is in doesn't work and holding the power button to discharge the power supply doesn't work. Please help, I haven't been able to find anyone else with this issue yet. A few issues I've had match with the CMOS Battery having no charge or being broken such as Time and Date issues, other booting issues and a jittery cursor which I blamed on the mouse initially, could this be part of the issue?

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billsey

Do you get the splash screen displayed? Does the monitor come up with it's splash screen? When you press the power button what happens? If you open the side up and watch, does the CPU fan spin at all? There are so many different things that could be wrong we're just shooting in the dark without some more details.

BrainySquid

billsey said:

Do you get the splash screen displayed? Does the monitor come up with it's splash screen? When you press the power button what happens? If you open the side up and watch, does the CPU fan spin at all? There are so many different things that could be wrong we're just shooting in the dark without some more details.

Thanks for answering, genuinely nothing happens. Nothing is displayed, the CPU fan doesn't turn on and neither does the Power Supply's. If I'm honest I'm just desperate for ideas on what it could be, not necessarily solutions but of course that would be nice.

ttttt

@BrainySquid
Sometimes this kind of problem can be caused by some loose connections. I would suggest unplugging all the connectors and then spray some electrical contact cleaner ( if you have that) or clean with alcohol then wipe dry. Reseating the connectors firmly.

Pay particular attention to the power button area, better take out the front panel too. Trace the wire from the part where the power button press on it ( I believe it is called Power Button Board on laptops). I believe the wires are probably blue and white in color. Also, unplug and reseat the memory stick too.

If you can try to use the Power Supply Unit on another PC, that can help to determine whether it is a bad power supply problem.

billsey

Yes, if nothing at all happens the issue is in getting the power supply to start up. That can be the power button not making contact when pressed, the wiring from the power button not making contact to the motherboard connector, the motherboard not doing anything when it sees the power button pressed, the power connector from the power supply to the motherboard not making contact on the power enable pins or the power supply not turning on when told to do so by the power enable pins. The easiest to test of those is the connectors, unplugging and plugging them a couple of times is usually enough to clean the contacts if they're lightly corroded. Next easiest is the continuity of the power button, you just use a VOM to very contact to the motherboard connector. After that you can test the power supply with a jumper between power enable and ground to the disconnected ATX connector. If they all come out good then the issue is likely the MB since it's the only thing left.

Usually it's something in the power button no longer making contact when pressed or the power supply has had something fail internally. It's quite unusual for the wiring or connectors to fail and motherboard is least likely.

BrainySquid

billsey said:

Yes, if nothing at all happens the issue is in getting the power supply to start up. That can be the power button not making contact when pressed, the wiring from the power button not making contact to the motherboard connector, the motherboard not doing anything when it sees the power button pressed, the power connector from the power supply to the motherboard not making contact on the power enable pins or the power supply not turning on when told to do so by the power enable pins. The easiest to test of those is the connectors, unplugging and plugging them a couple of times is usually enough to clean the contacts if they're lightly corroded. Next easiest is the continuity of the power button, you just use a VOM to very contact to the motherboard connector. After that you can test the power supply with a jumper between power enable and ground to the disconnected ATX connector. If they all come out good then the issue is likely the MB since it's the only thing left. Usually it's something in the power button no longer making contact when pressed or the power supply has had something fail internally. It's quite unusual for the wiring or connectors to fail and motherboard is least likely.

Wow, thank you! I think the power supply is the most likely option, I've checked most connectors on the motherboard now and everything seems fine. The power button is a good shout but I think it's unlikely, definitely a good idea to check it though. I will try all you have suggested. Thank you again.

BrainySquid

ttttt said:

@BrainySquid
Sometimes this kind of problem can be caused by some loose connections. I would suggest unplugging all the connectors and then spray some electrical contact cleaner ( if you have that) or clean with alcohol then wipe dry. Reseating the connectors firmly.

Pay particular attention to the power button area, better take out the front panel too. Trace the wire from the part where the power button press on it ( I believe it is called Power Button Board on laptops). I believe the wires are probably blue and white in color. Also, unplug and reseat the memory stick too.

If you can try to use the Power Supply Unit on another PC, that can help to determine whether it is a bad power supply problem.

Thank you, very good suggestions! I'll try them out.

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