Acer 515-54 - black screen - bricked?

Spikerr
Spikerr Member Posts: 6

Tinkerer

Closed the cover on my Acer 515-54 last night (set for sleep mode). Opened this morning and black screen. Tried holding power button for 30 seconds and also resetting with paper clip for 25 seconds. Nothing brings this back to life.
This thing is only 1 1/2 years old. Of all the many notebooks I have had over the years, I have never had one appear to "brick" on me.
Any help most appreciated!

Answers

  • William_mk2
    William_mk2 ACE Posts: 4,198 Pathfinder
    Spikerr

    Whenever you get a black screen ( set for sleep mode )  try to use the enter key multiple times or move the mouse and check..    

    Doing the power drain and bios defaults will really help.  Kindly follow the steps given below:


    Turn off the laptop. Disconnect or unplug  the charger cable, devices or any other cables connected to your laptop. Close your laptop. Turn it upside down.  On the bottom of the laptop, you can find a  pin hole. It is a tiny hole. You can a find a battery symbol indicator next to the hole. It is like a + and - sign symbol as though somebody is trying to shift the battery out. Insert the pin on to the hole for 30 seconds. Remove the pin. Flip the laptop. Connect the charger cable, turn on the computer.  Only on laptops where the battery is inbuilt you can find the battery reset hole on the back of laptop.


    If you dont find a pin hole on the back of laptop then you might be using removable battery. There is no need to unscrew anything to remove the battery.  Turn off the laptop. Disconnect or unplug  the charger cable, devices and any other cables connected to your laptop. Close your laptop. Turn it upside down.  On the bottom of the laptop, please look at the top or bottom depending on the way you look at it. You can find a long door. It is a battery removable door.  Just below that you can find a latch.  If you move the latch you can remove the battery door. Once the battery is removed,  flip the laptop. Open the top cover, press and hold the power button for 1 minute. Connect the battery back on the back of computer. Connect the charger cable back and then turn on the computer. 

     

    If you don’t see a reset pin hole on the back of laptop or if you are not able to remove the battery (if it is inbuilt ) then please unplug all the cables and devices out of laptop.   Hold the power button for 1 minute.   Connect all the cables back and restart the computer.  



    While turning on the computer, tap f2. It  will go to bios. Press f9  once. It will show load bios defaults with a yes or no popup. Press enter. Popup screen will disappear.  Press f10 once. It will show save changes popup with yes or no. Press enter. Computer will restart and it will load into windows.   


    It might also be the issue with battery, charger or power outlet.   Try to use the charger in a different room on a different power outlet.  Try to bypass the surge protector and connect it directly to power outlet.    Try to use an alternative charger if possible.    Try to turn on the computer without the charger and check it  ( as long as the battery is not drained out )  

     



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  • Spikerr
    Spikerr Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    "Turn off the laptop. Disconnect or unplug  the charger cable, devices or any other cables connected to your laptop. Close your laptop. Turn it upside down.  On the bottom of the laptop, you can find a  pin hole. It is a tiny hole. You can a find a battery symbol indicator next to the hole. It is like a + and - sign symbol as though somebody is trying to shift the battery out. Insert the pin on to the hole for 30 seconds. Remove the pin. Flip the laptop. Connect the charger cable, turn on the computer.  Only on laptops where the battery is inbuilt you can find the battery reset hole on the back of laptop."

    I had already tried all that you suggested and it didn't help. My wife has the same computer so tried her charger (and different outlet) but that didn't make a difference. I think this thing is bricked and only after 1 1/2 years. Argh!


  • Teksal
    Teksal Member Posts: 50 Devotee WiFi Icon
    Unplug the battery and try to power on using the AC adapter only, to see if the problem is battery related or not.
    You'll have to remove the bottom cover to unplug battery (you don't have to remove the battery).
  • Spikerr
    Spikerr Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    @teksal thanks. I have taken a number of notebooks apart in the past but if it is the battery it's too much of a hassle to deal with and I need a computer now. I'm just going to buy another but it will not be an Acer!
  • Callistemon
    Callistemon Member Posts: 106 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    Spikerr said:
    @teksal thanks. I have taken a number of notebooks apart in the past but if it is the battery it's too much of a hassle to deal with and I need a computer now. I'm just going to buy another but it will not be an Acer!
    Even though the battery is not officially "removable", it should still be fairly easy to remove. Just remove all screws from the underside cover and pop up the four corners, then lift the cover off. The battery can be removed by unscrewing two regular screws and disconnecting a set of cables. This model has a rather Low Grade LG Chem battery, and higher-quality models like the Spin 5 have better batteries that appear to have less issues and incidents of swelling. Non-removable batteries and Low Grade batteries are nothing specific to any particular laptop manufacturer.
  • Spikerr
    Spikerr Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    edited July 2021
    @teksal. Thanks again. I did get it apart, removed the battery and tried two different chargers. The original and my wife's who has the same exact computer. I also checked all the connectors to make sure they were seated. One side of the USB cable was a bit loose and clicked into place. Still no go, dead as a door nail. Looked at the power switch but that seems okay. I'm thinking it's the power supply. I've repaired enough stuff to know it's usually something simple but short of throwing parts at it I'm not sure where to go next.

    BTW, haven't purchased another computer to replace it yet. Bugs me that it died after only a year and a half but I'm stubborn enough to try and figure it out.  :)

  • Commodore_1995#
    Commodore_1995# ACE Posts: 98,311 Trailblazer
    edited July 2021
    What is the exact model? A515-54 or AN515-54? Try connecting some device to the usb charging port, such as a usb electric lamp for example, so that the battery is completely discharged.
    Oi! Eu não sou sou a cortana! Mas estou aqui para ajudar! Hi! I'm not the cortana! But I'm here to help!
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  • Spikerr
    Spikerr Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    egydiocoelho it's an A515. If I have disconnected the battery and it doesn't work with the charger I'm not sure what discharging the battery will accomplish.
  • even so, try draining 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! :) 
  • Teksal
    Teksal Member Posts: 50 Devotee WiFi Icon
    I don't know if you've seen these videos but they seem to be related to your case:



  • Spikerr
    Spikerr Member Posts: 6

    Tinkerer

    Thanks @Teksal. Not sure I want to get as deep as those videos. @egydiocoelho will try that. Thanks again, to all, for the suggestions!