Spin 5 (SP513-55N-72ER): Power button does not turn on when lid is closed

dschwert
dschwert Member Posts: 6 New User
edited October 13 in Swift and Spin Series

Hi!

With the end of Windows 10 I would like to turn my Spin 5 into my main PC, with an external monitor connected via USB-C.

I'm quite sure that I could power up my Spin 5 when the lid was closed.
(Why else would the power button be on the side?)

Now, this does not work any more. How can I reactivate the behavior? The BIOS does not seem to have any settings.

The model is SP513-55N-72ER, Windows Home is now 23H2

Regards,

Dietmar

P.S.: It is not helpful that the search field on this website does search through all forums instead of only the current one.

[Edited the thread to add model number to the title]

Answers

  • Puraw
    Puraw ACE, Member Posts: 14,021 Trailblazer
    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/714064/spin-5-power-button-does-not-turn-on-when-lid-is-closed

    Hi Dietmar, you cannot use an Acer laptop like a desktop, BIOS does not have a Wake on power function and even if you set the Closing the lid to do nothing it will suspend (Modern standby) the system and BIOS will switch it to Hibernate after some time. The power button will not be able to wake from this Hibernate state with the lid closed. Also, there is the system cooling to consider as the Spin 5 will overheat with the lid closed if somehow you would be able to tweak the registry/BIOS.

  • dschwert
    dschwert Member Posts: 6 New User
    edited October 13

    Well, it used to work some months ago, so it must be a software problem.

    It's possible to turn it on, close the lid and continue to work with the external monitor. Only turning on is no longer possible.

    Cooling should not be a problem. Main ventilation is done via bottom and rear. The ventilation at top seems to be a backup only, when the 2-in-one is used in tablet mode.

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,601 Trailblazer

    Actually you can use it as such, you just have to disable the functions that sleep, hibernate or shut it down when the lid is closed. I assume you are running Windows 11 on it… Open the start menu and type "lid", then select the "Change what closing the lid does" option that is likely highlighted. Make it set to "Do nothing" instead of what it has now. From then on the lid status will not affect the laptop. Since your model has a power button on the outside, you can use it just as if it were a desktop and only open the lid when you decide for it to be portable for a while.

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  • dschwert
    dschwert Member Posts: 6 New User

    Thanks, but as written before: The "do nothing" option is working. I can power up the notebook and then close it.

    The power button is not working when the lid is closed. I could swear that it worked some months ago.

    I probably need to experiment a bit whether I can just turn off the monitor, let the notebook go into standby and try to wake it up next day via USB/Thunderbolt. I have just enabled the related S4 options in the BIOS today. For a notebook, it's probably OK not to shut down but wait for standby.

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,601 Trailblazer

    There is nothing obvious in the SP513-55N design that would have caused the change, so it's likely a Windows thing. Lid closure is determined by a hall sensor at bottom left in the case (this is the view of the upper case half from below):

    image.png

    Worse comes to worst if Microsoft doesn't send out an update that fixes it would be to just disconnect that and it should think it's always opened… Unless it thinks it's always closed. :)

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  • dschwert
    dschwert Member Posts: 6 New User

    Thanks. As it's a hall sensor, I just tried to fudge it using an external magnet and it actually worked.
    I need to figure out how to do this reproducibly. Maybe I can 3D print a "dock".

  • dschwert
    dschwert Member Posts: 6 New User

    Unfortunately, disconnecting the sensor or attaching the magnet permanently has the side effect that the display will remain on all the time.

    Still, holding the magnet to the case for turning on is probably easier than having to open the lid.

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,601 Trailblazer

    Heheh, if that works, it works. :)

    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • dschwert
    dschwert Member Posts: 6 New User

    I have now drilled a hole and inserted the magnet into my notebook holder, which is behind the monitor.
    So, by pressing the power button the notebook is moved into the corner where magnet and sensor match and the notebook is turned on. It's a good solution.

    I don't understand why notebook manufacturers don't care about generic USB C docking. Most notebooks don't have a power button on the outside at all. And in the case of the Spin 5, it's there but not very useful. Why not make it active if the display is open or an USB C dock or hub is connected?

    The internal display has more dpi than my external monitor (30 inch with 100 dpi). So, docking and undocking is not seamless, but it's OK for me.

  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,601 Trailblazer

    Two things I can think of… Putting the power button on the keyboard is cheaper than using a separate button on the side, since there is one less component to install. Also, they likely get many more calls from customers that bump the button and turn things off accidentally than they get calls from people who use it like you do.

    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.

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